7 Tips on How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Energy efficiency is something that many homeowners in the modern age are thinking more and more about. And why not? While it is not only a great idea to look out for the environment as much as you possibly can, it makes sense to try and cut down on how much money you spend on power. Unfortunately, gas and electricity prices are always likely to rise, and as such, it’s a good idea to think carefully about upping your efficiency.

However, you don’t have to make big changes to start seeing great differences. Crucially, you should be thinking about the small ways in which you can start to save money and energy expenditure from day to day. Here are seven ideas you can use to get started – and who knows, you might just save yourself a packet in the bargain.

Lock in the Heat

One of the biggest ways to really ramp up your heating bills is to ignore draughts. Draughts might seem pretty innocuous at first, but if you don’t deal with them, you’re only ever going to be losing heat through these small cracks and spaces. It is really surprising just how much heat you can lose through these tiny areas!

Therefore, consider making sure your home is draught-proof. That might mean inspecting doors and windows. Older window designs, in fact, are very likely to leak air and heat through their simple construction. Draught excluding can be fairly inexpensive if you don’t need extensive work.

Insulate Your Loft

Anyone who has never insulated a loft or attic before might wonder what the fuss is all about. Ultimately, loft insulation is a great way to clad and protect your property against heat loss, and to ensure that you keep out as much of the cold as possible. Insulation is relatively simple to arrange, though you should always approach a professional installer to take a close look for you.

Loft insulation may even be available through your local authority or council, along with basic cavity wall insulation. Therefore, it is well worth opening up to your local services for more information.

Consider Solar Panels

Ok – this step is going to need a bit more work than you might anticipate, and it can cost a fair amount of money upfront. However, the savings are potentially colossal. Solar panels are great for really cutting down on your energy bills. By switching to renewable, responsible energy, too, you are avoiding eating into fossil fuels and inefficient energy sources.

This means that, in the long run, you might be able to run off the heat you generate for yourself. In some cases, you could even sell back the energy you make with panels to energy companies. It might not net you much, but the low bills are worth the price of admission.

Check Out Your Glazing

The quality of your window glass is going to have a massive knock-on effect for your home’s energy efficiency and how much heat you keep in. Of course, double glazing has become the leading standard over the years. This, as you can imagine, is double-thick glass, which works hard to lock in heat and should out cold.

You should also look for eco-friendly glass which is low-emission. This means that they often benefit from special coatings to help reflect light. It’s all about keeping as much of the elements outside as possible!

Change Up Your Appliances

Yes – you should really think about the devices you’re using on a daily basis. Washing machines, dryers and dishwashers are always likely to be big culprits for running up bills and wasting money. Therefore, look for appliances and machines which have a cleaner energy efficiency rating. The earlier the letter in the alphabet, the more efficient a device is.

For example, an ‘A’-rated device is extremely efficient, while an ‘E’-rated device is not. In the modern age, you’re likely to find plenty of kettles and TVs which are ‘A’-rated, so really don’t worry about this side of things too much.

Switch Things Off

Seriously – we all waste a huge amount of energy each and every day simply by not switching appliances off properly. From TVs clinging to standby, to light bulbs staying on in rooms when no one’s in them, you may well be wasting electricity without even realising it. It is small tweaking to your habits such as these which could help to bring down your energy wastage, and therefore the bills you pay from quarter to quarter.

Just think twice – do you really need to leave that light on? Have you switched your appliances off at the wall? They can all add up to hefty bills to pay in the long run.

Set Up Underfloor Heating

Rather than rely on an old or inefficient heating system, it’s well worth considering setting up underfloor heating. Instead of spending time heating up a large space with an inefficient radiator, underfloor heating will provide you with instant, radiant heat. It will leap into action as soon as you need it to, meaning that you are wasting no time expending energy.

Underfloor heating can turn off and on again based on timers as well as through zonal systems. The savings are potentially huge – think about how long you normally leave radiators turned on for before you feel warm and cosy! Doesn’t it make more sense to have a system in place where you can immediately benefit from warmth beneath your feet?

Taking Energy Efficiency Seriously

In the modern age, cutting back on energy expenditure is an important move to make. Not only is it a responsible endeavour, it also means that you are making sure you are saving money for the things which really matter.

Why not make a start on saving some serious energy money by setting up underfloor heating? Make sure to take a look at our services or to call our team on 07411 722898 for more details. Getting set up couldn’t be simpler.