When you share your home with your family and the children begin to grow up and become more independent, it won’t take long to see an increase in the cost of your energy bills. An energy efficient property is important for many reasons. It reduces the cost of running your home and it is good for the environment. It can also increase your home’s value when it comes to selling in the future.
Homeowners who would like to achieve this need to consider what improvements will save them the most money on running their home, how much the upgrades will cost to install and which ones will increase the most value to the property. Some upgrades you can consider are simple and easy to do, while others can be a bit more hassle and take more time. However, whether they are quick to do or not, making these improvements to your home will benefit you in the future. You just need to make sure you choose those that are suitable for your family and financial situation.
To give you some inspiration, here are the best home energy efficiency improvements you should make.
Replace Old Appliances
Replacing old appliances like your dishwasher and dryer in your home, that require a lot of energy to run can be a pain and expensive, but it will save you money in the future and will benefit the environment. For example, if your boiler is 15-20 years old, it will be extremely inefficient compared to the standards of boilers you can get today. A new boiler cost can worry people, but research is key before purchasing a new boiler. To help you understand more, check out the article on Boiler Central’s website which provides in-depth information including everything you need to know about purchasing a new boiler.
Add Attic Insulation
Adding insulation in your attic will help to reduce the amount of heat energy your home loses, which can be particularly helpful during the winter months. When your home retains more heat, you won’t need the heating on as much or for as long, so this will reduce your energy bills. New homes are usually more insulated than older buildings. Attic insulation doesn’t cost too much to install and once it has been installed, there isn’t much more you need to do. You can add insulation in other areas of your home, such as the walls, floors, and ceilings, but to reduce costs and hassle, the attic will do perfectly.
Seal Doors and Windows
Your doors and windows play a huge role in the amount of heat your property retains. When they are sealed properly, the draughts will be reduced, which will cost you less money to heat your home. Purchasing new doors and windows is another option. They are great for regulating the internal temperature of your home and can even improve your home’s security. However, if this isn’t an option due to cost, or if the originals are a feature of your home, then you should consider sealing the doors and windows instead. You can do so by adding caulking or weather stripping around windows.
Improve Lighting Efficiency
Running the lights in your home can be a big cost, especially during the winter months when the days are shorter and it is darker for long periods of time. Improving the energy efficiency of your lighting can do wonders when it comes to reducing your energy bills and it is simple to do. The first step is replacing all your old light bulbs with energy-efficient ones. These are called LED or CFL bulbs. You can do things to improve the natural lighting in your home, by redecorating or adding brighter features. Installing more windows will light up your home and your home will harness more solar heat too.
Switch Your Energy Supplier
The energy supplier you use could be overcharging you. The best way to make sure they aren’t is by using an online comparison website to compare potential energy suppliers. These websites are designed to find the best deal available to you and can save you hundreds of pounds on energy bills every year. You can even look for a more energy-efficient supplier, so you know that you’re supporting a good company. To monitor how much you are spending on energy in your home, you should get a smart meter. They track your home meter readings and submit them to ensure your bills are accurate.
An energy-efficient home will teach you and your family to adopt good habits that will benefit your financial situation and the future. When children grow up being aware of these good habits and things that they need to take care of, they will continue this good behaviour in the future and pass it on to their own children, creating an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly generation.
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