Want to Save Energy and Save Money? Here´s How!
Saving energy, energy efficiency, carbon footprint reduction, plus a whole load more of other descriptions, all relate to the one major priority of any bill payer...Save Money!
Saving energy in the UK isn´t just about switching to energy efficient light bulbs, though they are to be commended and indeed will help towards lowering your energy bills, there are other steps you can take to greatly reduce your costs even further.
Let us look at the structure of your house. