We all know how cold it can get in the winter, particularly if you live in the UK. That’s why it’s so important to make your home as energy efficient as possible. The last thing you want is to be freezing your socks off every night, huddled under a blanket, despite the fact that your central heating is on full blast. Not to mention, the more energy efficient your home is, the less money you’ll end up paying out on your domestic bills each month. So really, having an energy efficient home is a win-win situation. If you’re unsure about how you can make you home more energy efficient, read on for my five tips.
1. Fit double glazing
If the windows in your house are only single glazed, you should really consider replacing them with thicker double glazing. Not only will this reduce heat loss from your home, it may even save you up to £170 each year off your energy bill, according to the Energy Saving Trust. In addition to keeping in that precious heat, double glazing offers multiple other advantages, such as insulation against outside noise, reduced condensation build-up, and a smaller carbon footprint. So you’ll also be doing your bit for the environment, generating around 680kg less of CO2 emissions per year.
2. Cavity wall insulation
Did you know that an uninsulated house can lose around 35 per cent of heat through its walls? If your three-bedroom semi-detached home has cavity walls, insulting them could save you a whopping £135 each year on your heating bill. It’s not expensive to insulate a cavity wall – in fact; you’ll have covered the cost in energy bill savings in about 12 months anyway. That means that the longer you live in your house for, the more money you’ll save. It’s a bit of a no brainer really, isn’t it?
3. Draught excluders
It’s easy to overlook a little draught here and there. Some people may tell you to just put a jumper on and stop being so nesh. A really cost-effective solution to this little problem however, is to get your hands on a draught excluder. And you don’t have to worry about it clashing with your interior décor theme as they come in a plethora of designs to suit a variety of tastes.
4. Loft insulation
A huge 25 per cent of your home’s heat can easily be lost through the roof. The experts recommend installing loft insulation which is at least 11 inches thick. Similarly to double glazing, you’ll not only save money on your heating bill each month, but you’ll also help to reduce your carbon footprint, to the tune of 720kg – that’s not a bad deal at all.
5. Turn the heating down by one degree
Oh stop your whining and put on a jumper, it’s not that cold. I’m willing to bet you’ve heard that phrase once or twice in your life. Well, actually, whoever said that to you has got a point. By putting on a jumper, you’ll be able to turn down your central heating thermostat by one degree or so, without even wincing. This small, relatively painless act will save you around 10 per cent on the cost of your heating – saving energy doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
Which of the above energy efficiency measures do you use in your home?
