Energy efficiency is something that you probably only really start to think about when sometimes forces you to, and not before – and that’s often a bigger bill than you were expecting, for example, or maybe a room that just won’t heat up no matter what you do. And then you start wondering where all that heat is actually going because you’re definitely paying for it, but you’re not always feeling the benefit of it.
The truth is, homes can lose energy in lots of small ways, all day, every day, and if nothing is stopping that from happening, you’ll always feel like you’ve got to work harder than you need to. So what could actually fix the problem and make a difference?
This is a collaborative post.
Look At The Walls First
People often focus on windows or boilers and yes, those things are worth looking at, but walls take up a huge amount of space in your home (literally), and if they’re not insulated properly, heat is just going to go straight through them and out the other side.
Older properties especially can struggle with this because solid walls don’t have a cavity to trap warmth, so something like WarmShell natural internal wall insulation can help because it improves how the walls hold heat without completely changing how the house looks or feels. And when the walls start doing their job properly, you should notice a real difference.
Don’t Ignore The Small Gaps
Draughts don’t seem like too much to worry about, right? And little gaps around doors and windows are just normal – every house has them.
Technically yes – it’s a small thing, and most homes are going to have draughts, but why does that mean you’ve got to leave the ones in your home and not fix them when they’re literally costing you money? Sealing those areas is usually simple and affordable, and once they’re dealt with, you stop getting random cold spots and you don’t have to turn the heating up higher than it needs to go, and that’s going to make your home more comfortable and cheaper to run.
Make Sure Your Heating Isn’t Working Overtime
If your heating system is older or it’s not been checked in a while, it might not be running as efficiently as it could, and that means you’re using more energy than necessary.
Getting experts in to service your heating system and check things over once a year or so makes a lot of sense. Not only will they make sure it’s all running as well as it can, but they’ll also spot any issues that could turn into much bigger, more expensive ones, and the earlier you can sort them out, the easier they’ll be to deal with.
It’s About The Whole Picture
Energy efficiency isn’t one job you can just tick off the list and say it’s done – it’s lots of little things and they’ll need to be done regularly to keep on top of them. However, doing that means you can save a lot of money and have a much more energy efficient home, so it’s definitely worth it.