Tips on home energy efficiency

Nov 7, 2011 by blackbook

Following on from my previous post on switching energy suppliers I thought it would be worth while giving you guys some tips on energy efficiency. I have recently made some changes to my home to make it more energy efficient in the hope I can save some money on my heating bills.

Last weekend I embarked on tank and pipe insulation, to reduce the amount of heat lost from my tank and pipes and keep my water hotter for longer. This was certainly a DIY job I was easily able to undertake even though I am somewhat of a DIY novice.

I visited my local DIY store to purchase a British Standard ‘jacket’ to go around my tank, for best insulation you ‘jacket’ need to be at least 75mm thick so even if your tank has one make sure its thick enough. By doing this you can cut heat loss by over 75%. My jacket was fairly inexpensive at £15, considering the money I could save with it and the insulation for my pipes was also cheap costing about £10.

Luckily for me most of the pipes were easily accessible however if you find yours aren’t don’t worry you can get professional help to insulate your pipes. I still have to look at my loft insulation situation and decide if I need more, plus I will also be looking into wall insulation. Because I live in an older house I have a feeling that I will have cavity walls which means I should be able to have them filled to help insulate my home.

Insulating your walls can be more expensive and not all homes can have them or need them so getting a professional opinion like I will be is your best option.