With rising living costs throughout the world, it’s important for people to try and save money whenever they can.
One way to do this is to try and reduce utility bills by making your property more energy efficient. Not only will this save you money – but it will also help the environment as less energy will be needed to help keep your property warm.
We can see through the energy performance certificate that a new residential property is typically going to be more energy efficient than an older home.
But is it possible to try and improve the energy efficiency of a residential building, regardless of how old it is?
Tips To Make A Residential Property More Energy Efficient
Here are some useful tips to help make a residential property more energy efficient.
1. Use Energy-Efficient Lights
Although lighting might seem like a small part of your home’s overall energy usage, you may well be surprised to learn that on average, it accounts for around 15% of a typical electricity bill for a household.
So, if you’re looking to save money on your monthly utility bills, switching out your incandescent bulbs for some energy efficient ones could make a big difference.
2. Ensure Your Property Is Sufficiently Insulated
Insulation is one of those things that most people don’t consider until it’s too late. If you haven’t insulated your walls lately, now is the perfect time to do it. Insulation provides protection against cold drafts blowing into your home, keeping warm air inside and helping to keep energy bills down.
3. Upgrade Your Windows
An average home for example loses up to 15% of its heat through windows. This is because people don’t always seal their windows properly.
One of the most common methods to prevent heat loss is by double glazing. These windows come with 2 layers of glass separated by a small space. This creates an insulating barrier to help slow down the escape of hot air.
4. Always Look For The Energy-Efficient Home Appliances
Whenever you are going for better energy efficiency in your residential property, you should not ignore the importance of home appliances.
Many of us have depend on old appliances for too long, just to keep our money in hand. But the results might be worse because you are losing more money in paying electricity bills every month.
Make sure that your washing machine is front-loaded and your refrigerator has a good energy efficiency rating.
5. Consider a ‘Smart Home’ System
If you’re planning on buying a new home, chances are it already includes some smart features. But what about upgrading those features or adding new ones yourself? This is definitely something that could be worth considering as it will allow you to get a better understanding of exactly how much energy you are using. Having this information can help you and your family make more informed decisions when it comes to energy usage, which in turn could result in lower energy bills.
Consider Energy Efficiency Before Your Rent Out Your Property
This useful article by Pat Robson also highlights the importance of looking to improve the energy efficiency of a property if you are planning to rent it out, rather than live in it yourself. It will likely attract more potential tenants and lead to improved tenant satisfaction, to name just two of the reasons mentioned.
In conclusion, if you own a residential property, you should definitely consider investing in energy efficiency measures. Not only will they save you money over the long term, but they also have the potential to increase the value of your home. And when you combine that with the fact that they’re generally pretty easy to install, it makes sense why homeowners are increasingly turning to them.
And of course, these measures can also significantly reduce your carbon footprint.
