For those in the northern hemisphere, winter has arrived and with it the costs of keeping a home warm. Energy and gas prices in the UK are set to undergo another increase from the beginning of January 2025. This has left many people eager to find effective ways to increase energy efficiency in their homes and reduce energy bills.
Older homes use 65 percent more energy than newer ones, according to Confused.com Energy. In response, the company has sought to provide tips on the most effective ways to increase the energy efficiency of older properties. The advice has been sent to Digital Journal for review.
Five ways to increase energy efficiency of your home:
- Tackle all existing draughts in your home
Draughts are common in old properties, causing between 15 and 20 percent of the heat loss, making them one of the biggest barriers to an energy-efficient home. To successfully identify all the places where you’re losing heat, it’s important to check your windows and doors. You should also check your floors, pipes, skirting boards, and chimneys as well.
Once you have identified them all, you can begin insulating all draughts to minimise heat loss. Additionally, consider switching any regular curtains or blinds in your home with thermal ones to further reduce heat loss.
- Install double-glazed windows
One of the most efficient ways to retain up to 64 percent of the heat in your home is to install double-glazed windows. By trapping air in between two glass panes, they insulate your home not only from heat loss, but from outside noise as well. By reducing the loss of heat in your home, you’ll also be reducing your energy bill, making them a valuable long-term investment.
- Improve the heating in your home
It’s important to check that your boiler is working as well as possible. If it is very old (more than 10 years), you should consider replacing it with a newer model. A newer model can be 90 percent more energy-efficient and will end up saving you money on future gas bills.
Another thing to consider is getting a heat pump to make a home even more energy-efficient.
- Don’t neglect water use
Improving water efficiency is also important. Replace old shower heads and taps with newer low-flow models, which are just as effective, with the added benefit that they reduce water use. This in turn means that less energy is used for the heating up of water, saving extra money.
- Switch to energy-efficient appliances
One of the simplest ways to make your home more energy-efficient is to switch to LED lights, as they use less energy and last much longer. To improve energy efficiency in your home even further, consider replacing old kitchen appliances with newer, more efficient models. Using more energy-efficient appliances will in turn ensure lower monthly costs.
