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Energy efficiency experts give top five tips for cutting household winter energy bills

Energy efficiency experts' five energy-saving tips could save up to £782 a year.

Experts have given their top five tips for saving fuel this winter, urging billpayers 'not to be fooled' into cranking up heating and hot water after the 1 October price cap freeze.

Over 270 domestic energy assessors were asked how billpayers could cut their energy bills, set to average £2,500 per year – doubled since October 2021.

From 800 recommendations, installing loft insulation, programming the thermostat correctly and limiting hot water waste came out on top, followed by switching from traditional to LED lightbulbs and getting rid of draughts. These could save billpayers up to £782 annually depending on a home's age, energy efficiency and occupant number.

Stuart Fairlie, managing director of Elmhurst Energy – the UK's leading accreditation scheme for home energy assessors – said: "The new energy price cap average of £2,500 still means a bill at least double the cost of 2021. Billpayers shouldn't be fooled by the freeze into wasting energy, as they will still pay for the energy they use, meaning their bill could be significantly higher, especially if they live in a bigger, older home or have a larger family.

"Many of the most effective measures are free. One of the best energy-saving tips is simply to get to grips with your thermostat and programme it correctly, using a consistent temperature – one for day, one for night. Dropping by just one degree can slash 10 per cent off a bill."

The top five tips from Elmhurst's members – domestic energy assessors (DEA) who determine a home's energy performance certificate (EPC) rating from A to G – are:

1.  Install loft insulation

Loft insulation costs vary by material, starting from £5/m2 for blanket insulation at the 270mm required depth – or £150 to £285 for an average mid-terrace.

Saving: Up to £330 a year

2.  Use a programmable thermostat – at a consistent temperature

DEAs recommend setting to 15-16 degrees at night and 18-20 degrees during the day, depending on activity levels.

Saving: £127 minimum per year per degree

3.  Don't waste hot water

Set the hot water thermostat to around 60 degrees, switch from bath to shower, boil kettles using only the water needed and use dishwashers and washing machines when full.

Saving: Around £100 per year

4.  Make the LED switch

Every 75-watt incandescent bulb replaced with an LED can save around £10 a year, based on 503.5 hours' average per year – the amount for a typical kitchen or lounge.

Saving: £100 per 10 bulbs switched to LED

5.  Block out draughts

For doors, use draught excluders, cover keyholes, use letterbox flaps or brushes and fit brush, foam or wiper strips around to fill gaps. Use strips for windows and a chimney draught excluder for unused fireplaces.

Saving: £125 per year

DEA Faye Handfield, an accredited Elmhurst member and managing director of Oldro EPC Ltd., said: "This winter will be challenging for homeowners and tenants, so it's important to make the best use of heat created at home. One of the cheapest and easiest way to bring down costs and increase energy efficiency is to block out drafts through windows and doors and put up thick curtains to avoid losing heat."

Find a DEA: https://www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk/find-an-assessor.

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It's Sake month in London Restaurants until 20th November (Update)

Sake rice wine will take centre stage in a range of top London restaurants and bars throughout the month of October, as World Sake Day on 1st October kicks off a month-long celebration of Sake's food-pairing versatility.

Chefs across our capital city have created an array of delicious seafood-based dishes as part of the Sake Seafood Sensations campaign. Their carefully crafted menus aim to showcase the compatibility of different styles of Sake with a wide range of international cuisines. These will include contemporary British, Mediterranean and Fusion styles, plus modern Japanese.

An eclectic range of London establishments are planning on being involved. These will include three 5-star hotel restaurants, a floating barge restaurant/bar and a 75-year-old delicatessen. 

All have worked closely with a WSET qualified Sake expert and a UK-based Sake distributor to develop their tailored menus and select a range of Sake to perfectly complement their dishes, allowing both the ingredients and flavours to really shine through.

Sake is an especially good match for seafood dishes due to its high umami factor and low levels of iron and low acidity. 

