One day, we’d like to read and write about how energy costs are falling to historically low levels. Alas, that’s not going to happen anytime soon. As you might expect, the opposite is true. There’s an upcoming increase in the energy price cap, and on top of that, UK homeowners are expected to pay an additional £108 a year to fund improvements to the country’s electricity and gas grids.
It’s hoped that those improvements will help stabilise energy prices, but since the upgrades won’t be completed until the next decade, we’ll have to wait and see.
In the meantime, UK homeowners should be doing what they can to improve their homes’ energy efficiency. In many cases, even doing something as simple as rectifying the common energy-related mistakes that UK homeowners make can lead to a significant reduction in energy consumption levels, helping to make energy bills much more manageable.
Sticking With Outdated Insulation
Insulation can last a long time. Most insulation types, in fact, can last up to 25 years. However, just because it’s technically still functional, that doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily the best option for your home. A car from 2007 will still function today, but it won’t function as well as a vehicle that’s hot off the production line.
Home insulation has improved considerably in recent years. Even if you only last upgraded your insulation a decade ago, it can be worthwhile looking at updating, especially in the roof, which is the biggest source of heat loss.
Ignoring the Role of Doors and Windows
Most people think that, so long as it’s sealed up, heat can’t escape. But that’s not true — there may be no breeze in your living room, but heat can still find its way out of your home. It happens through your windows and doors, which can be responsible for some 25% of a home’s heat loss. By upgrading to A Rated windows and doors, you’ll be significantly improving your home’s eco-credentials. Plus, in addition to helping to lower energy bills, A rated products can also help to make your home more peaceful, since they’re also highly effective at reducing noise pollution.
Common Heating Errors
Your home’s heating system is the star of the show during the winter months. If you’ve taken steps to upgrade your insulation/windows/doors, then you’ll have gone a long way towards ensuring the heat it produces stays on the right side of your property’s walls. Still, it’s important to be mindful of some of the common heating mistakes homeowners make.
These include setting the thermostat too high (it doesn’t heat your home faster, it just makes your system work harder), heating unused spaces (there’s no need to heat a room if you’re never in there) and blocking radiators (in doing so, you’ll just be heating the back of the furniture/towel/whatever else is blocking the way). Your heating system will warm your home, but it’s also expensive to run, so make sure you’re using it in an energy- and cost-efficient way.
