Do you want to try and enhance your home’s energy efficiency? Whether you want to become more economical, or whether you want to try and save money, there are many reasons for you to take a step in the right direction. If you want to find out more, keep on reading.
Turn Down your Thermostat
One of the main things you need to do is turn your thermostat down. Hand-turning down your home’s thermostat is the best way for you to save energy. Even if you just turn it down a little bit, you will soon find that this is the best way to save on your energy bills. Even though this isn’t ideal if you want to stay nice and warm, it will make a dramatic difference to your home’s energy bills.
Windows
If you have very old windows in your home then you should probably look into getting them replaced. The main reason for this is that it will be a huge drain on your energy bills. You will lose more heat than you realize through your windows if you only have single-glazing, so make sure you do something about this if possible. Luckily, window replacement is now easier than ever to get done and it is also a great way for you to save a huge amount on your energy bills. Your window replacement may pay for itself in a couple of years too, which is great.
Turn Off Electronics
Another thing you need to do is stop leaving things on standby. If you walk around your home right now, you may notice that you have a lot of things on standby, whether it is your children’s television, laptop, printer or even washing machine. The standby setting, although great for saving energy, can easily drain your energy bills. If you want to stop this from happening as much then one thing you can do is invest in standby savers. Plug all of your devices into the standby saver and you will soon find that it becomes easier to program everything via one single remote. This is a great way for you to cut power to appliances when you know they are not in use and it also allows you to stop energy wastage.
Add Insulation
Poorly insulated homes are a major cause of heat loss. If you have a detached home then you may find that you end up losing heat on every side. The main reason for this is that your home is exposed to so many elements. External wall insulation involves adding a layer of insulating material to your outer wall. You will then need to cover it with plasterwork or even cladding. This isn’t just a great way for you to improve energy efficiency, as it also allows you to renew the general appearance of your home. This is a great way for you to improve your home’s weather-proofing and it also reduces drafts too. Internal condensation will be limited and this is a great way for you to cut back on your energy bills. Just make sure that you check with your local council first as they can generally advise you on whether or not you will need to seek planning permission for this or not.
Insulate Flooring
Make sure that you take the time to insulate your flooring if possible There is not much need for you to insulate the floor on your upper floors, but if you know that you have a room above a garage or if you have another type of unheated space then this is probably a good idea to get done. As with the walls, understanding the type of floor you have is so important, so you can choose the right insulation. Solid floors tend to be made out of either stone or concrete and if you want to insulate these then you will have to put down a layer of rigid insulation across the floor. Suspended flooring is normally made up of several floorboards that rest on wooden joists.
Install Solar Panels
The installation of solar panels can be expensive but at the same time, when you have paid for the initial outlay, you will find that this is one of the best ways for you to make your home more energy efficient. The cost of installing solar panels will vary, with a lot of it coming down to where you live. It’s always worth having a chat with your solar panel installation company, as most of the time they can advise you on the best place to find panels and how to make the most out of your budget when having them installed. Most of the time they can advise you on the right battery to choose as well, so make sure that you take things like this into account, especially if you want to get the best result out of your installation.
Focus on Drafts
It’s also a very good idea for you to focus on drafts if you can. Every home has its unique drafts to contend with and if you’re not careful you may find that you end up wasting a lot of energy by not dealing with them. Although controlled ventilation is so important so you can prevent damp and condensation, if you have an uncontrolled draft then this is the best way for you to waste energy. You can find a lot of products off-the-shelf that are ideal if you want to stop draft from entering your home, and you’d be surprised at what a difference this could make to your home overall. Just try and make sure that you take the time to seal internal doors and fix holes in plaster work too, because if you don’t then these little things will end up adding to big issues that drain your energy, even if you do invest in other measures to stop drafts.
If you can keep the above tips in mind, you’ll find it easier than ever to ensure the energy efficiency of your home.