Some of the specially created pairings that have been developed by restaurants involved in the campaign to highlight this Sake-seafood compatibility include:

Mediterranean rice with cuttlefish, red prawns, seabream and seafood stock, paired with Yauemon 'Silent Forest' Junmai Ginjō

Classic fish and chips (haddock, chunky chips, pea purée, tartare sauce, chargrilled lemon), paired with Dewazakura Izumi Judan Ginjo Sake

Chilean sea bass with shiso salsa, paired with CEL–24 Junmai Ginjo

Smoked salmon served with a toasted bagel, cream cheese and pickles, paired with Nishinoseki Classic

Sake expert Christine Parkinson, who has been supporting a number of the restaurants with their Sake-pairing menus, says: “Most people don't realise how versatile sake is, and how delicious it can be with all types of cuisines. It has an umami component that always brings out the harmony of flavours in food.

“I think people will possibly be surprised when they try some of the pairings, especially with seafood dishes if they haven't ever thought to try sake with these before. I'm particularly pleased we've such a wide range of restaurants involved, with seafood dishes in lots of different styles. It's going to be a real eye-opener!”

Further restaurants are still being confirmed but at this time participating restaurants include:

8 at The Londoner

Akira

Aqua Kyoto

Arros QD

Engawa

Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square, Mei Ume

Inamo, Covent Garden

Inamo, Soho 

InterContinental London Park Lane, The Wellington Lounge

London Shell Co. Prince Regent  

London Shell Co. The Grand Duchess

Moto

My Neighbours the Dumplings, Clapton 

My Neighbours the Dumplings, Victoria Park

Panzer's 

People's Wine

Plume

Wagtail

More details, including the full list of bars and restaurants taking part, will be updated on the SquareMeal restaurant review and booking website (https://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/promotions/sake-and-seafood-pairing_10282) and on the forthcoming Sake Seafood Sensations site (https://sake-jfoodo.jetro.go.jp/uk/sensations) which will also include a brief guide to the different styles and categories of Sake. In addition, updates can be found on Instagram at @sake_sensations and using #SakeSeafoodSensations.

Sake has been brewed in Japan for in excess of two millennia. 

Unlike wine, where much of its quality is decided in the vineyard, the most important factor in making Sake is in the technical production process used in the brewery. 

Today's brewers are merging tradition and innovation to create high quality, versatile Sakes that come in a range of styles and flavours, and that complement virtually any seafood dish.

UPDATE: We have just been informed that the promotion has proved so popular that they have extended it until 20th November.

 

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Bug Liz! Organic September Petition to Save Nature Reaches 30,000 Signatures

A www.Change.org petition launched for Organic September, asking our new Prime Minister Liz Truss to take action to save nature in her first 100 days in government, has reached 30,000 signatures, thus providing wildlife like earthworms, ladybirds and bees a voice for the first time.

On behalf of nature, the Organic Trade Board (OTB) launched the petition requesting the Prime Minister commits to protecting wildlife in any new policies. And represents the UK at the vitally important UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in December.

Not only are insects an integral part of a balanced ecosystem, providing food for other animals and recycling nutrients, they also play a key role in our global food system. One in three mouthfuls of food depends on pollinators and without pollinators we would not have potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes, coffee, chocolate or cotton.

Nature's keyworkers also held a miniature protest standing up for their insect rights at an organic farm in the North East this month. Armed with miniature placards, they gathered at Bays Leap organic farm near Newcastle to show if wildlife such as bees, earthworms and ladybirds had a voice they would want all farming to be organic to help keep the delicate ecosystem in balance.

Cristina Dimetto, General Manager of the Organic Trade Board (OTB), said: “Organic farming works with nature, not against it, encouraging natural predators like ladybirds and pollinators like bees and butterflies rather than spraying harmful pesticides. 

"As a result, on average, plant, insect and bird life is 50% more abundant on organic farms. There are up to seven times more wild bees in organic grain fields. So if nature did have a voice, we believe it would opt for organic. 

“If pesticides were substituted for more sustainable farming practices (such as organic), this could slow or reverse the decline in insects. The hope is even tiny insect-sized steps can make a big difference when it comes to keeping nature's crucial keyworkers thriving.”

