7 ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency
May 3 2022
- Upgrade your boiler. Choosing the right boiler can result in a warmer property, cheaper monthly bills and a smaller carbon footprint. Keeping on top of the servicing, cleaning, topping up the pressure and turning on the heating ensures you get the best out of the boiler. Greener alternatives are worth considering as these don’t require fossil fuels. Options include: hat pumps, electric boilers, solar heating systems and biomass boilers.
- Save water. Despite the earth being covered in 71% water, only 3% is fresh and fir for human consumption! The small changes to the right will help you do your part to save water, as well as save you money. Ways you could do this include: turning the tap off between brushing your teeth, timing yourself showering and knowing every minute shorter showering is a significant amount of water saved, wait until you have a full load of washing as opposed to half-loads to save energy and repair/report leaky taps and shower heads ASAP!
- Install a smart meter. The best way to monitor how much energy you’re using and help climate change, is opting for a green energy supplier. Green tariffs work in 3 ways: they offer energy from renewable sources directly, they match your usage through the generation or contribution of renewable energy elsewhere and they contribute towards the environmental scheme on your behalf.
- Insulate your home. Insulate your home correctly and you could save up to 15% a year on heating and cooling costs by draught-proofing and insulating your home. There are several ways you can do this: fill gaps between floorboards, reseal windows and doors, insulate attics, walls and crawl spaces.
- Install double glazing. Investing in double glazed windows and doors is one of the best ways to boost your EPC rating. The main benefit of double glazing is the ability to heat your home more efficiently which allows you to turn down your thermostat and save on heating costs. Keeping on top of the general maintenance of your windows once a year, will ensure you get the best out of your double glazing. Keep them clean, check for cracks, check the sealant and check for draughts.
- Use alternative powers sources. Making simple changes like changing all your lightbulbs to LED lightbulbs will have an impact on the amount of energy you use. Other alternatives include: solar panels, ground source heat pump, air source heat pump and solar thermal panels.
- Update white goods. Choosing energy efficient white goods and household appliances is worth investing in. Switching appliances will help you save money and reduce your carbon footprint. Check the EPC label on an appliance you want to replace or purchase, A is the best while G is the worst. Consider new technologies that use less energy without compromising on the performance. These include: induction hobs, magnetic fridges, reflective roofing materials and LED bulbs.
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