Journeying to make a home more energy efficient is now a shared goal of many UK homeowners and renters alike, no thanks to the colossal expenses and bills that most are having to dish out. By improving the energy efficiency of your home, you can avoid having to pay out of pocket on unnecessary expenses.
2022 already has been hit heavily by a cost of living crisis, which has resulted in many UK families having to pay more than previous years. In fact, the energy price cap has raised to above £3,000 per year, which has increased by roughly £1000.
Not quite sure where or how to start making your home more energy efficient? We’ve got some guidance on ways to achieve this so that you can save your money whilst also doing your bit for the planet.
How energy efficient is my home?
First things first though, what is meant by energy efficiency and how do you find out how energy efficient your property is?
Energy efficiency means consuming less power/energy to achieve the same outcome. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) defines it as a means of eliminating energy waste, something that a lot of homes in the UK do without realising. A study conducted by Ofgem in 2020 showed that the average British household uses roughly 242 kWh of electricity and 1,000 kWh of gas each month.
Most of the population strives to do a little better when it comes to our carbon footprint for the sake of the planet and the first step in doing this is by identifying how energy efficient your home is in its current state.
The easiest way to get an understanding of how energy efficient your home is, will be to look at your Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Your landlord should have provided you with a copy of this when you initially moved into the property, but for a digital view, you can search through the GOV.UK EPC register.
An EPC will give you a visual graph that depicts your property’s current and potential energy rating, with a rating from A to G as depicted below.
(Sourced from GOV.UK)
If you use an EPC to gauge your home’s energy efficiency, you can identify improvements to make in your household then have another EPC completed after to get an updated report based on the changes made. Alternatively, for a more detailed reading of your home’s energy usage and consumption, you can perform a home energy audit.
How can you make your home more energy efficient?
Insulate your home
Floor
Adding insulation to floors in a house of any age, whether new or old, can massively prevent heat loss from your home. The materials of your floors will determine the type of insulation needed. If your home has suspended flooring, wool or foam insulation can be inserted between the joints of the suspended floors. If your home has solid flooring made of stone or a type of aggregate such as concrete, a layer of insulation will be placed on top of this before a floor covering is applied to prevent the coldness of the hardened material from seeping through.
As heat rises, it shouldn’t really matter about insulating floors in rooms upstairs. However, if you have a room above an open and cold space such as a garage or an outside walkway (if you live in a maisonette), floor installation can be beneficial.
Wall
The walls of your home will typically be the biggest contributor to heat loss, in fact roughly one third of heat lost is attributed to a home’s walls. The amount of heat loss your home will suffer from depending on the type of property you rent or own. For example if you live in an apartment, or semi-terraced house, you’ll be less susceptible to heat loss however, a terraced house will be more susceptible to heat loss.
Because every home is different and certain neighbourhoods were collectively built at different time periods, the type of insulation you’ll need for your home’s walls will be different from someone else’s. If your home has solid walls, internal wall insulation boards can be fitted to prevent heat loss. If your home has cavity walls, which most now do, then insulation can be built in the gap within the cavities.
Roof
A lot of heat can escape through your roof or loft if not well insulated. You’ll want any heat that’s in your home to stay firmly inside your home and rebound back around your home to keep it heated rather than escaping through the roof.
Usually a wool-type insulation is laid out on the surface of your loft both between the joints in the loft and then with an additional layer on top of the joints.
Double or triple glazing
Majority ‘newer’ UK homes will be fitted with double glazed windows, simply as it is part of the building regulations that tradespeople must comply with as a means of improving energy efficiency. Although in saying this, it is not actually illegal to have single glazing installed in homes.
A double glazed window is just two glass panes fitted with a gap inbetween usually filled with air or an imobile gas. The best part about double-glazing is that not only is it energy efficient, but also helps with noise reduction.
Triple glazing is the same but with one more layer of glass, and hence another gap of air/gas. Whilst triple glazing is more effective, it is also more costly. If your home has single glazed windows and you want to upgrade, double-glazing will do the job.
Central heating system
Your central heating system does what it says on the tin. It’s important to make sure you’re maximising its potential without creating any heat loss. There are some ways you can achieve this and they’re pretty straightforward.
