In the 21st century, many people want to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. This could be for environmental reasons or/and to save on bills.
Either way, there are many approaches you can take to make your household more energy efficient!
Keep rooms warm with insulation
Firstly, you should consider in what ways your home could be better insulated. There are various types of insulation such as foam or rigid foam board, blanket batts and rolls, concrete block insulation, reflective system, and structural insulated panels or SIPs.
It is best practice to contact an insulation specialist for advice on what type of insulation you should have added to your home! By adding insulation, you can keep your rooms warmer and reduce the need for heating expenses.
TIP: Insulation grants are available to homeowners under the ECO scheme. To find out how to qualify then click here to read through Warma UK’s guide on who qualifies for an insulation grant.
Generate electricity with solar panels
One of the best ways to make a more eco-friendly home is by fitting solar panels. While solar power is still an investment with a note-worthy pricetag, the prices of panels have been coming down significantly over the past decade.
A single panel generally takes up about 400 square feet, with a 5kW performance. An array of this size could produce about 350 to 850 kWh of AC energy each month.
A typical American household consumes around 914 kWh every month meaning that a panel of this size would go a long way to meeting a significant proportion of your energy requirements.
With time, a solar panel or several panels can save you a lot of money and reduce your carbon footprint substantially!
Improve energy efficiency with glazed windows
It may also interest you to have single glazed windows replaced with double or triple glazing. Triple-glazed windows would be deemed technically more advanced. However, double-glazed windows are cheaper.
So it is up to you, which one you would deem to be better overall. Either way, both options can improve the energy efficiency of your home.
Heat faster with electric boilers
When it comes to heating, an electric choice is more efficient with an annual-fuel-utilization-efficiency or AFUE of as much as 100%. Gas furnace ratings however vary from around 55 to 97%. Although gas furnaces can heat a home quicker even if their efficiency is lower.
So it may interest you to purchase a new boiler that is electric-based in order to cut down on your heating bills. The cost to fit a new boiler will depend on where you live and the exact product/brand of the boiler you are purchasing.
Slow down heat loss with draught excluders
You may also be interested in purchasing a draught excluder. These are items that are made to slow down heat loss and prevent cold draughts from entering a room. It fits on to the bottom crack of windows and doors.
Other energy efficiency options
The aforementioned approaches are just some of many ways you can improve the energy efficiency of your home.
Other ways include an active effort not to leave any lights or utilities on unnecessarily, hanging thick curtains to insulate doors, installing a water-saving showerhead, and replacing light bulbs with more energy-efficient options!
