How to Improve the Energy Efficiency of Your Home
With the cost of heating and electricity bills in the home increasing, it’s an excellent time to review the energy efficiency of your home, and to make improvements where they’re feasible.
Why does energy efficiency matter?
The more energy efficient your home is, the less you’ll spend on energy. This is because the heat you’re generating won’t be able to escape as easily. Therefore, you won’t have to replace it. Also, the appliances themselves might be more efficient in generating heat and distributing it.
As well as being good for your bank account, an energy-efficient home will tend to be good for the environment, and for much the same reason. More efficiency means less energy spent, and therefore less energy wasted. This means fewer emissions.
The role of insulation
When most of us consider energy efficiency, what we’re really thinking about is insulation. The term ‘insulation’ refers to any material used to create a heat barrier between the exterior of your home and the interior. By slowing the flow of heat energy from the latter to the former, you’ll make your home more efficient.
The most effective form of insulation, in most cases, is loft insulation. This means putting mineral wool in between the joists in your loft. 270mm is the recommended level, but you can buy thinner rolls of the stuff, if you just need a top-up.
You might also consider other kinds of insulation, like pipe and wall insulation. Double-glazing will serve the same purpose, by trapping a layer of inert gas between two glass panels.
Radiators
The efficiency of your radiators will matter hugely, too. If you are using older radiators, then it may be that you can secure a significant efficiency boost by swapping them out for newer ones.
You might also regularly bleed your radiators. This involves allowing trapped air to escape from the top. You can do this regularly, with the help of a radiator key, and not a lot else.
Draught proofing
Cold air can enter your property through small gaps. This phenomenon is called a draught. You can deal with it by establishing where the draughts are coming from, with the help of a special temperature sensor, or a candle flame. Block them with compressing foam, or with a long, thin cushion.
Using more efficient appliances
As we’ve mentioned, modern appliances tend to be more efficient than older ones. Swap boilers, light bulbs, televisions, cookers, dishwashers, and fridges – you could stand to save substantially in the long term.