With energy prices on the rise, it has never seemed like a better time to make your home more energy efficient. By improving your energy efficiency rating you save yourself money and improve the overall performance of your house. Taking a few simple measures, such as turning your heating down, choosing the ‘eco’ setting on your washing machine and using energy-saving light bulbs can make a big difference.
So, where do you begin? It might seem a little daunting at first, but it just takes small steps at a time. The most effective approach is to target the envelope of your house, like your walls, attic, windows and doors. Then, improve the systems you use in your house, and then consider fitting a clean energy generation.
Insulate your house
It has been reported that about £500 million was wasted through heat escaping through poorly insulated attics or walls. You could save about £160 every year just by insulating your home better. All you need to do is lay down some good loft insulation and you’ll start to see the differences. If you have one of those age-old problems of a door that lets in a draft, cheap stick on insulation is readily available and cheap.
Believe it or not, hanging thicker curtains over your windows will also prevent any of the heat escaping – this is especially effective in winter when the nights are longer and thus the curtains are closed for a longer period of time.
Insulating your cavity walls will also make a massive difference, 33% of your heat loss in your home is accountable to uninsulated walls. You could save up to £180 a year and reduce carbon emissions by a great deal, too.
Upgrade your household appliances
There are a tonne of ‘eco’ options for household items on the market, and the vast majority of them would definitely be worth spending the money and time on. Eco kettles are a great way to stop you, and your family, from using too much electricity when boiling the kettle – some eco kettles use as much as 30% less power.
Upgrading your boiler can also save you about £200 off your energy bills, and reduce your carbon emissions dramatically, investing in a more energy efficient boiler could actually save you a lot of money.
You can actually get a whole host of eco products like vacuum cleaners, radios, TVs and fridges. It is definitely beneficial to find the most energy efficient version of a product because in the long run they will all save you heaps of cash.
Lifestyle changes
You might have read our last post on the Isle of Eigg, which basically showed that it is possible to reduce how much energy you use, if you just use less (we know this is easier said than done.) You can invest in an energy monitor which can really help people use less because there’s a constant reminder about how much you are using. Turning off things which you do not need to be on all the time, cutting how much you use certain things and little simple lifestyle changes such as having showers instead of baths, and using eco-settings on the washer will also help.
Make your house energy efficient
Making investments now, means you can save more money in the long term. So, whilst instant changes are brilliant, the real winners are the double glazing and solar panels. Fitting double glazing can actually make a surprising difference to your energy bills. Solar panels allow you to generate your own heat or power, and even sell some energy back to the grid.
We can guide you through solar panel installation, and also give you any information you may need. Using solar to heat your water, or battery storage all improve your energy efficient rating. This could be a great way for you to save money in the long-term and do your bit for the environment.
