*This is a collaborative post*
Your home is your castle… But your castle is under siege!
Energy waste has your home under attack and it won’t give up until it’s rinsed you of your hard earned cash… Unless you do something about it!
It’s a scary fact that 54% of energy supplied to the UK is wasted. As a nation we lose £9.5 billion in wasted energy costs a year. Waste is a thief. And since we double lock our doors and set our burglar alarms to deter thieves, it stands to reason that we should make efforts to curtail this dastardly thief’s efforts to rob us of our hard earned cash.
But, hey! Before you go thinking that this post is trying to convince you to turn your home into a drab, impenetrable fortress that seals in energy while robbing it of its charm, relax!
Your home is where you come for refuge after a hard day’s work. It’s where you can kick off your shoes, let your hair down, relax and be you! Do you really think we’d let you do that in anything less than perfect surroundings?
The following measures are designed to help you to eliminate energy waste while also making your home even more gorgeous.
But first...
First and foremost, a smart meter is highly recommended. They’re incredibly easy to use, and whoever your energy supplier they should be able to provide you with one. They will help you to see your energy consumption plainly in pounds and pence rather than bamboozling you with kilowatt hours and units. It’s a great way to keep track of your usage and quantify how well changes you make are affecting your energy efficiency.
Let there be light!
Energy saving bulbs are, without question, one of the cheapest and simplest solutions to combatting energy waste. But, gone are the days where those dubious looking corkscrew shaped bulbs were the only way to efficiently illuminate your lounge. The market is now awash with beautiful and efficient lighting solutions.
Your average incandescent lightbulbs work by super heating a filament to produce heat and light. The trouble is with ratios. 90% of the energy produced is in the form of heat, and only 10% on light.
Those aren’t great numbers!
Fortunately, there are a wide range of LED (light emitting diode) and CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) bulbs on the market that can save you an average of £5 a year per bulb.
Not only that, there’s an astonishing range of inventive and beautiful designs out there. Pretty Handy Girl have laid out their top 12 which will give you a great idea of how pretty and diverse the range of bulbs on supply out there really are. LED bulbs in particular allow for huge diversity in style and colour. Some of them even incorporate bluetooth speakers… what a time to be alive!
Of course, however efficient your bulbs you can help yourself out by;
- Always turn off lights when you leave a room, no matter how long for.
- Be aware of how many lights you have on at any given time. Do you really need to use them all?
- Where possible, arrange light switches in places where they are easy to turn off when you need to.
- Use a sensor and timer for external lights.
- Use lighting that’s appropriate to what you’re doing. Keep it low-level for watching TV (or having a romantic dinner).
Efficient windows. It couldn’t be clearer
Not all double glazed windows are created equal. If you think your 25 year old windows are retaining all that heat you’re paying for, think again! The British Fenestration Rating Council (yep, that’s a thing) are a nationally recognised body whose formula for window efficiency is used in building regulations.
Energy efficiency for a window is typically based on three factors;
- How well it stops heat from escaping.
- How well it stops drafts from getting in.
- How well it absorbs the free energy provided naturally by the sun.
Energy efficient windows are a must for newly built homes. To comply with BFRC regulations a window must achieve a C rating, but ratings go all the way up to A++. Time was, boring white uPVC windows were the only option, but now your options are limited only by your tastes and imagination.
Timber and aluminium windows can be used to retain your home’s look and are more diverse than ever in style and colour. Traditional casement windows are still widely used but if you prefer sash windows then they can also be made more energy efficient, saving up to £450 a year on your heating bill. They will also reduce noise from outside, improve your security, and they’re virtually maintenance free.
Radiate style!
You’d be astonished how far radiators have come in recent years in both energy efficiency and style. No longer need your radiator be an anonymous iron slab, hanging forlornly from your wall. It can now be an integral part of your room’s look. Check out Only Radiators for some examples of how your room can be heated in style.
Column radiators are unparalleled in their customisation, coming in a huge range of sizes, styles and finishes. Depending on the size of your room and your heating needs you can choose from two, three or four columns and whatever your style you’ll find something that complements your room perfectly.
But wait! It’s what’s inside that counts, right? Well, Endotherm is a handy concoction manufactured right here in the UK. It’s a central heating additive designed to make any radiator hotter and keep it warmer for longer. It works by increasing the surface tension of the fluid inside the radiator, enabling increased efficiency in the transfer of heat throughout the radiator. If a lick of paint is all your home improvement budget can stretch to then combining it with adding some Endotherm to your existing radiator can make it look and act like it’s brand new!
*Post contributed by Sam Jones
An Amazing article to read. Thanks a lot for sharing this. Good Work. Keep it Up.
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