Since 2004 the cost of gas and electricity has risen by 151%, that’s an increase of £800 in eight years. In the winter when budgets are tight, every penny counts.
We have some top tips to improve heat efficiency within your home, so you can save as much as possible.
Find a cheaper supplier
Spending a couple of minutes browsing the internet and searching for the best deal around can save you some money. This is the simplest way to reduce heating bills as you don’t have to buy extra equipment or change your heating habits. However, these benefits come at a cost- literally!
Shopping around the market may save you some money, but these savings are relatively small. The smartest way to really cut down on costs is to take better control of how much energy you are using in the first place.
Insulate your home
This is one of the most effective ways to save money on heating bills and loft insulation is one of the easiest to install. Either do it yourself or employ a professional to do it for you and you can start saving up to 13% on your annual fuel bill.
Other forms of insulation which are as effective as loft insulation if not more, include cavity wall insulation, or internal/external solid wall insulation. Depending on the age and build of your home, you will either have cavity walls or solid walls. It’s usually possible to tell due to the brick layout of your outer wall, however, newer homes will most certainly have a cavity wall which can be filled with insulation for additional energy savings.
Solid wall insulation will cost more, but the savings will be bigger too, so it’s definitely worth the investment.
Smart heating
Take advantage of smart heating, a thermostat connected to the internet, which means you can remotely control your home’s temperature from an app on a tablet or a smartphone. Although the amount can vary from home to home, traditional households can save over 50% on heating bills.
With a smart thermostat, you can turn the heating on or off without needing to be at home, so you’ll never be heating an empty house. It’s also a lot easier to monitor your heating schedule, with traditional thermostats sometimes being too complicated to program once set. By updating your boiler to ensure it’s compatible with smart devices, you can also add value to your home when it comes to selling.
Consider a smart meter
Smart meters are not the same as smart heating devices and will not automatically help to reduce your energy consumption. However, they do help you manage your energy usage by displaying real-time use levels. Being constantly reminded of your energy use will often help you to make practical decisions to turn off certain devices, take shorter showers or reduce your heating temperature.
Refit your windows
Glass isn’t a natural insulator, so make sure you’re saving as much heat as you can by upgrading your glazing. Moving from single to double glazing could save you up to £115 per year on your energy bills, while installing triple glazed windows may increase that even further. The gas used between the panes helps to trap escaping heat, while reflective panels direct the heat from sunlight into your home too.
Install solar panels
One of the most drastic ways to improve energy efficiency and lower the cost of heating your home throughout the winter is the installation of solar panels. Solar panels harvest energy from the sun helping to reduce reliance on utility providers by approximately £200 per year. Although costly to begin with, solar panels will eventually provide a return on investment, whether you live in the house long enough to reap the benefits or add substantial value to your home if you sell.
As you head into 2020, consider some of the ways you can reduce your carbon footprint while making cost savings too. Get in touch with the team at Simpson West for more information on energy rating certificates and what you can do to improve yours.