With the battle against climate change one of the most important challenges the world now faces, the issue of energy efficiency has never been more important.
While air travel and cars are the areas that receive the most attention, no one should forget the role British homes play in climate change, as it is thought domestic properties are responsible for more than a quarter of the country’s carbon emissions. With that in mind, it is easy to see why so many people are keen to make their houses more energy efficient.
Even small steps, such as using low-energy light bulbs and fitting an insulating jacket to your hot water tank, can help you to cut your home’s carbon footprint and reduce your energy bills. There are also a number of bigger home improvement projects you may wish to consider to improve the energy efficiency of your property.
Perhaps the most striking of these is to install renewable energy generation equipment, such as solar panels or domestic wind turbines, but you will also find that steps like upgrading your boiler and fitting insulation will make an immediate and sizeable impact on your energy bills, carbon emissions and the look of your property’s Energy Performance Certificate.
Choose a high-efficiency condensing boiler
One of the easiest ways to make energy savings is to fit a high-efficiency condensing boiler. These boilers are able to capture a much higher proportion of usable heat from the fuel burned, helping to cut the amount of energy used.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, installing an A-rated high-efficiency condensing boiler can help an average household to reduce its annual energy bill by up to £235 and its CO2 emissions by 1,260kg. Fitting modern heating and hot water controls can also help to further improve energy efficiency.
Fitting a new boiler is not a DIY job, as anyone carrying out boiler installations, repairs and maintenance must be Gas Safe registered. This mandatory scheme reflects how dangerous it can be to allow someone unqualified to work on your boiler and how important it is to ensure you use a reputable tradesman to carry out the job.
Saving energy by reducing heat loss
Millions of homeowners across the country are almost literally burning money by failing to take simple steps to reduce heat loss in their properties. If you take action to improve the insulation and glazing in your home, you will see immediate energy savings.
One of the simplest things you can do to improve the energy efficiency of your home is to install loft insulation. You can expect to pay around £250 for a professional installer to insulate your loft according to the Energy Saving Trust, but the average home will see its annual heating bill fall by around £150 as a result. The loft insulation, which should last at least 40 years, will reduce your home’s CO2 emissions by around 800kg a year.
Cavity wall and solid wall insulation are both also effective ways of saving energy, as is replacing your windows with energy-efficient glazing. Fitting the right windows can help you to reduce your annual energy bill by more than £130 and cut CO2 emissions by 720kg a year. Installing windows is a skilled job and there are also building regulations to follow, so you will need to employ a specialist to carry out the work.
Simple steps for saving water
Improving the energy efficiency of your home is just one way to cut your utility bills and carbon emissions. You also need to think about water-saving measures, particularly if you have a water meter.
The energy used in supplying water to the UK’s homes is responsible for around one per cent of the country’s carbon emissions, with heating water in domestic properties accounting for a further five per cent. So it is clear that water-saving measures are crucial to the battle against climate change.
One of the first things to do is check whether you have any dripping taps or leaking pipes. While fixing a dripping tap is normally a straightforward DIY job, a leaking pipe can be a serious problem and you should use a reputable plumber to carry out the repair.
You will also need a plumber or bathroom specialist if you want to take more advanced water-saving measures, such as installing dual flush toilets, lower-flow taps or reduced-capacity baths.
How can Rated People help you improve your home’s energy efficiency?
Carrying out any major projects to help improve the energy efficiency of your home will involve finding reputable tradesmen. With Rated People this is simple – just register and post details of the project you are undertaking and let the service introduce you to a selection of local tradesmen with the right skills, who will provide you with quotes.
You can then read the feedback left by other Rated People users to judge whether they will provide the quality of service you want at a price you can afford.
