Have you considered reducing your energy bills and making your home more energy efficient?
If you have some money to invest in the short term, there can be long-term financial gains. But it’s not only kinder to your purse, there is also a positive environmental impact from making your home more energy efficient. Here we outline some of the options.
Renewable Heat Air Source Heat
Pumps
These systems absorb the heat from the outside air and draw it into the home. They emit heat at lower temperatures for longer periods than standard heating systems. So they may need to be on all the time, particularly in winter months. They can provide heating and hot water for taps and showers. Efficiency can depend on how well insulated the home is, but, it’s said heat pumps are more efficient than other heating systems. This is due to the amount of heat generated compared to electricity used.
Ground Source Heat Pumps
GSHPs extract heat from the ground via underground pipes. They can be more efficient than air source heat pumps. They are best suited to underfloor heating systems or warm air heating. This is because like air source pumps they run at lower temperatures over longer periods of time. Initial installation can be expensive and you’ll need to have a large garden in which to lay the pipes.
Solar Water Heating
Do you have at least five square metres of roof space that receives the sun for most of the day? And space for a larger water cylinder? Solar panels could be an option. They are generally compatible with combi boilers and can be cheaper to install.
Thermal Stores
Thermal stores work with other heating systems, these include biomass boilers or Aga-type ranges that harness and store heat. This can improve the efficiency of the heating system allowing you to tap into the heat supply when you need it. Your main system will determine the type of store you need.
Reduce your Flow
Reducing domestic water consumption can reduce your energy bills and carbon dioxide emissions.
Here are a few low investment solutions:
Shower Heads
If you have a power shower or a mixer shower, fit a head that stems water flow. Some can do this
without reducing water pressure.
Taps
Low-flow taps either aerate the water or regulate the flow to reduce your waste usage.
Baths
A standard bath uses up to 80 litres. So if you’re replacing your bathroom, consider a reduced capacity bath.
Toilets
Adding a cistern displacement device will reduce the amount of water needed to flush. You can often get these free from your water company.
Waste Water
Use your washing-up water to water garden plants and consider installing a water butt or two.
Light it Up
Lighting accounts for 15% of a typical household’s electricity bill. So small changes can be worthwhile.
There are various reduced-energy bulbs to choose from:
LEDs
As these produce a small amount of light, domestic bulbs contain a large number of LEDs. They can be expensive to buy but are by far the most efficient light source.
CFLs & LFLs
Compact fluorescent lamps last 10 times longer than standard bulbs. And they are a great alternative to traditional bulbs for domestic lighting. Linear fluorescent lamps use the same technology (gas in a glass tube). But they are longer and flatter and used in strip lighting. They are more efficient and faster to light up than traditional strip lighting.
Halogen
These use filaments like traditional light bulbs. But they emit a bright light that can be too bright for some settings. LEDs are a great alternative.
Use your washing-up water to water garden plants and consider installing a water butt or two.
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