I. Water-Saving Shower Heads
You may assume that it’s more efficient to take a shower than a bath, but this isn’t always the case. For example, high-volume power showers can use more water than the average bathtub.
If you have an electric shower, this is not for you because they are configured to only heat the water that’s needed, but if your shower uses hot water coming straight from your hot water tank or boiler, consider installing a special water-efficient shower head.
The specially designed shower heads reduce the amount of water used from about 22 litres per minute to 9 litres per minute or even less if you have the latest designs. You can save up to £70 and £115 annually on gas and water bills respectively. In addition to good architectural visualisation such as staging video, optimizing the energy efficiency of your house is also important if you plan to sell the house for the best price.
II. LED Low Voltage Light Bulbs
Switching to low-voltage LED bulbs is one of the quickest, cheapest, and easiest ways to save energy. You can buy most kinds of LED bulbs in your local supermarket, so you can pick up some alongside your normal weekly shop.
LED bulbs have advanced in recent years and are now as bright as standard light bulbs, which means that the only change to be expected is lower electricity bills. LED bulbs use about 90 per cent less energy than halogen bulbs and last 50 times longer. Making this switch can save you up to £35 annually.
III. Change Regular Extension Cables to Smart Power Strips
Virtually everybody uses extension leads. Our lives today involve numerous devices, many of which need to be charged regularly or are designed to be kept on standby. Today, you can buy ‘smart’ power strips that are very similar in appearance but are designed to allow you to turn off all your standby devices in one go.
You can also consider buying smart strips with a timer so that you can set them to go off while you are asleep. Smart strips cost about £15 for a basic model and will ensure that your standby devices don’t drain your energy when not being used.
IV. Seal Gaps Around Windows and Doors
If you live in a period property, you might have noticed draughts – newer homes are usually well draught-proofed. Just remember that if you are feeling the chill, you are also losing heat and money. Besides the doors, it’s also important to check gaps around windows, the chimney, and floors.
Professional draught excluding can be quite expensive, but you can also use self-adhesive foam, plastic, or metal strips with or without brushes to fit in the largest gaps or silicone sealant for smaller draughts. Other easy wins include letterbox covers and flaps, keyhole covers, and flexible silicone fillers between pipework and floorboards. You can find all of these in shops like B&Q.
V. Insulate Your Attic and Eaves
Hot air rises and gets lost in the cold space in your attic or loft – about 25 percent of heat is lost through the roof of an uninsulated home. The first place you should start is by blocking draughts around your loft hatch. You can do it yourself using inexpensive strip insulation as you would on a door or sealant; simply visit your local hardware store.
You shouldn’t forget to insulate the attic, loft, or flat roof too. It is simple and effective for about 40 years. In fact, it should pay for itself several times over and can often be a ‘DIY’ project without the need to call in the professionals.
Rolls cost about £20 each, which means that you can tackle areas in stages if you are counting the pennies, or perhaps you may be able to get a government grant. Either way, you could find yourself saving up to £250 annually on your heating bill.