Making energy saving a family project can help to lower your bills while also teaching your children important lessons about conserving natural resources. There are two major arenas for reducing energy consumption in your home: infrastructure and behaviour. While improving the infrastructure of your home requires an upfront investment and behaviour changes can take some getting used to, if you make all of the changes suggested below your family can save an average of £1000 per year, all while doing your part to aid the environment.
Home Improvements for Energy Efficiency
- Appliances
The power consumed by appliances is significant enough to impact your bills. Newer, energy-efficient models can be kinder to the environment by reducing water and energy use and save you money at the same time. Replacing older appliances with energy-efficient ones can save your family an average of £400 per year, so they can definitely justify their replacement costs.
In a similar vein, if your boiler is more that 15-20 years old, you can save a significant amount by replacing it with a newer model. The efficiency of old boilers can be as low as 55%-70%. By contrast, a new condensing boiler operates at over a 90% efficiency, so you’ll see your bills drop significantly.
- Structural
Adding loft/attic insulation can decrease your heating bill by helping to reduce heat loss in cold winter months. Loft insulation can last for 40 years, so this is an improvement that you can do once and reap the benefits of for a very long time to come.
Replacing old windows with double glazed windows is another way to make your home more energy efficient. A double glazed window consists of two sheets of glass with an insulation barrier in between, so they not only reduce heat loss but can also provide insulation against outside noise. See here for more information on windows in your area.
Behavioural Changes for Energy Efficiency
Keeping your thermostat set to a few degrees cooler in the winter or a few degrees warmer in the summer can cut 10% from your heating bill. A programmable thermostat can help lower your bills by making these changes automatically while you’re away during the day or at night when the family is sleeping.
Installing a water-saving showerhead and taking shorter showers is another way to save money. Teaching your kids to turn off the water while brushing their teeth and to take a short shower instead of a bath helps them be a part of reducing your family’s energy footprint.
Other small improvements include making sure your washer and drier are full instead of running multiple small loads, air drying your dishes if you use a dishwasher, and replacing light bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs). Installing heavier curtains can help keep warmth in during winter months, and opening them to let sunlight in when the weather is good can help warm a room. Remember that while these changes may seem small, the added effect will reduce your family’s environmental impact and save you quite a bit of money as well.