If you are a homeowner, then there’s never been a better time than now to begin thinking about energy efficiency. Because of the war that’s going on in Ukraine, global gas supplies have been interrupted. The interruption to global gas supplies has led to forecasters predicting that there will be an ‘energy crisis’ in the winter because people won’t be able to afford to pay their energy bills. By making your home more energy efficient now, you will be able to ensure that your bills are lower when winter rolls around.
This post will tell you about nine home replacements (and additions) that you can make to make your home more energy efficient:
Metal Roofing
If you have a work shed or garage with traditional membrane roofing, then it might be time to reconsider your roofing choice. The reason for this is that metal roofing sheets can significantly outperform membrane roofing, by reducing energy costs by as much as 40%. It’s even theoretically possible to use metal roofing for your house, although it can be expensive to install. It’s very common for warehouses to use metal roofs, because of how much energy they can help them to save.
Electric Boiler
A lot of people’s homes are heated by gas boilers. The downside to gas boilers is that gas is needed to power them, as you would expect. There is a gas shortage at the moment, which is why energy prices are rising. It’s entirely possible to produce electricity yourself at home with a wind turbine, however, which means that if you replace your gas boiler with an electric boiler, you can heat your home for free. The use of electric boilers is becoming a lot more common, as more and more people try to reduce their reliance on gas.
Roof Insulation
It’s highly likely that your house already has some kind of roof insulation installed. If it doesn’t, then your house would be the anomaly. Installing roof insulation is absolutely essential if you want to improve your home’s energy efficiency because it can help to reduce the heat that is lost through it. Keeping heat in will make your house a lot warmer in the winter and will mean that you don’t have to keep your heating on all of the time. Insulation will also keep your house cool in summer, meaning that you won’t have to keep your air-conditioning unit running all of the time.
Double Glazing
If your home’s windows have single-glazing (which is rare and would only be because you have a very old house) then it’s time to swap it out for double glazing. Double-glazed windows are much more effective at keeping the heat in (and cold air in, in the summer). Anybody that has ever lived in a house with single glazing before will know how cold it can get in the winter, even with all of your home’s radiators turned on. By installing double glazing, then you will be able to ensure that your home is as energy efficient as possible.
Drought Proofing
Your windows and loft aren’t the only ways that hot air escapes (and cold air enters) in the winter. It’s also very common for droughts to allow in unwanted air. If you want to make your house more energy efficient, then you should systematically go through your house, repairing and covering up any holes. If you find any areas where droughts are getting in, but there’s no obvious cause, then you may want to hire a professional drought-proofing company to come in and make repairs.
Heating System
It’s also a very good idea to check your home’s heating system to make sure that it’s all working properly. One of the most common reasons for people’s homes to not warm up in the winter is because they don’t work properly, due to a fault in a pipe somewhere, or a connection issue. If you suspect that your home’s heating system is the reason that your home isn’t energy efficient, then it is worth reaching out to a professional, experienced plumber, and asking them to come in and give your home’s heating a once over.
LED Bulbs
Something else that you need to consider is your home’s electricity use. Unnecessary electricity use can bump up your home’s energy bills significantly. One thing that’s worth considering is using LED bulbs. LED bulbs are energy efficient, which means that if your home’s lamps, lights, fridge, and oven are all lit with LED bulbs, you will have to pay a lot less in energy bills. LED bulbs are very affordable and widely available. You shouldn’t have any difficulty finding them for your home. If you live in rented accommodation, then you should ask for your landlord’s permission before you install LED lighting.
Floor Insulation
When you are checking out your home’s insulation and windows, it’s also worth checking out your floor’s insulation. More often than not, heat is lost through the floor. It’s also possible for cold air to be lost through the floor in the summer. You will need to hire a professional insulation company to do your floor’s insulation for you. You could hire the same company that you hire to do your attic and also your windows since these services all tend to be offered by the same companies. It allows them to earn a lot more money when they offer all of these services at once.
Buying Blankets
One last thing that you need to think about is purchasing woolen blankets. While blankets won’t make your home more efficient, they will give reduce the amount of time that you need to keep your home’s heating on for winter. Buying blankets will allow you to keep your home nice and warm. A good way of increasing how hot your home is by hanging blankets up from doorways. In the winter, doing this can make rooms very warm, especially if the blankets are thick.
If you are a homeowner, then increasing your home’s energy efficiency should be one of your primary concerns. Increasing energy efficiency will make your home a much more affordable place to live, not to mention a more pleasant place in winter, because it will be nice and warm.
Featured photo by Vivint Solar on Unsplash.
