Ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Are you looking for ways to make yourself more energy-efficient and save money at the same time? If so, there are some easy changes you can make around the house that can help lower energy bills and reduce your home’s carbon footprint. However, it can be confusing knowing where to start.

So, we’ve put together some tips that are easy and can help your home become more energy efficient!

Save Money on Energy Use at Home

Changing a few habits is all it may take to save money on energy and other utilities while reducing your home’s carbon footprint. Here are some easy tips you can try to make your home more energy-efficient.

Turn Down the Thermostat

One of the first tips you can try is to turn down your thermostat. This can be challenging, especially in the wintertime. However, the lower your thermostat, the more energy, and money you’ll save.

What’s more, you don’t have to turn the thermostat down several degrees. Instead, turn it down a degree or two. That’s enough to save money and energy. And if your home becomes too chilly, close the curtain to retain heat or invest in thermal curtains for the winter. In addition, on the sunny side of your home, keep curtains open to allow the sun’s light to naturally warm those rooms.

You may also want to consider installing a smart thermostat, which can help save hundreds of pounds a year. Smart thermostats work to heat only the rooms you’re using and can be controlled directly from a smartphone. That means it’s possible to efficiently heat your home and save more money and energy over time.

Don’t Leave Appliances on Standby

Another way to save energy and money on utility bills is to turn off appliances that are not in use. This includes TVs, printers, washing machines, computers, and laptops.

Turning these appliances off at the plug can save you about £30 a year!

Wash Clothes at a Lower Temperature

Washing your clothes at 30 degrees instead of a higher temperature is another way to save energy. Making this change can mean a 40% reduction in energy usage and save up to £50 a year. The key is to ensure your laundry detergent works at lower temperatures.

Wash Full Loads Only

Another laundry tip is to only wash full loads of clothes rather than many smaller loads. This uses less energy and water and saves money on energy used to keep clothes clean.

The same applies to your dishwasher—only run the dishwasher when it’s full.

Defrost the Freezer

Keeping your freezer defrosted can also save money and energy in your home. The more frost that builds up in the freezer, the more energy is needed to keep it all frozen.

So, make sure to keep the freezer defrosted on a regular basis and keep the freezer packed full to keep from using more energy to keep it frozen.

Install Loft Insulation 

Having the right amount of insulation in the loft can also ensure your home is more energy-efficient. Not only does increased insulation mean your home is warmer in the winter, but it can also mean your home stays cooler in the summer.

In addition, adding the right amount of insulation to walls and other empty spaces of the home can reduce carbon emissions and your energy use.

Install a New Boiler

While it can be expensive to buy a new boiler, doing so can make a huge difference to your home’s energy use and utility bills. A new boiler could mean saving about 55% on energy bills.

So, look to upgrade to an A-rated boiler to save about £300 a year and make your home more energy-efficient.

Use a Water-Saving Shower Head

An energy-efficient shower head is a great way to cut down on the amount of water used during showers. They work by mixing water with air and lowering the flow rate of the water.

However, if you’d rather not make that investment, you can achieve similar savings by reducing the time spent taking a shower. If you can take a shower in about five minutes, you’ll lower your water bill.

Install Double Glazing

Double-glazed windows use two sheets of glass to trap heat inside the house. This may allow you to lower the temperature inside your home and save on energy bills.

If you’d like to install new double-glazed windows, look for windows that are rated at A++ to save as much as £115 a year and reduce your home’s carbon footprint.

Consider Solar Energy

Installing solar panels on the roof of your home can help generate enough power that you can stop paying the energy company for electricity. It’s possible for solar panels to supply about 40% of your home’s energy through solar panels. And you may be able to sell excess energy back to the National Grid.

However, solar systems are not cheap and usually cost about £12,000. That’s a lot; however, over the long-run, you can save quite a bit on energy bills and reduce your home’s carbon footprint.

Working from Home

Even if you work from home and use more gas & electricity, there are steps you can take to reduce energy costs and make your home more energy-efficient.

You may want to consider comparing energy business deals to see if you can qualify and save money with a commercial energy tariff. However, at least half of your energy usage must be used for business purposes.

Summing It Up

It’s a daunting task to find ways to save money and energy at home. However, by following our easy tips, you may be able to save hundreds of pounds a year on energy bills. In addition, our tips can help you learn how to reduce your home’s carbon footprint.

Our tips, combined with your creativity, can help your home become more energy-efficient in no time. And you’ll have a great benefit of saving on energy bills at the same time, even if you work from home!

Looking to buy or sell a property, contact us today to see how we can help!