|
There are so many benefits to giving your property a green makeover, from enjoying lower energy bills to reducing your household's harmful impact on the planet. Likewise, there are several professionals who can help in this task, from heating engineers to solar panel experts. Summer can be an optimum time for carrying out improvements to your property, so if you want to make your house a little greener, read our guide to the top ways of doing so. Insulation If the hot air that escapes from the home through single glazed windows, brickwork and cracks around the door was visible, people would probably be more inclined to do something to contain it. However, because you can't see it it's easy to become complacent at the financial and environmental cost of losing precious heat in this way. Properties can leak warm air in a variety of ways, prompting households to turn up their radiators and leave their central heating on for longer. This puts more pressure on the heating system, effectively shortening its lifespan. In addition, because you are consuming more power to run it, your bills will go up too. However, if you were able to reduce the amount of hot air escaping from your property, you could have your heating system on for shorter periods and turn down the thermostat - without shivering as a result. There are so many ways to lower the amount of heat lost from a house, starting with insulation. Speak with roofers and insulation installers about whether your property is lacking in this regard - as many older houses are. The types of insulation available include roof, loft, floor, cavity and solid wall, while draught-proofing is also worthwhile. Indeed, guarding your home from cold draughts entering through cracks is one of the most effective and cheapest ways to save energy. Double glazing The difference double glazing makes to how warm a property is should not be overlooked. If you don't have such windows in your home, you might wish to consider changing this as not only can they reduce the amount of heat your property loses, but they also help lower external noise. Heating Now you have taken steps to ensure your property is losing as little heat as possible, you can turn your attention to your home's heating system. If you are not already doing so, you should have a member of the Gas Safe Register inspect your boiler and other gas appliances at least once a year to check they are in good working order. Such a professional will also be able to advise you on the most suitable type of boiler for your property and household, along with whether your current model is costing you too much as a result of poor efficiency. Most modern boilers are the condensing type, which are far more environmentally-friendly than older appliances as they are able to recover more of the heat generated by the burning gas. Other options include combination boilers - where the machine heats the hot water supply directly - and regular boilers that are programmed to heat water. Of course, some homes do not run on gas and you may have electric storage heaters. While once these were seen as economical, with the developments in gas heating they have become one of the more expensive options. They also emit more carbon dioxide than other heating systems, so replacing these will certainly help in your effort to make your home greener. Particularly environmentally-friendly options you can consider include solar panels and biomass boilers. The former stores natural clean energy produced by the sun and uses it to heat water, while the latter uses sustainable fuel, such as wood. However, if these are not an option or you already have a modern boiler, there are still ways to make your heating system even greener, such as by having controls fitted that allow you to programme when the house is heated room by room. Electricity Electrical consumption such as lighting accounts for a hearty chunk of an annual utilities bill, which is why it pays to reduce this where possible. For instance, you should endeavour to turn off appliances that are not in use, like mobile phone chargers. You can also invest in a more energy-efficient lighting plan, such as one that makes use of LED bulbs. It's not only helping the planet that makes it worth taking an interest in the electrics of your property, but also to ensure your home is safe. If you have recently moved into a house or flat, contact an electrician to check over your sockets and wiring and make sure they are in good working order. If you're keen to give your home a green makeover, come to Rated People. Whether you need a roofer and insulation installer to solve the problem of your property's ceiling and brickwork leaking heat or a heating engineer to recommend a new boiler, we can help. Post the job you need doing and the tradesman you are looking for, such as an electrician, and we will send you three quotes from professionals in your area.
Related Articles -
Roofer, Brickwork, Heating engineer, Electrician,
| 
