If you’d like to make your home that little bit cheaper to run, and less burdensome on the environment, then there are a number of small upgrades you might consider. These improvements might quickly accumulate to create a home that performs significantly better – and this, among other things, can help to inflate the value.
Improve Insulation to Reduce Heat Loss
The walls of your home serve to contain the heat energy you produce. When these walls are thick, with a built-in cavity, they’ll contain the heat better. You might pay particular attention to the loft, where rising heat can be contained with a layer of mineral wool. Even homes with solid walls might benefit from additional insulation.
Upgrade to Energy Efficient Windows and UPVC Doors
The windows and doors of your home are a common point of weakness when it comes to thermal efficiency. They also pose a security risk when they’re old and flimsy.
Modern UPVC doors and windows are not only more difficult to break through. They’re also better at excluding draughts and retaining heat. If you find that certain sections of your home are difficult to keep warm during winter, it might be that swapping the old doors out for new ones makes all the difference. UPVC also comes with a few other advantages – modern versions of it don’t discolour under sunlight, and it requires much less maintenance than timber.
Switch to Low Energy Lighting and Smart Controls
The lighting you choose matters, too. Older halogen-based bulbs will tend to consume considerably more energy than newer LED alternatives. The latter will often pay for themselves within a matter of months, at the latest. The same goes for smart thermostats and other forms of automation, which will ensure that you’re not lighting and heating your home when you aren’t using it.
Reduce Water Waste with Simple Eco-Friendly Fixtures
The fixtures you employ in your kitchen and bathroom might have a big difference in the amount of water you use. Certain kinds of showerheads and taps might introduce air into the water stream, effectively increasing the volume and spread of the water without actually using more of it than you need.
Water can also be saved through the use of dual-flush toilets, which help you to use less water, and through greywater recycling systems that use water from your sink and bath to flush the toilet.
