Energy-saving is the hot topic of our times as the cost-of-living rockets. We are being asked to make money go further in all areas of our lives, with food bills, petrol costs, and mortgage interest rates increasing. We should make sure that we are on the best and cheapest energy deal for us, and then, ideally, look at other ways to increase efficiency and reduce costs. Fortunately, there are technologies that we can invest in that enhance our homes and save us money. Here we explore some of these improvements and gain insight into why they could be the best investment you’ve made.
Smart thermostat
While we are at the height of summer, it is hard to remember the impact our heating has on our smart metre. Yet, turning your normal thermostat down by 1 degree can save you £80 a year on your bill.
Imagine then having the control of heating only certain rooms at certain times and to the temperature that is perfect for you. Add to this the ability to turn on the heating as you travel home, so you are warm on your return, but you have not spent money heating an empty house. Such capabilities will make a significant difference to your bill, offer greater convenience, and do much to reduce your carbon footprint.
Smart lighting
There are small ways you can make a big difference without investing in an expensive system. For instance, training your family to turn lights off when they leave a room works. Equally, changing from halogen to LED lightbulbs can save you as much as £10 a bulb per year. The initial investment in the bulb seems high, though the last three times longer.
Yet, technology has been developed that allows you to control your home’s lighting. You can have sensors that detect movement, illuminate a space, and switch off when this movement disappears. You can also control lighting from your smartphone or speaker – so that no light has to stay on unnecessarily in your home.
Invest in energy-efficient appliances
Old and high energy using white goods could be costing you the earth and damaging the environment. When replacing your major appliances, you should consider energy certification. The closer to an AA+ rating, the more you will be saving in terms of energy usage. While the device might be more expensive, it may cost the same over its lifetime.
Insulation and other hacks
There are then improvements that you can make that are not technology related. For instance, ensuring your loft is insulated is essential, and you can often do this with the help of grants.
The heat that comes through your windows is less well publicised, and updating or repairing your double glazing can impact your bills. Almost 20% of heat lost from your home is through the windows, so any investment will soon offer strong returns.
If you don’t want to invest money in this improvement, you can purchase heavier fabric curtains instead. If you close these curtains on an evening and push the curtains behind radiators, you can better reflect the heat into the room.
Maintenance of your radiators is another interesting hack. Bleeding the air out of radiators can save you a fortune, as the boiler doesn’t have to work as hard to get to your requested temperature. You can also purchase a reflector that d the radiator and rebounds the heat back into the room rather than through your walls.
Summary
Often when we are looking to improve our home, we have an eye to making it more of everything: convenient, beautiful, and efficient. In today’s world, with the energy cost going up, our decisions’ efficiency is likely the most important criterion. Each of these suggestions offers you an opportunity to enhance your property and invest to save.
