words Alexa Wang
Finding methods to make your house more energy efficient with winter fast approaching will not only give you a more contented living space but it could leave you with a few more pounds in your pocket also. Taking the time make a few tweaks can make a huge transformation to your humble abode.
As the nights draw in, it’s worth considering these tips to save you money when the temperature drops.
Install double glazing
As winter arrives, bitterly cold air can easily drift in via small gaps in window frames, doors, cat flaps, fan extractors or through the roof of your home but making an investment in top quality double glazed windows can make a real difference very quickly. Not only will the thicker glass from the double glazing stop air seeping in but it will keep the warm air in which is generated from your central heating or multi-fuel stove. Once you have central heating you’ll find that your energy bills aren’t quite so high and you don’t need to keep the heating on so high or for so long.
Consider a water saving shower head
With the average shower length in the UK nearly 10 minutes, it’s worth considering how long you actually take to get yourself clean. Even if you are not bound by a water meter and conscious of how much water you’re using, the water for your shower or bath needs to be heated which all costs money. Purchasing a water saving shower head can reduce the amount of water coming out of your shower head and they are easy to install in your own shower which should reduce the amount of water used in total. The newer model water saving shower heads can save around 50% of the water used but there’s enough to still enjoy a great shower.
Insulate your pipes
It might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to saving your energy bills, but insulating your pipes can really make a noticeable difference to the money you have to spend on energy bills. If winter gets extremely cold and the icy temperatures lead to your pipes freezing this could cause you thousands of pounds in repairs if the pipes end up bursting. Obviously that’s the last thing you want but using specialist pipe insulation which wraps around your pipes can save you a whole lot of bother.
Condensation on the pipe surface can be regulated by insulation – if any vapour or moisture is on the pipes it can lead to corrosion which can slowly lead to further damage of your pipes. Insulation that includes a water-vapour blockade will stop water vapour from passing through the insulation to form on the outside of the pipe.
Give your boiler a service
A tired, aging boiler could be costing you precious pennies due to its inadequacies. Having it fully serviced from a trusted plumber could give it a new lease of life. If you have the money, you might consider it time to splash out on a new boiler which could also benefit your pocket in the long term.
Buying a more proficient and newer model boiler will reduce your carbon emissions with figures showing that boilers account for more than 50% of the carbon dioxide emissions from houses heated by gas.
