As most of us are now working from home and spending a lot of time indoors, it’s not uncommon to see bills increase, especially at this time of year when the heating is on. If you’re looking for inspiration on how you could make your home more energy-efficient and reduce your bills read on as we share some of the areas worth looking into.
Insulate your roof, walls and windows
If you’ve ever lived in a house or flat with single-glazed windows, you’ll know how hard it can be to heat a room (and keep it warm) as poorly insulated windows and doors can create a significant draught. How your walls are insulated can also have a drastic impact on how well your home retains the heat, all important aspects when it comes to reducing heating bills.
If you live in a house, make sure your roof is well-insulated, as 1/4 of a house’s heat can potentially be lost through a poorly insulated rooftop. Insulating walls can also help your home better retain heat. This can be done externally or internally, it all depends on your house, your budget and what would work best for you.
Replacing windows or doing any insulating work can seem like a big investment, but over time you will save enough on bills to make it worth your while, hence why it’s a major recommendation for making your house’s energy usage more efficient.
Government-backed insulation grants are now available for the households under eco house scheme. Check eligibility to claim the free insulation grants on Warma UK..
Review your heating system
If insulation work is great to better retain heat, you can also make great improvements to your energy usage by looking at your heating system.
Check your boiler and its energy efficiency rating: if the score is poor, it may be worth upgrading to a better boiler like a Hydrogen boiler that will help you lower your bills. Your radiators also have an impact on how much work your boiler has to do, so it’s worth checking how efficient they are.
Nowadays you can get radiators that are a lot more efficient, such as aluminium radiators, but simply choosing the best heat output could make a big difference in costs. Trade Radiators has a large choice of radiators and some great advice to help you choose the right radiators for your space.
Switch Your Light Bulbs
Changing a lightbulb might seem like an insignificant change, but if you think about how long we leave the light on, especially in winter when the days are shorter, there are great savings to be made there.
Newer types of energy-saving light bulbs not only consume less energy, but they also waste less heat while creating the same amount of light. While halogen bulbs consume less energy than incandescent bulbs, most would now favour CFLs or LEDs which are incredibly more efficient. Some light bulbs can be pricier, but if you think about the long term and how often you will have to change a bulb, it might be worth investing in some higher-quality light bulbs.
These are only a few ideas of things you can do to make your house more energy-efficient, but remember that no changes are too small as every little thing can add up over time. Turn lights off when you’re not in the room, don’t leave electronics plugged in when they’re not in use, you’d be surprised how much difference these simple actions can make! For more house inspiration, visit the Lifestyle or Home Décor categories on our site.