More and more of our clients are seeking advice on how to save energy. The good news is that simple and inexpensive measures can make a massive difference to the energy efficiency of our homes. So even if your budget is limited there are things you can do that won’t break the bank and will save you money in the long run. Here are five things you can do right away to help save energy and make your home more energy efficient.
Instagram Live Q&A
This Saturday, 20th June at 11 am, our Instagram Live Q&A will be all about how to save energy in your home.
I’ll be joined by energy expert Tomas O’Leary of MosArt to chat about ways to make your home more energy efficient, what you can do to save on your fuel bills and reduce your carbon footprint at home. We’ll also be answering all of your questions.
Make sure you’re following us on Instagram and don’t forget to send us any questions you may have and we’ll do our best to answer all of them.
Insulate your attic
When it comes to finding ways to save energy in your home so much money can be saved by insulating attic spaces and replacing single glazed windows with double-glazing.
Attic spaces should be insulated to a thickness of at least 270mm. Important things to remember when insulating your attic are to make sure you insulate the pipework as well and ventilate the attic space. This is typically done by fitting vents in the soffits (the exposed undersurface of an exterior overhanging section of a roof eave). By doing this you will avoid condensation build up in your attic space.
Replace your boiler
Consider replacing your conventional boiler with a modern high-efficiency condensing model. These boilers convert over 88% of their fuel into heat, which will lead to instant savings on your heating bills. Upgrading your heating controls will keep your rooms at a comfortable temperature, and allow you to decide when the heating comes on and off, meaning a significant reduction to your fuel bill.
Upgrade your windows
Windows have a big impact on the amount of heat needed to keep a house warm, which is why fitting energy efficient glazing can make a significant difference. On south facing windows you only need to upgrade to double glazed windows but triple glazing is preferable on all other faces of the house, especially North and East facades.
Consult an expert
Making sure your home is well insulated is a guaranteed way to save energy and money. But before you embark on any kind of external or internal insulation it is very important to know how your house has been built and what level of insulation exists already so you can plan the best solution for the future.
A good idea is to have a BER assessment done to examine the energy performance of your home. The assessment will detail the energy performance of the house and will be accompanied by an advisory report identifying what can be done to improve your homes energy performance. BER assessments should be carried out by BER Assessors who have registered with SEAI.
Track your energy consumption
If you are keen to keep track of your energy consumption, you might like to consider investing in an electricity monitor. This is a small device that will tell you how much energy you are using. You can buy one for about €65.
The monitor will let you input the price of your electricity to find out exactly how much it costs you to carry out simple everyday tasks such as boiling a kettle. If nothing else, it will make you aware of how and where you are using energy and this in itself will effect change.
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