Go Greener Tips

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Dealing with heat loss in house energy efficiency becomes more and more important as the cost of energy keeps rising. A lot of heat is lost from a house with no insulation.

With the use of well-placed insulation you can make your home more efficient and cut your energy bills dramatically. Lessen heat loss in house energy efficiency and it really can put money into your pocket. Money you could then spend on taking a well-earned short break.

Even more important than insulation is ventilation because if this is not right it could cost you your life! Each year people die, needlessly, from the silent killer, carbon monoxide poisoning. Mainly gas appliances that have not been properly installed or maintained cause this. Ventilation is also essential if you have solid fuel fires, gas fires or boilers with an open flue. Some simple safety measures are to regularly sweep chimneys and check airbricks or ventilation grills for any blockages. To never cover an appliance or block the convection air vents or outside flues. You should also never use a gas appliance that it is not working properly. It is important to carry out regular maintenance and checking of appliances.

Insulation is the easiest and most cost-effective energy efficiency move that you can make. So if your concerned about the planet or you just want to cut your household bills or have more money in your pocket, here are some steps you can take.

Wall Insulation
Wall insulation is the most important as this is the area of most loss at around thirty five percent. In more modern building heat loss in house construction is taken seriously.

Loft Insulation
With loft insulation if you do it yourself be sure to wear the proper protective clothing or get a professional installer to do it for you. Remember to not insulate under water tanks because it’s a good idea to have a bit of heat underneath them to stop them freezing in winter.

Floor Insulation
Floor insulation is basically filling in any gaps between the skirting boards and floorboards with a sealant. You should also check for any draughts coming through the floorboards. If there are, you could insulate under the floorboards or lay hardboard on top of the boards. Be careful to allow ventilation to the boards or they could rot.

Draught Exclusion
Draughts can lose around fifteen percent of heat through gaps around windows and doors. There is a great variety of draught-proofing materials, which are cheap to buy and widely available.

Double-Glazing
Double-glazing especially when it uses the latest energy efficiency will greatly reduce heat loss from the windows. By giving priority to the rooms you heat most you will obviously save the most money. Secondary glazing is also another option and can be fitted inside existing glass. A low-cost and easy-to-fit alternative method is to tape polythene sheet across the inner window frames. This can be bought from most DIY stores.

Lagging
Lagging the hot water tank and pipes in your home is a smart move because your hot water will stay hot longer.
The most important hot water pipes to insulate are the ones between the boiler and the hot water cylinder. However, all hot water pipes lose heat right away and should be insulated too.

For further energy efficiency steps just keep reading.

Turn the thermostat down on the central heating by 1°C because this can cut up to ten percent off your fuel bills.

Do not put the fridge next to a cooker or boiler and don’t leave the door open for longer than necessary. Avoid putting warm food in the fridge. Defrost regularly.

Do not over- fill the kettle for just one drink only heat the amount of water that you actually need.

Don’t bath because an ordinary shower uses only two-fifths of the hot water needed for a bath.

If you have any dripping taps, fix them quickly. In just one day, a dripping hot water tap can waste the energy and water to fill a hot bath.

Fit a nylon brush seal or a spring flap on the letterbox, and put a cover over the keyhole.

Place reflective foil behind radiators and direct the heat back into the room. Radiator shelves can help keep heat at a low level where it is most needed.

Tackling heat loss in house energy efficiency really can put money into your pocket. Another way is to join the Telecom Utility and slash your monthly bills.