It’s that time of year again; winter is here and energy bills are rising. It’s time to start looking at how to winter-proof your home and keep the heat in, to save energy and cut your energy bills.
We’ve put together some of our top energy saving, winter-proof tips you can do to your home this season, without breaking the bank.
Saving energy by winter-proofing your home
1. Insulation, insulation, insulation
We talk a lot about insulation here at The GreenAge, but in many ways it’s at the very heart of energy saving. Here in the UK we have some of the oldest housing stock around, and that tends to means that very poor insulation. While there are big projects which can be extremely effective, such as cavity and external wall insulation, for immediate savings this winter we recommend adding or improving your loft insulation. Even newer and already insulated lofts can benefit from topping up what you have. The key is to maximise your loft insulation, without compressing it, as this reduces its effectiveness.
2. Winter-proofing means draught proofing
Draughts are a huge culprit for lost warmth in our homes, especially in older properties. There are plenty of different ways to draught-proof a home and save energy, so try to identify your problem areas. Draught excluder tape is a cheap and easy solution for doors and windows, while chimneys can be blocked using cleaver little balloons.
3. Bleed your radiators…
This is the time of year when you need your heating system working at it’s very best. An inefficient system will use more energy to create the same level of warmth and will end up costing you more in energy bills. Winter-proof your central heating by bleeding your radiators, which is quick and simple. You can pick up radiator keys to do the job for a little as £1.50 on Amazon. You can read our guide to bleeding here, or watch James show you how it’s done.
4. … and make the most of them
It’s also worth considering investing in radiator reflectors, which can reflect as much as 95% of wasted heat from the rear of your radiators back into the room. Some people do this on the cheap with kitchen foil, but if you’re looking for a more durable and effective option then it’s better to go for a professional product. At around £22 for enough Radflek to cover up to 6 heaters, it’s a bit of a no brainer. GreenAge readers can get an even better deal, using offer code TGA20 for 20% off all orders. Sorted.
5. Insulate your pipes
If you’ve ever experienced a frozen pipe, you’ll know why pipe insulation (also known as pipe lagging) is important. Not only does it stop exposed pipes from freezing, but it also helps to reduce heat loss in travelling water, effectively cutting your energy use by making a more efficient hot water system.
Pipe lagging is cheap and easy. It looks a lot like foam pool noodles, and can be fitted in seconds. You can buy pipe insulation from any DIY shop, just make sure that you know the diameter of your pipes before you head to the shops.
Think we missed something? Do you have a different opinion?
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we have deciduous hydrangea on north east facing wall and ivy on other walls these break wind effect to a beneficial effect,keep out of gutter and down pipes though !
Great article.
Draught Proofing is deifintiely important to ensuring a warmer home this winter.
However, many homeowner are skipping their LETTERBOX as a place for heat to escape, and draught to come through.
That is why we have created the MAGFLAP, a new concept to draught exclusion.
The MagFlap is a magnetically sealing letterbox draught excluder which can save the house holder a lot of money by cutting down energy bills. Plus, it can be fitted in 2 minutes, by someone with minimal DIY skills. No complications.
If you would like to find out more about the MagFlap, and get yourself prepared for these upcoming winter months, then head over to our website to find out more.
These are some great suggestions for ways to improve energy efficiency in your home. There are two specific funding schemes available for improving the energy efficiency of your home via OFGEM; Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and Energy Company Obligation (ECO). If you’re planning to get funding for improvements through either of these schemes and if you don’t already have a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) you may need to get one as part of your application. They are also necessary if you want to find out detailed and specific recommendations for your property on the most economically efficient way to make improvements. This is done by taking the raw data from the EPC survey and then running simulations to produce a Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) report which is completed by an industry professional. This can help you to decide which measures will be the most productive for your home.
If you entirely block up all draughts or places for (damp) air to escape you may end up with condensation and mould