For more information visit www.GoOrganicUK.com and to sign the petition head to https://www.change.org/NatureProtest.

Readers of That's Food and Drink will recall that we ran an Organic September feature which actually ends today, the last day of September.

Making Delicious Recipes for International Real Vanilla Day with LittlePod

Taking place on 17th October each year, International Real Vanilla Day brings together the voices of vanilla from all over the world.

From the farmers and the communities who protect and nurture the fragile ecosystems on the equatorial belt, to the professional chefs, home cooks and bakers who use real vanilla in their creations.

So Why Use LittlePod?

LittlePod was the first provider of real Vanilla to commission a squeezy tube for its Natural Vanilla Paste to make real vanilla as convenient as possible to use, while helping to conserve this extraordinary crop.

Founder of International Real Vanilla Day and the MD of LittlePod, Janet Sawyer MBE BEM, is one utterly amazing woman! 

Janet is on a very important mission to save the vanilla pod from the very real threat of extinction. With 97% of vanillin used in the west being artificial, the vanilla pod was at risk of being lost within just one generation. 

Most vanilla is grown in Madagascar, which puts it at a high-risk due to environmental factors like storms, droughts, etc. 

Having won a Queen's Award for Sustainable Development, Little Pod also produce vanilla pods from their own collaborative orchard which is in Indonesia. 

They encouraged the Indonesian government to restart their vanilla industry again by planting vanilla vines for reforestation in peat bog areas that were unfortunately made barren from palm oil planting. 

LittlePod's products are a vehicle to allow the company to work on community projects in Madagascar and Indonesia, supporting farmers and families in these areas.

LittlePod Natural Vanilla Paste 100ml is vegan, kosher and gluten free, available from littlepod.co.uk. RRP £15

So, how can you use LittlePod Real Vanilla? Here are some recipes:-

Peter Gorton's Honey Mousse With Port Jelly and Fresh Strawberries

Ingredients

Mousse

4 large eggs yolks

100g castor sugar

320 ml milk

50g honey

1 tbsp LittlePod natural vanilla paste

2 ½ gelatine leaves

250 ml double cream, whipped to stiff peaks

Port Jelly

90 ml port

90 sugar syrup

2 gelatine leaves

2 tsp LittlePod pure chocolate extract (optional)

Sugar Syrup

90ml water

80g sugar

Boil until dissolved and set aside to cool, refrigerate when cold

Method

Honey Mousse

Bring the milk to a simmering point in a saucepan.

Whisk the egg yolks and castor sugar in a bowl until pale and frothy, then add the honey, vanilla paste and slowly whisk in the warm milk.

Stand the bowl over a bain-marie and gently cook, whisking continuously until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Soften the gelatine leaves in a little cold water, wring out the excess water and stir the gelatine into the custard until dissolved.

Pass the custard through a fine sieve into a clean bowl and cool over ice in the refrigerator.

When the custard is almost set (about an hour) fold in the whipped cream.

To Make The Jelly

Bring the port and sugar syrup and pure chocolate extract up to the boil in a saucepan.

Soften the gelatine leaves in a little water and wring out the excess water and stir the gelatine into the hot liquid until dissolved.

Pass the jelly through a fine sieve into a bowl and allow to cool but not set.

To Assemble

Spoon the mousse into the desired ring moulds leaving a gap at the top for the port jelly.

Refrigerate until set (about 45 minutes) and pour the jelly on top of the mousse.

Refrigerate until set (about 1 hour).

To Serve

Suspend the moulds in hot water for 10 seconds then carefully turn out onto shortbread biscuit in the middle of the plate.

Place a few strawberries on top of the honey mousse and drizzle a little honey over the top. Delicious!!

Cooking Tip

Peter Gorton - You can use raspberries or figs instead of strawberries if you prefer.

Peter Gorton's Twice Baked Goats Cheese & Vanilla Soufflés

Ingredients:

Soufflés:

80g butter

60g plain flour

350ml warm milk

75g goats cheese

1 tbsp LittlePod natural vanilla paste

1 tbsp freshly grated parmesan.

2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley or chives.

