Right now, in the UK, there are a number of us who are struggling to afford to keep our homes warm. With winter well on its way, some are lost as to how they are going to keep the heating on without racking up a massive bill.
With this in mind, we decided to do our best to help you out with some energy efficiency tips that you can put into practice. So, if you’re wondering how to navigate the current cost of living crisis, this blog is for you.
Insulation is Key
Is your loft insulated? If so, great! But for those of you whose loft is not insulated, this is something to definitely invest in. You may be thinking that the last thing you want to do right now is splash out more money to keep your home warm. Though, it’s important to know that loft insulation’s effectiveness can last 40+ years. In that time, paying for itself over and over again.
Insulating your loft will slash your heating bill. It’s tried and tested and one way you can keep your home warmer for many winters to come. Having your loft insulated will keep the cold out and keep the warm in.
It’s not just your loft that can benefit from insulation. There are smaller insulation jobs you can undertake and even do yourself. Such as, purchasing and installing draught excluders in between your doors and frames and to fill gaps in your floorboards. Also, get your hands on some foam tape to seal up the frames of your windows.
Smart Heating
It’s important to use all of the assets available to you. One often missed out is the timer function on your boiler. A good idea is to avoid turning the heating on right when you need it, but to set it for when you know you’re going to need it on. For example, setting the heating to come on just before you wake up in the morning will have you waking up in toasty warmness.
Most of us have smart metres installed in our homes. If you haven’t, then this should be on your to-do list. With a smart metre, you can track all of your energy usage, see how much you’re spending and at what rate. This is such a valuable tool when you need to plan and budget your heating usage.
Bleed Your Radiators
The best way to ensure your radiators are performing their best is to bleed them. The objective of this is to make sure no air is trapped, which will affect your heating performance.
Bleeding a radiator may sound difficult but it is actually very easy to learn. There are plenty of online resources available to quickly learn this skill that will pay off in the long run.
Service Your Boiler
Despite this being on more of the costly side of things, we had to include it in our list as it’s so important your boiler is up to date and working. It can be a pain to stay on top of, but if your boiler is past its glory days, it won’t be as effective as it once was.
The effects a faulty boiler will have on your heating bill could be detrimental. This is because they need to work harder to get your home to the temperature you want.
It’s advised that you should be getting your boiler serviced every year. So, if yours is overdue, be sure to get that sorted.
Final Thoughts
It is a tough time for all of us but by looking out for each other and ensuring we’re doing everything we can to be more energy efficient, we will get through it. For more information on energy-efficient homebuilding, get in touch with our team today.
