With energy bills & inflation on the rise, along with winter not just on the horizon but breathing cold air down our necks, getting your house more energy efficient is a more pressing need than ever.
Of course one of the key things you can do is get loft & cavity insulation either installed or upgraded. It can save an average 3 bed house £180 per year!
Did you know for example that a third of the heat wasted in your home will be lost through the walls.
Not everyone has cavity walls. One in five UK homes was built pre 1919, and in a majority of cases, out of good old solid brick or stone, making them difficult to prepare for energy efficiency. There are options still available but inevitably these will come at higher cost. External wall insulation is one way you can help cut your heating bills but it is likely to alter the appearance of your home, which means it may not be suitable if your property is in a conservation area or listed of course. Internal wall insulation is an alternative but not an ideal solution either as you’ll likely lose space inside your home. Internal wall insulation (as with cavity wall insulation) can also cause problems down the line with damp because you’re in effect materially changing the construction of your home.
Then of course there are your windows
The Energy Saving Trust state that windows account for around 20% of the heat lost from your home, which means that if you haven’t already done so, replacing them will more than likely pay for itself in the medium to long term, as well as give your house a facelift of course!
With Energy efficient windows and doors can cutting heat loss by up to 75 per cent the energy saving trust estimate that in a detached three-bedroom home, this will give you an annual saving of up to £160 a year in heating bills.
If you’re not quite ready for all this, then simple things like draught excluders and this tape around the edges of your windows / doors for example will make a difference as well.
Overall there is no one size fits all solution to the conundrum of what is going to improve the thermal efficiency of your home, but with a little investment in the above you can have an impact, on reducing your heat loss and ultimately cutting your home energy bills.
Interested in new doors & windows? Contact us today for a quote