5 Ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Energy efficiency is not just good for the environment—it's also great for your wallet. With rising energy costs and increasing environmental awareness, making your home more energy efficient has never been more important.

In this article, we'll explore five effective ways to improve your home's energy efficiency, many of which can be funded through government schemes like ECO4 and the Great British Insulation Scheme.

1. Upgrade Your Insulation

Proper insulation is perhaps the most impactful energy efficiency upgrade for most UK homes. Without adequate insulation, you're essentially heating the outdoors!

Key areas to insulate include:

Loft Insulation: Up to 25% of heat is lost through an uninsulated roof. Adding proper loft insulation can save around £300 per year on heating bills.
Cavity Wall Insulation: For homes built after the 1920s, filling the gap between external walls can reduce heat loss by up to 35%, saving approximately £275 annually.
Solid Wall Insulation: For older properties with solid walls, internal or external wall insulation can dramatically improve energy efficiency.
Floor Insulation: Insulating under floorboards can eliminate drafts and save around £110 per year.

The good news? Many UK households can get insulation installed completely free through the Great British Insulation Scheme or ECO4, depending on eligibility.

2. Upgrade Your Heating System

An outdated heating system can be a major energy drain. Modern alternatives include:

A-Rated Condensing Boilers: If your boiler is over 10 years old, replacing it with an A-rated condensing boiler can improve efficiency by up to 30%.
Air Source Heat Pumps: These renewable heating systems extract heat from the outside air and can be 300-400% efficient, meaning they produce 3-4 units of heat for every unit of electricity used.
Smart Heating Controls: Programmable thermostats and smart controls can optimize your heating schedule and reduce wastage.

The ECO4 scheme offers funding for heating system upgrades to eligible households, potentially covering the entire cost.

3. Switch to Energy-Efficient Lighting

LED bulbs use up to 90% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and last up to 25 times longer. While the initial cost is higher, the savings over time are substantial:

A typical LED bulb costs around £2-4 but saves about £55 in electricity over its lifetime compared to an incandescent bulb.
Replacing all bulbs in an average home with LEDs can save around £40 per year on electricity bills.

4. Consider Renewable Energy

Generating your own renewable energy is becoming increasingly accessible:

Solar Panels: The cost of solar PV has fallen dramatically in recent years. A typical 4kWp system costs around £6,000 and can save approximately £270 per year on electricity bills.
Solar Thermal: These systems use the sun's energy to heat water and can provide up to 60% of a household's hot water needs.

Some households may qualify for solar panel installation under the ECO4 scheme, particularly those in fuel poverty or off the gas grid.

5. Seal Drafts and Improve Windows

Addressing air leaks can make a significant difference:

Draft-proofing: Sealing gaps around doors, windows, and loft hatches is a low-cost measure that can save around £60 per year.
Double or Triple Glazing: If your home has single-glazed windows, upgrading to double or triple glazing can reduce heat loss through windows by up to 50-70%.

Conclusion: Start with an Energy Assessment

Before investing in energy efficiency improvements, it's wise to get a professional energy assessment to identify the most effective upgrades for your specific home.

At Renew Energies, we offer free home surveys to assess your property's energy efficiency and identify which improvements would be most beneficial. We can also check your eligibility for government funding through schemes like ECO4 and GBIS.

Ready to make your home more energy efficient? Contact us today to arrange your free home survey and find out how much you could save.