We can all make our homes more energy efficient. If everyone were to take a few simple measures, it would significantly impact the Earth; helping to safeguard the planet and protect wildlife habitats, cut down on our reliance on fossil fuels, and reduce our energy bills.
Want to cut your carbon footprint and save some money? Here are our 5 top ways for you to make your home more energy efficient, bring down the cost of your bills, and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time.
1. Unplug Unused Chargers
Mobile phone and battery chargers that are plugged in but not in use are referred to as energy vampires. The average charger consumes 2.24 watts when connected to your phone, but still consumes 0.26 watts of energy when not in use. One charger alone won’t make much of an impact, but think of how many devices you have in the household - collectively unused chargers can be responsible for up to 10% of your energy bill. So, unplug your chargers when not in use.
2. Upgrade your boiler
Your heating accounts for 55% of your energy bills, more than the rest of your household appliances combined. In terms of energy efficiency, this has the potential to be the the biggest saving you can make. If you have a boiler that is more than 10 years old, you could save up to £205 per year if you invest in a new boiler with a better energy efficiency rating. Not to mention, a new boiler is likely to be more reliable and not keep cutting out whilst you are in the shower.
3. Buy A Water-Saving Showerhead
Speaking of showers, there is nothing quite a like a hot and relaxing shower. Most conventional showerheads use around 5 gallons per minute. Low-flow showerheads have a flow rate of less than 2.5 gpm (gallons per minute). A low-flow showerhead is relatively inexpensive, and an easy win to cut down the amount of water you use. For more info on exo-friendly showerheads, click here..
4. Invest in Solar Panels
To protect our planet, we must move away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources. Solar panels generate around 3,700 kilowatts of electricity per year, a yearly saving of around 1.3 tonnes of carbon and around £300 on your energy bills. They will add value to your house, and you can also receive payments for selling surplus energy back to the grid. As there are no moving parts, there is no wear and tear - the inverter being the only part that needs to be changed after 5-10 years.
5. Insulate Your Home
Insulation can be a wise investment, in most cases it will pay for itself in 5 years or less – then roll on the savings from there.A quarter of the heat in uninsulated homes is lost through the roof. Loft insulation cost around £300 and can save you around £750 over five years. Households can use at least 13% more energy for space heating if they heat their conservatories. Fitted in a day, and at around ¼ the cost of a solid tiled roof, conservatory roof insulation could save you £744 per year**according to a Survey carried out by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the average conservatory owner uses an extra 4,800 kWh per annum. Which at 15.5p pkw equates to £744 per year!
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