Energy Saving Advice
Ways to improve the energy efficiency of your home and prevent unnecessary heat loss
There are plenty of ways to save energy in your home, from reducing heat loss to more efficient ways to heat your home.
Additional wall and roof insulation, upgrades to doors and windows, and are all ways to ensure the heat you pay for stays in the home.
Heat pumps or solar panels can be installed to lessen the cost of energy creation in the first instance.
Top tips — Energy Saving
If you notice your energy bills are rising, or comfort levels are dropping
Installing further layers of insulation will ensure heat stays in the home, lowering your energy costs and increasing the level of comfort in your own home. Solar panels can limit the impact of energy price rises when heat your home if heated through electric.
Installing measures as a part ongoing work
Changing your electrics or heating system? – you could upgrade to a heat pump to reduce your carbon footprint, or fit internal wall insulation whilst doing work on a wall such as installing wiring. Plumbing or heat engineer work could also include upgrading your radiators and thermostatic radiator valves to make your house heat pump ready
Working with neighbours or friends
Deciding on an installer together and having measures fitted to both your homes at the same time could save you money, with installers sometimes giving discounts for ‘batch’ jobs. It may also make it easier to secure party wall agreements or other legal agreements if needed and share the cost of any services upgrades.
Upgrading your home not yet on the cards?
Check your EPC rating
Energy Performance Certificates will give you an idea of how your home is performing and suggest relevant upgrade measures. Find your energy certificate – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Carry out an airtightness test
Using a suitably qualified provider which will provide useful information about where your house is losing heat and can be a required part of developing a Home Energy Plan.
Home Energy Plans
You can get a Home Energy Plan via the Energy Saving Devon support partners, which is the best way of really understanding how your goal in terms of energy or carbon reduction can be best achieved and, importantly, staging the plan to fit in with planned works or your financial situation.
Defrosting your freezer
Overdeveloped frost can mean your appliance has to work harder to maintain its temperature, wasting more energy. Defrosting it regularly will ensure its energy usage is the most effective
Quick inexpensive improvements
Switching to LED bulbs and smart plugs (this won’t do as much to help as the bigger retrofits but every little helps!).
Adding draught proofing to windows and doors
Easy to do yourself if upgrading doors and windows are not currently an option.
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