6 ways to boost your home’s energy efficiency

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With energy bills rising 54 percent and all of us feeling the squeeze, you might be wondering if there is anything you can do as a homeowner to save energy and lower your bills.

The good news is, there are lots of practical things you can do to make your home more energy-efficient and many of them are much simpler than you might have imagined…

Turn down the thermostat

One of the simplest ways to make your home more energy-efficient is to turn down the thermostat. You can save as much as 15 percent on your usual energy consumption by lowering the thermostat by 15 degrees, but even a smaller change can result in big savings, so maybe experiment to see how low you can comfortably go.

Upgrade your boiler

You might think that upgrading your boiler to a more efficient one would be expensive, but companies like All Seasons Energy are working with the government to offer grants of up to £5000 off the cost of a new energy-efficient boiler. So, it’s always worth seeing if you might qualify because the most efficient your boiler, the cheaper it will be for you to heat your home, and the lower your property’s carbon footprint will be.

Switch to a low-flow showerhead

Low-flow showerheads are better than they used to be. You can still have a satisfying shower with plenty of power, while saving a not-insignificant amount of energy. Yes, it might not be quite as good as your power shower, but you will soon get used to it.

Invest in solar panels

Yes, solar panels can be expensive to install, but they can provide your home with most of the energy it needs. In fact, some people end up even selling power back to the National Grid, so they will absolutely pay for themselves over the years, and of course, they will do a world of good for the environment too.

Save with smart technology

Smart technology can be very useful when it comes to making your home more energy-efficient. You can use smart thermostats and smart light bulb controls to turn off lights from a distance if you have forgotten to do so before leaving the house. You can also use smart plugs on a timer so that you don’t end up leaving TVs and speakers and things like that on all night. Of course, they make life easier for you too.

Replace weatherstripping

Weatherstripping is that stuff around windows and doors that helps to form a tight seal. Unfortunately, it is not failproof, which is why you should go around checking for draughts periodically. If you do notice a draught, replace the weatherstripping and ensure your home is as tightly sealed as possible to conserve energy.

Boosting your home’s energy efficiency is not only good for the planet, but it is also good for your finance too, so there really has never been a better time to make as many changes, including the above, as you possibly can.