Eco Projects Easy Ways To Save Energy At Home

Date Published:

29/05/2008

Easy Insulation

Fitting insulation in your home won't just make it feel cosier - it will cut down your house's carbon footprint by cutting the need for all that extra heating - and is just one of the measures that could save you up to £250 in energy bills a year.

There are lots of different ways to insulate your home - whether with easy draught-proofing around doors and windows, fitting loft insulation, covering your water tank with a jacket or lagging exposed pipes. Even covering a keyhole that allows heat out and cold in can make a difference. Trickier jobs, such as insulating cavity walls and double-glazing need professionals.

And if the financial and eco incentives aren't enough to get you doing some of the easier jobs yourself, bear in mind that gaps around doors and windows will also let all kinds of dirt and dust seep into your home from outside.

Many of these jobs are easy for even a novice DIYer, and each will save you money - for example, just putting an adequate hot water jacket on your water tank could save you up to £20 a year. To find out more about what to insulate at home and how to do it, check out this Insulation Guide.

Double Glazing

Okay, so it's not easy, but it had to get a mention in this section. Double glazing can be extremely expensive, especially if you own a period property whose character you want to (quite rightly) retain by installing wood-framed double-glazing. However, in the long run, along with other home improvements, having good quality double-glazing will help maximise your home's value, a must in the current climate.

That aside, double-glazing should cut heat loss from your home by 50 per cent, and should save you almost £100 a year in heating bills. Always ensure that the windows you by are energy efficient with a high rating from the British Fenestration Ratings Council.