Snow has been forecasted for the upcoming weeks as the Met Office has released a report claiming that there is a 40 per cent chance that British people will be seeing snow when they draw back their curtains on Christmas morning. This is fantastic news as Christmas just isn't quite the same without some seasonal weather to compliment the occasion.
However, as any homeowner will know, the winter months also forecast a steady increase in the cost of lighting and heating a home. As the days grow colder and the evenings become steadily longer we find ourselves turning up the thermostat and switching our lights on earlier in the evening. The costs we incur on this necessity are not really avoidable and, as such, it is a good idea to look for ways of reducing the energy consumption of your home to counteract this cost. There are actually many ways this can be done and most can be achieved in a virtually trouble free fashion. You will also find that even minor upgrades can result in quite substantial savings.
The first thing to note is that usually the upfront cost of most "green" materials can often exceed the retail price of more conventional models. We are not here to deny this fact; it is absolutely true that green technology is currently more expensive. However, it is the long-term savings that matter. For example, while LED Bulbs costs more than a traditional halogen bulb, their combined energy saving and longevity will mean that the bulb pays for itself over a period of time in money saved on electricity bills and maintenance costs. In addition to this the government sometimes offers tax credits as an incentive for buying energy-efficient materials. In many ways it is best to think of these upgrades as a long term investment that, by lowering the overall running cost of your home, return the money into your pocket overtime in the form of savings.
This article will outline just a few of the ways of upgrading your home to make it more energy efficient.
Switch to an Energy Saving Bulb
Lighting your home constitutes approximately 8 per cent of the overall energy consumption of your home. Reducing this cost is therefore a very worthwhile consideration. Nothing could be easier than taking out an existing incandescent light bulb and popping in a new one which will use a fraction of the energy. One of the most popular energy saving bulbs is the Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL), but this is quickly being replaced by the LED Lighting. The latter has a much improved performance and quality of light. Typical LED Lights will use about 4 - 4.5W in achieving the same lumen output as a 50W incandescent and will last up to 20 times longer. A lot of people are put off by the up front cost, but the 90 per cent savings made on your electricity bills overtime meant that they will quickly pay for themselves.
Check for Drafts
Walk around your house and feel for drafts. The reason for this is that air leakage is a big contributor to heat loss from a house. The movement of air will always be towards the exterior of the building as the difference in temperature between the warm air inside your house and the cold air outside will cause a displacement of the air from a warmer medium to a cooler medium. It is important to feel for drafts as this will tell you where any cracks or holes around doors or windows need to be filled. These can be filled using expanding insulating spray foam. You might also consider replacing the weather-stripping around doors and windows to create a tighter seal.
Change to Green Energy
Retrofitting your home with solar panels or a wind turbine is becoming an increasingly popular option for homeowners. The best thing about this is that if your produce surplus energy that you don't need you will be able to sell it back to the national grid.
Upgrade your Appliances
This is not always the most affordable option, but upgrading your electrical appliances, such as fridge, freezer or washing machine, to appliances with an Energy Star Logo will stand to save you a lot of money on your electricity bills.
Windows and Doors
Replacing your windows and doors will help reduce the amount of heat lost from a building. A typical home is estimated to lose about 25 per cent of its energy through poorly insulated windows. Look for the energy star logo on windows and doors.
Insulate your water
This might sound odd, but it is a viable way of improving the energy efficiency of your home. As hot water travels around your home through piping a lot of energy is lost as radiated heat. The best place to start is by wrapping your water heater in an insulation jacket or blanket which will increase heat retention by up to 45 per cent. Once you're done here you can move on to the rest of your piping using an insulation wrap.
Be Careful
Something as simple as being more careful with your energy use can go a long way. Switch off appliances and light switches you are not using, and don't leave appliances or chargers plugged in or on stand by. A surprising amount of energy is wasted as 'phantom energy', which means that appliances which are switched off and still plugged in continue to draw on the mains power even though you are not using them.
Energy Audit
Finally, you might try scheduling an energy audit. An energy audit is an inspection, survey and analysis of energy flows in a building with the intention of reducing the input of energy without affecting the output. This will help you identify additional areas for improvement in your home. Most energy companies offer this service on a comprehensive basis for a minimal fee or no cost at all.
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