Firstly, it may be worth looking at installing a more energy efficient boiler than your current one. Now each type of boiler will have its own model that is ‘more energy efficient’ but generally speaking, replacing an older gas boiler with a new energy efficient one will be more ideal for your home and carbon footprint.
If you have a hot water cylinder, sourcing and investing in a cylinder jacket (that is at least 3 inches thick) can help to insulate your cylinder without risking losing any heat.
Fitting reflective panels behind radiators can help prevent heat from seeping out via the external walls, ultimately saving energy by preventing heat loss.
Draught-proof
Whilst it’s important to keep a consistent airflow going through your home and have sufficient ventilation, too many open draughts can be huge energy wasters. Whilst the lost expenses from this may not look like much, little by little, it adds up to more noticeable loss in your finances and impacts the environment.
Draught-proofing your home is pretty easy and mostly can be done without the extra assistance of a professional. Plus draught-proofing your home will not only help lower your energy impact on the planet but will also help to keep the heat in, making for a slightly warmer home. Something we all want during the cold seasons.
Swap lights to low-energy LED
You don’t need to be DIY-enthusiast to make this simple energy-efficient change. Yes, LED light bulbs do tend to be ever-so slightly more expensive compared to traditional but the impact certainly makes up for it. Not only are they a much kinder swap on the planet’s health but will actually last you much longer than what a traditional bulb will, meaning you won’t need to buy as many as often. Technically, the investment pays itself off.
Smart meter
A smaller, more indirect way of making your home more energy efficient is to get a hold of a smart meter. Your home gas/electricity service provider may supply you with a smart meter but if this is not the case, you can request one.
A smart meter is an excellent way to easily, visually see how much gas and electricity your home is using at any given moment to help keep you in the loop of your energy consumption. Rather than just letting your energy usage go wild, with a smart meter, you can control it yourself.
Solar panels
Use the planet to help save the planet? Sounds great right? Because it is.
Solar panels are becoming increasingly more commonplace amongst households in the UK and it’s understandable to see why. They are intended for long-term usage and whilst are slightly costly on the upfront side of things, help you to save massively on your expenses.
Even on those predictable gloomy British days, solar panels can still help you to save hundreds and hundreds of pounds each year. Amazing for the environment and your bank. An absolute win-win.
Make smart changes
The amount of energy we consume over time from small, menial and less-noticeable aspects of our day-to-day life is pretty astonishing.
Incorporating the following changes to your routine can drastically help with improving your home’s energy efficiency:
Turn off devices & switches when not being used
Most of us aim to do this anyway but by leaving switches on and devices plugged in that are fully charged, you’re using up excess energy that does not need to be used. There’s no point in having something waiting idly that is tallying up your bills.
Invest in a water-saving showerhead
A water-saving showerhead is an affordable and easy swap you can do yourself. These are great for providing the same (perhaps even better) shower experience without needing to use half as much energy.
Turn down water flow rate
You can turn down your water flow rate by slowly turning down your home’s water stop tap. Your stop tap will typically be under your kitchen sink but if you’re not sure where to find yours, give your local plumber a bell.
Keep fridge set to 5 degrees and freezer to -18
Your fridge will still be cold and your freezer will still freeze food at these two temperatures, anything more/less is just wasting excess energy,
Manually turn off heating in rooms less used/nobody in
An easily overlooked aspect is the manual setting of each radiator within your home. If there’s nobody in the upstairs bedroom, turn the radiator in that room off. It’s just unused energy.
Don’t be too reliant on your tumble drier
Most are tempted to use tumble driers during the winter but these appliances are pretty unforgiving on energy consumption. The average cycle can end up costing you a few pounds. A better approach is to use a clothes horse first until your clothes are semi-dry, then use your tumble dryer for as short of time as possible.
Now that you’ve learned the best practices for creating both a warm and energy-efficient home, you can proudly go forth knowing that you are doing your part for our planet’s prosperity. With the added benefit of saving you a whole lot of coins in the process!
If you ever need any help, advice or someone to assist with any of these changes, just get in touch and one of our expert team can lend a helping hand.
