subject: Preparing Your Home For The Winter, Now! [print this page] You may be thinking now is too early to be thinking about the winter but in order to save, you need to start planning now. Now is the perfect time to start thinking about ways in which you can insulate your home and make it more energy efficient. With the rising costs of both gas and electricity continuing, this winter is set to be one of the most expensive yet! There are however small and larger ways to ensure your home is more energy efficient as well as reducing your carbon footprint.
Install proper insulation - Many homes suffer from severe heat loss through the roof. You may have noticed this when it snows and the snow melts on some houses and not others. This is due to the fact some houses do not have the proper installation installed to prevent the heat escaping. In older homes this is a massive problem and can end up costing you a huge amount. By having proper insulation in your roof you can save hundreds of pounds through retaining any heat within the house.
Check windows and doors older windows and doors can have drafts which let out a significantly higher amount of heat than you would expect. Double glazing may be an option to consider if you have older or single pane windows along with draught excluders for particularly draughty windows and doors. Other than that, repairs to those existing will need to be carried out in order to prevent so much heat escaping. It should also be noted that thick curtains and blinds will help to keep the heat in during the colder months.
Eco heating If you are looking to make a significant increase in the money you save over the winter, you should look to have some form of eco or solar hot water heating installed. Depending on which type you install, you can save up to 50% on your heating bills alone!
Solar power is becoming more and more widespread in the UK now, and Solar panels are one of the easiest to install as they simply attach to the outside of your roof facing the sun. These collect daylight rather than sunlight and so will still work during the winter months when the sun doesnt come out as much. More substantial installations include ground and air source heat pumps. These work by extracting latent energy in the air and converting it to heat through compression chambers and inverter driven technology, which is then transferred to your hot water and heating systems without the need of an inefficient oil/gas boiler, an Air Source Heat Pump can be up 320% more efficient than using oil/gas, so this greatly reduces your bills and carbon dioxide emissions. Although these are slightly more expensive to initially have installed, the benefits far outweigh the cost.
Other smaller things you can do include turning your heating down and putting a few more clothes on. By simply reducing the temperature of you home by a couple of degrees, you can make a significant difference.
