It’s certainly something worth thinking about now, rather than in a few months’ time, as we’d hate you to feel the cold in your home over the winter and be hit with sky-high energy bills.
You should have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) which will tell you what the present energy efficiency rating of your home is.
Homes are energy rated from A (very efficient) to G (very inefficient). Ideally, you want to achieve an A-rating, or as close to it as you can.
Anyone who doesn’t have an EPC should immediately arrange for an accredited EPC assessor to come to their home and carry out an energy audit of the place as it is a required document when you want to sell or rent your home. To find your nearest EPC assessor, just click here.
To put your home on course for an A-rating, make these sorts of energy efficiency-led improvements:
Fit double or triple glazed windows and doors
Inefficient windows and doors are notoriously bad for allowing heat to escape from homes – they can account for up to 25% of overall heat loss.
That percentage of heat loss will be much lower after the installation of double or triple glazed windows, and the inside of your house will feel much toastier. Window upgrades don’t come much better than our UPVC Extreme windows, an exclusive range that has been endorsed by the Energy Saving Trust and the Police after receiving the Secured by Design accreditation. You’ll also find that our replacement doors are similarly secure and great for saving you money.
Your fuel costs can drop by around £170 each year.
Install an eco-friendly boiler
An energy efficient boiler is a must for any home. All new boilers have an ErP (Energy related Products Directive) rating to help you identify their thermal abilities, with the majority offering an A-rating.
If your existing boiler is quite old, it’s ErP rating is likely to be quite poor in comparison, and there will be a stronger possibility of it breaking down than a newer model.
Buying a new boiler doesn’t come cheap, but the long-term savings can be very significant. The Energy Saving Trust suggests that a boiler upgrade can save you £340 every year.
Get insulation added to your loft
As well as losing heat through your windows and doors, some of it may also be lost through your roof if your property isn’t well-insulated – again, as much as 25% of overall heat loss.
Putting loft insulation in your loft, attic or roof space will help minimise this and can be bought cheaply. It’s pretty easy to fit if you want to save money on installation costs, or you can leave it in the hands of an approved insulation installer – find your local installer on the National Insulation Association website.
It’s common for loft insulation to last for 40 years+.
We’re in the middle of a Summer Sale at ERG Scotland, making it a great time for you to buy new energy efficient windows and doors.
