Impressive Magazine

Energy-Efficient Home Upgrades: How to Save Money and the Environment

We all want to save money on our bills and one of the best ways to do this is to make our homes more energy efficient. Technology is making it much easier for us to make our homes energy-efficient to help save money. 

If you wish to make your home more energy efficient and save money on your energy bills then you have come to the right place. 

 

Energy Efficient Lighting 

One of the easiest methods to save energy is to change your energy light bulbs. It is also one of the more affordable ways.

A traditional lightbulb will use a lot of energy meaning it can add a lot to your energy bill at the end of the month. That is why you should use more energy-efficient light bulbs such as LEDs and CFLs. Not only will these lightbulbs save money on your energy bills but they will also last much longer than the traditional lightbulb. 

 

Quality Insulation In Your Loft and Walls

One of the other methods to make your home more energy-efficient is by installing insulation in your loft and walls. This is another great way to save money on your energy bills. Think of it like a large blanket which you put over your home. This helps to maintain a temperature throughout your home without losing any heat during the winter and keeps it cool during the summer. 

It is believed that you can save around 40% on your energy bills all year round and, it can last up to 30 years. This benefits the environment because you use less carbon emissions, allowing you to create a more eco-friendly home. 

Not only can you insulate your home but you can also insulate your conservatory as well. The conservatory loses a lot of warmth during the winter months. Additionally, your conservatory can be very warm during the summer. With conservatory roof insulation, you no longer need to worry about losing heat through your conservatory so it is worth the investment. Then you can start using your conservatory like it is another room. 

It isn’t just your roof and conservatory that you can get insulation for. You should also have it installed on your floor and your walls. Make sure your walls are inspected first to ensure there are no cracks in the exterior wall. This can damage your wall insulation meaning you could waste your money. Floor insulation is also advised to ensure you have another layer of warmth in your home. 

 

Have Smart Heat Controls Installed

Having smart heat controls installed in your home is another great way to ensure you are not spending too much but also control your heating with a few clicks of a button. We are now able to control our central heating with our mobile phones, giving the choice of scheduling the central heating in the morning and night. It also allows you to turn off your central heating if you think you have left it on at home. These are great devices that will help you save money and keep your home warm when you need it to be. 

 

Draught-Proofing

Draught proofing is something else you need to improve in your home. It is one of the easiest methods for saving money on your energy bills. Not to mention that it is easy to install and help improve the efficiency of your home. 

It is quite common for homes to have draughts and air leaks. The usual laces would be your doors, windows and fireplaces. If you have plenty of draughty areas, you are losing a lot of heat in your home. 

Before you start upgrading the central heating system, you need to ensure there are no draughts and air leaks in your home.

 

Replace Your Windows and Doors

Now, we move on to your doors and windows and it can be the most expensive change in your home. Despite it being one of the more expensive home improvements, it is certainly worth doing. If your doors and windows have been installed in this home for a while, they could have wear and tear-causing draughty areas in your home. It is best to replace these so you reduce heat loss. 

With modern doors and windows, they have improved insulating properties to help reduce heat loss even further. This will be perfect to keep the heat in during the winter months but keep the warm air out during summer, allowing your home to be far more comfortable all year round. 

Draughty areas can lead to condensation in your home. This can then lead to mould which is another issue on your hands. Prioritise mould removal and use a dehumidifier to help reduce the moisture in your home. Once you have done that, look to change your windows to more energy-efficient windows such as triple-glazed glazed. All of these will be great for improving the insulation and efficiency of your home.

 

Replace Your Central Heating System With A Heat Pump

Heat pumps are the modern and most efficient heating systems for homes. They are something that many governments, such as the UK, are encouraging homes to install however, they are not cheap. Nevertheless, if you know that you will be living in the same home for a long period, you should consider a heat pump. Additionally, it can help to reduce your central heating bills. 

Heat pumps will extract the heat from the environment. This can include the air, water and ground. It will then use this heat which it has extracted to help heat your home. This is a very efficient and eco-friendly way of maintaining a good temperature for your home. 

The benefits of heat pumps are endless and they are good for both hot and cold periods. Furthermore, they are capable of generating up to three times the electrical energy that is used to power. 

The main concern with heat pumps is that they are very expensive compared to a normal eco-friendly boiler. However, the benefits that they provide are far superior to the price. 

 

Summary

There are many things you can change in your property to make it more energy efficient. Some of these changes are more expensive than others so you need to know your budget before you make changes. If your doors and windows cause a lot of draught then you should prioritise improving these first. There is no point in upgrading your insulation and central heating system if the main cause of heat loss is caused by those. Furthermore, look at other energy-efficient methods such as and make sure that everywhere is energy efficient. This includes the lights in your garage to the electricity in your luxury garden room. No matter where it is, you need to make it as energy-efficient as you possibly can.