Is your house energy efficient?

Is your house energy efficient?

With climate change seen as the greatest environmental challenge facing the world today, many people are taking steps to reduce their own impact on the environment. One of the best ways to do this is by making your house energy efficient. Aside from doing your bit for the future of the planet, you could also save a lot of money by going energy efficient in your home.
Glazing
Another source of heat loss is from windows. Although double glazing can be expensive, the initial cost is vastly outweighed by the long term reductions in heating costs. Double glazing has the added bonus of reducing outside noise considerably.
Heating
If your house is centrally heated you can make it more efficient and less expensive by investing in a new boiler. Boilers over the age of twenty tend to be highly inefficient and although the initial cost of fitting a new one can be high, you will ultimately stand to save between 30 – 40% on bills. British Gas are currently offering up to £700 off the price of boilers and boiler installation until 31st May 2008 so not only will you stand to save money in the long term but the initial cost is reduced. For the environment, you’ll also be reducing your household CO2 emissions by about 30%.
Insulation
Good insulation will keep the heat within your home and therefore reduce the cost of heating bills. Heat escapes through doors, windows and walls, but the biggest culprit for heat loss is from the roof of a house. Therefore the most effective part of a house to insulate is the loft. Another key contributor to the loss of heat from a house is through the walls. If they are cavity walls then insulation can be added in the space between the inner and outer part of the wall, and this is a very effective method for reducing heat loss. More difficult to thoroughly insulate are solid outside walls, which can be insulated either internally or externally using cladding.
Lighting
Energy saving light bulbs use less electricity but give the same light output. They can last up to ten times longer than ordinary bulbs and can work out to save you about £10 per year on every light fitted with an energy saving bulb.
Refuse
Although the financial savings aren’t as immediate with refuse, with speculation about UK councils planning to start charging for refuse collection it could become a hot topic. Simple changes you can make include getting a compost bin for organic waste, which you can add to overtime and use as fertilizer for your garden. Making full use of recycling facilities is also a real way to reduce the number of bags you throw out each week.

Article Source: http://www.new.citynewslive.com

Craig Morris is author of this article on boiler cover. Find more information about homecare insurance here.

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