3 egg yolks

Salt and pepper

4 egg whites

250ml double cream

Tomato Vinaigrette:

2 shallots

2 cloves garlic – minced

6 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar

150mls dry white wine

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp LittlePod natural vanilla paste

125ml passata

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 tbsp softened butter (optional)

Method:

The Souffle:

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºc.

Melt 2 oz of butter and grease 6 – 8 ramekin moulds.

Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook over a medium heat, stirring for 2 minutes.

Add the warmed milk and vanilla paste little by little until the mixture is a smooth white sauce and the flour has cooked out. Remove from the heat.

Mash the goats' cheese until soft then add to the sauce with the parmesan and fresh herbs.  Cool for 5 minutes. Fold the egg yolks in thoroughly and taste for seasoning.

Beat egg whites until ribbon stage and fold quickly and lightly into the cheese mixture.  Divide the mixture between greased ramekins and smooth the surface of each.

Place in a baking dish and pour in hot water to come two-thirds up the sides.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until firm to the touch and well puffed.

Remove the soufflés from the oven. (they will deflate and look wrinkled).

Allow to rest for a minute then gently ease them out of their moulds.

Place on a plate and cover with cling film.

When you are ready to serve place soufflés in a buttered ovenproof shallow dish.

Pour the double cream equally over the top of the souffles.

Sprinkle with extra parmesan and return to the oven for 12-15 minutes fan-assisted oven 200c until the soufflés are puffed and golden brown.

Tomato Vinaigrette:

Place the shallots, garlic and olive oil into a small saucepan over a low heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the vanilla paste, white wine.  Increase the heat, cook and reduce by half.

Add the tomato passata, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Bring the mixture to the boil and remove from the heat.

Slowly whisk in the softened butter and a tablespoon of good quality balsamic vinegar

Peter Gorton's Poached Pears In Filo Pastry, Filled With Amaretti, And A Caramel Coffee Sauce

Ingredients

Poaching Liquid:

700ml water

225ml red wine

115g granulated sugar

2 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

2 LittlePod natural vanilla pods, seeds scraped out

Amaretti Filling:

125g amaretti biscuits, crushed

(mix all the ingredients below to form a firm paste)

125g ground almonds

4 teaspoons sugar

4 teaspoons butter

Pastry:

450g package of filo pastry de-frosted in the refrigerator overnight

225ml melted unsalted butter

Caramel Sauce:

250g double cream (& a little extra cream to thin the sauce)

250g sugar

150ml water

1 tbsp LittlePod natural vanilla paste

1 tbsp LittlePod organic coffee extract

Method

Pre-heat oven 200°c/gas 6

Choose firm pears that still have their stems attached.

Peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler and cut a thin slice off the bottom to create a flat surface so that the pears will stand upright during poaching.

Combine the poaching ingredients together, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes, remove from the heat and add the pears, return to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the pears from the liquid so they don't continue to cook.  When they have cooled completely, core the pears from the bottom & fill them with the amaretti filling, dry any excess liquid from the pears.

To prepare the pastry:

Allow 3 sheets of filo per pear.

Brush each sheet with melted butter, layering them on top of the next sheet, place 1 pear in the centre of each pastry square and pull the four corners up towards the top and pinch around the stem leaving as much stem exposed as possible.

Bake the pears until golden brown, while the pears are baking prepare the caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce:

Bring the water and sugar to the boil and boil until a nice golden brown

Remove from the heat and add half of the cream and allow for the sauce to combine to a smooth texture

Add the rest of the cream, the vanilla paste and coffee extract, return to the heat and allow the sauce to reduce to the desired consistency.

Presentation:

Place pears in the centre of six plates and pour the caramel sauce around the pear, serve with an ice-cream of your choice or clotted cream.

Cooking Tip

Peter Gorton - The pears can be prepared up to three days in advance. When adding the cream to the caramel be very careful as the mixture tends to splatter.

(Editor: I think these recipes will be ideal for your Christmas festivities. Maybe an addition or as an alternative to the more traditional Christmas Pudding, perhaps?)

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