We all want to reduce our energy bills, but how is the big question.
There are different ways to approach it:
- Behaviour change to reduce energy waste
- Quick energy hacks that make small immediate improvements
- Fabric changes to your house – done in one big push or room at a time
Behaviour change
This can be as challenging as both of the others put together. Most of us don’t like change – it’s so much easier to carry on with the familiar, rather than having to think about mundane tasks. I’m just the same, even when this is a subject close to my heart.
We know a lot of these small hacks but do we do them?
- Switch off rather than leave on standby – TV, laptops, screens, kettles, mixers,
- Don’t overfill the kettle when you want a cuppa
- Only put on full loads in washing machine and dishwasher
- Forget the tumble dryer
- Take short showers
Simple to do, but how many of us actually do them? Switching off standby on your various appliances, laptops and phones can save £55 a year. Not a huge amount, but alongside other actions it soon adds up.
Problem is we’ve become used to having what we want as soon as we want it. So quick wash and tumble dryer means you don’t have to think so far ahead for what you want. And reaching for the remote to switch on a film saves having to get up and switch on at the plug. Sounds daft when I write it like that. What have we come to???
Quick energy hacks
The quick energy hacks require us to take definite action to improve the efficiency of the home. It means looking for ways in which cold is entering the home and doing what we can to stop it. And that action requires us to manage ventilation better.
First step is to go around your home looking for places where cold air is coming into the room. Classic places are:
- Windows – cold from the pane itself, where the glass fits into the frame, where the frame fits into the wall
- Doors – same again
- Coming up from the floor
- Down the chimney
- Coming down from the loft
It’s obvious that you want to get rid of the cold coming in. Just important to remember that the fresh air has been serving a purpose. It has been managing the water vapour you produce from living. And if you close the gaps up, then you have to take positive action yourself to deal with that water vapour or you’ll get condensation and maybe mould.
You can start this process of reducing cold air at any point, but if there is a windy day that can make it easier to spot. Just walk around the house, putting your hand where you suspect air is coming in. Take paper and pen with you, otherwise you’ll lose track. Then you can pick off the problem areas to suit time and budget.
There are numerous different versions of draught excluder – go searching to see which will suit you best. Thick curtains are good for cold glass / single glazing. If you have thin curtains just now, go the charity shop and get a thicker pair to tack onto the back of your stylish ones. And always remember, not to let curtains cover up radiators. If they do, then lift them above whenever you can – let them sit on a window ledge or put a wire across to hold them to the window and loop the length into the wire at nighttime.
For more detailed information download my free booklet: Warm Homes for Less
Fabric changes to your home
Making an energy efficient home is time consuming, but also a real investment for the future. All you will have to do is get used to be warm, paying less bills and having a home that is worth a lot more money. Now that’s tough!
The best first step is to read Beginner’s Guide to Eco Renovation. I wrote it to give a plain English overview of the process, with plenty of stories about our own experience – successes and failures.
Once you have a rough idea of what need to happen, then you could talk with an eco architect or builder.
The independent alternative is to get in touch with a Retrofit Assessor or Retrofit Co-ordinator. They will assess your situation – energy usage, EPC, review your house – and put together a plan of action for you. You can then take this on all at once or do it step at a time.
If you do want more help, then the Retrofit Co-ordinator will project manage the whole things for you.
You can find a qualified retrofit assessor via AECB website. Also on Trustmark
Why retrofit?
Energy prices are high. Who knows what will happen in the future – they may go down again or up even higher.
In the meantime, every home built before 1990 needs to be retrofitted if we are to reach our carbon targets for 2050. And the process will only give you benefits. So it’s all to go for.