subject: Eco Home Makeovers Part 4: The Bedroom [print this page] The fourth part of our Eco Home Makeover series is going to focus on a room which you might not think of first of all for saving energy and cash your bedroom. The cost of heating the room comfortably and having suitable lighting can really add up, unless you take some simple green measures. Our guide here will give you some easy and effective measures to make your bedroom much more energy efficient, to help the environment and to lower your bills.
As in the first three parts of our series, there are three essential steps to take for the house as a whole to prevent heat loss, conserve energy and keep household bills down:
1. Double glazing is estimated to save up to 20% of domestic heat lost when compared to single glazing.
2. Loft Insulation is estimated to save the average home 200 in annual heating bills; insulating your cavity walls also helps significantly lower your energy bills.
3. A Chimney Balloon is a little bit like a plastic pillow that fits neatly inside the chimney. It prevents chimneys from drawing your heat out of the room plus keeps draughts out.
Just by making these three easy changes, you can save a remarkable amount of money and energy at home. Once you've tackled those steps, move onto your bedroom. You could find that you're literally burning money by using the wrong bedding, heating controls and lighting.
You could find double benefits to changing your bedding - you should need less heating if you're cosier in bed and you may find there are some bonus health benefits to be had. Wool duvets help keep your body temperature stable throughout the night. You can be assured you won't wake up cold in the winter in the wee hours of the morning and you'll wake up with all the benefits of a better nights sleep.
Ecosavers radiator foil or Heatkeepers radiator saving panels prevent heat loss. They will work in any room in the house in fact, but of course go hand in hand with a mention about night-time warmth here. If you have radiators with thermostatic valves, go one step further and fit HouseHeat, an ingenious system to allow to you control the temperature just in the bedroom (and in any other rooms you install it in). This is known as 'zoning' and it allows you to make substantial savings, for example, by isolating a guest room which is rarely used.
Back to the bedroom, the humble hot water bottle has had its own mini-makeover, transformed these days with luxuriant faux-fur covers in a range of stylish colours. Children's bedrooms can be fitted with an Ecosaver nightlight, giving a suitably muted light. Ten hours daily use costs around 7 pence a year. Energy saving lightbulbs are of course a must everywhere and these days they come in a range of colours, with soft shades to enhance the bedroom.
Each of these products is easy to use, and is designed for busy people who need something fast and easy to both install and use. All of these products are available to purchase at My Greener Home.
