When considering home improvements such as extensions or upgrading fixtures, it can be easy to overlook energy efficient ratings when making these changes. Not only this, but there are many smaller changes homeowners can make to save energy and decrease the cost of monthly bills. Here are five ways you can make your home more environmentally friendly and live more consciously when upgrading your home.
Upgrade your insulation
A major bugbear for homeowners in the UK is cold rooms, with 40 per cent of people worrying that they can’t keep their homes warm in winter. When upgrading parts of the home, consider energy efficient upgrades such as insulation and draught-proofing to save money on heating bills for the years to come.
Many older homes with solid walls can have either internal or external insulation added. External insulation keeps cold rooms in your home warmer while alleviating many causes of damp and mould, if the home is properly ventilated. Solid wall insulation can save homeowners hundreds of pounds each year, with more savings incurred the larger the home leading to more energy to be saved.
Upgrade windows and doors to energy efficient materials
When installing new windows or external doors, it is worth going beyond the minimum Building Regulations by considering the most energy efficient fixtures that you can afford.
Bi-fold doors from Quickslide are a great addition to a home, with each door set carrying 28mm double glazed argon-filled units incorporating soft coat toughened safety glass as standard, which naturally ensures that only a limited amount of heat escapes through the glass. The triple-glazed unit ensures that these bi-fold doors can achieve u-values as low as 1.4W/m²K. In addition, they utilise the latest polyamide thermal break technology creating a barrier between the cold outside and warm inside, decreasing the need for indoor heating. Bi-fold doors also come with multiple rubber seals and draught excluders helping to ensure that only sunlight passes through the doors.
Consider an energy efficient boiler
Whether you’re extending your home, need an improved heating system or need to replace a broken boiler, always consider the most energy efficient heating units for your home. If you’re able to, it may be worth considering investing in solar panels, which will not only add value to your home, but are great for the environment, reducing your carbon footprint and saving money on energy bills going forward.
Get a smart meter
Smart meters offer real-time usage information that can keep track of energy usage each day, giving you the option to manage your energy usage more effectively. There are several smart meters that offer rewards and plans that can offer lower rates at nights or weekends as well as controlling when energy is timed to turn on and off, reducing the waste of energy when you’re out of the house. This is a quick and easy way to help you lower your energy usage which is better for the environment and your wallet.
More utilities are installing smart grids and meters on homes and businesses due to their many advantages, such as providing more accurate information and lower energy bills as well as making a environmentally friendly home.
Change your bulbs
Changing a lightbulb is the quickest and easiest way to make your home more energy efficient. Lighting accounts for 15 per cent of a typical household’s electricity bill, so it’s important to consider the most efficient lighting options for your home.
The two main types of energy efficient light bulbs available are Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). Both are available with varying degrees of brightness and colours, from warm tones to cool white in appearance and can suit almost all light fittings.
It may be simple, but just turning lights off when leaving a room or using a sensor or timer to prevent unneeded usage, can save you money in the long run as well as being kind to the environment.