About a third (33%) of the heat lost from you home goes out through the walls. If your
home was built between 1930 and 1980 it probably has cavity walls. Having a specialist fill
these with insulation could save the average home about £120 per year. If you are eligible for
financial assistance from an Energy Saving Grant, it could cost just £135 and so pay for itself
in just over a year.
About 25% of heat is lost through the roof. Fitting 250+ mm of insulation in your loft could save you
up to £150 per year. This could be a DIY job for many people and cost less than £200 - less if
you are eligible for an Energy Saving Grant.
Make your central heating more efficient
If your boiler is older than about 10 years you should consider replacing it, even if is still working fine.
A modern high-efficiency Band A condensing boiler could save the average family up to £200 per year for an investment of
around £1000. So in the 5 years your old boiler probably has left to run you could have paid for the new one.
Even if you are not planning to upgrade your boiler, check that your room thermostat is not set above 21 degrees C.
This is warm enough for most people. Every degree C you reduce your thermostat by will save you 10% of your heating costs.
You might also consider fitting thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) to all radiators.
This will enable you keep different rooms at different temperatures to save energy and money (for example
most people do not need their bedroom to be as warm as their living room).
Make your hot water cylinder more efficient
If your hot water cylinder does not have either 50mm of spray foam or a well-fitted 100mm jacket then
adding a jacket for £10-£20 will save you 75% of the heat lost from the cylinder. This is especially important
if the cylinder is in the loft where the heat is lost to the outside.
If you heat your hot water with your boiler, make sure your electric immersion heater is switched off.
Also, check that your hot water thermostat is not set above 60 degrees C as this is plenty hot enough for most people.
Double glaze your windows
About 10% of heat is lost through windows where double glazing is not fitted. And up to 15% is lost through draughts.
Clearly it is relatively expensive to replace all your windows (and if your property is listed or in a conservation area you not be allowed to).
However the investment will make your home more comfortable, save you up to £90 per year in heating costs,
increase the value of your home and make it easier to sell.
Energy efficient lighting
Energy-efficient light bulbs cost more than ordinary ones but use less than a quarter of the electricity a normal
60-watt one does, and last 10 times longer. For each bulb you replace it is possible to save £7 a year. For the
average family, that could equate to about £105 per year.
Switch things off!
Many people waste money by having too many lights on or by by leaving them on when they are not in the room.
You should also get into the habit of switching off appliances that are not in use, including those that go into
'standby' mode but which actually continue to use almost as much power as when they are in full use.
Have the energy efficiency of your home assessed
You dont have to be selling your home to get an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). You can order an energy assessment
and EPC online by clicking the button to the right. Or if you would like more information please contact us.
