Most people want to save money on their heating bills and reduce their carbon footprint so they are therefore looking for ways to make their homes more energy efficient. Here, we’ve put together a few suggestions to help you do just that.
It is also important to note that there may be grants available to help you with the costs of energy efficiency improvements, which you can read more about in our previous blog.
Install external wall insulation
External wall insulation (EWI) is one of the best improvements you can make to your home if you want to make it more energy efficient. EWI can reduce your annual heating bills by up to 50% and, unlike internal wall insulation, it won’t encroach on your internal floor space.
External wall insulation also has the benefits of reducing noise levels and reducing damp and condensation. EWI is available in a range of attractive finishes, so also saves you the cost of external decoration and maintenance.
Get triple glazing on your windows
It is common knowledge that double glazing on windows helps keep homes warmer than single glazing, but it is now possible to get triple glazing installed for the highest level of heat retention in the home.
Triple glazing is also stronger and more durable than double glazing. The only downsides of triple glazing are the cost of installation and the fact that they don’t take in as much solar energy as they are thicker.
Insulate your loft
A lot of heat from your home can escape through your roof if it is not properly insulated. Insulating your loft will help to keep the heat in and, as a result, lower your heating bills. The most common type of loft insulation is blanket loft insulation, but it is also available in other forms, such as loose fill, blown fibre, or sheet, which is useful if you want the loft to be a liveable space.
Get underfloor insulation
Older houses with ‘suspended floors’ may benefit from underfloor insulation to make them more energy efficient, as heat can escape through the floor. This type of insulation is installed by accessing the void beneath the house and filling it with insulating material.
Upgrade your boiler
Inefficient boilers can account for a significant portion of a home’s higher energy usage. Over time, gas boilers struggle to heat the home effectively and require more energy to function. A new boiler will allow you to more accurately control the temperature within your home and therefore reduce heating costs. Another benefit is that new boilers tend to be smaller, so you may free up some space in your home.
Invest in refurbishing your home
There are a number of refurbishments you can make in your home to make it more energy efficient. These include making improvements like installing draft proof doors and windows, radiator reflectors or boosters, adding thermal lining to curtains, switching over to LED lighting, or upgrading to an energy-efficient stove.
Lower your energy consumption where possible
A general tip for making your home more energy efficient is to lower your energy consumption where possible, through simple actions like turning off the lights in rooms you are not using, turning devices off rather than leaving them in standby, washing clothes at a lower temperature and not having the heating on higher than you need it. Installing a smart thermostat is a good way to monitor your energy usage.
Hopefully, these tips have been useful to you and you can make your home more energy efficient. If you are interested in installing external wall insulation in your home, please get in touch with us. We also offer additional services for glazing, loft insulation and underfloor insulation.
Related:
How to Reduce Your Heating Bills for Winter