If you run your family home, you’ll already know how difficult it can be to be energy efficient. When your child tells you they need their sports kit for tomorrow and you find it stuffed at the bottom of a dirty laundry basket, you have no choice but to do an emergency washing and tumble dry session. However, being aware that you should be making your home greener, rather than using unnecessary energy could make you feel guilty. So, here’s what you can do to calm that guilty feeling.
Insulation
One of the biggest reasons many homes use more energy than they should is because they lose heat through their walls and floors. Heat is also lost through the roof, and because heat rises, the ground floor often feels much colder than it should be. You can solve this problem by making sure your roof, walls and floors are insulated. Initially it will cost you a significant amount of money, but your heating bills will more than pay you back over the next three years.
Draughts
The same thing happens with heat when you let the cold air in. If there are draughts coming from your doors or windows, you won’t feel warm during the colder months. When we’re not feeling warm in our own homes, our go-to solution is to turn the heating up. This is especially important to rectify if you have an open plan home. Having few doors in the home means it’s more difficult to trap draughts in separate rooms. Check the seals on all of your windows and make sure your doors are tightly shut. If you still feel a draught coming from either, it may be time you looked into replacing them.
Talk to Your Energy Company
Although energy companies want you to spend money on energy, there’s no denying that people are more energy conscious than ever. That’s why most companies now offer energy efficient plans to their customers, like stream energy. This way, you’re usually paying a fixed price so you don’t have to worry about your varying bills throughout the year and you’ll be saving energy and helping the planet at the same time.
Smart Meters and Control Systems
Energy users have never had as much control over what they use as they have now. Installing a smart meter will make it easier for you to monitor what you’re using and you won’t have to worry about forgetting to send in readings and ending up with an estimated bill. You can also download apps to control your energy from your phone. So, if you pop out and suddenly remember you’ve left the heating on, you can switch it off from your phone. No more guilt about wasting energy because you forgot to flick a switch on a busy morning.
Check Your Boiler
There’s no getting away from the fact that a boiler is a necessity, all year round. If your boiler isn’t functioning properly it could be costing you more than you should be paying. Get it checked and replace it when needed.
Going Green isn’t easy, but if you’re trying to do your part, you’re halfway there.
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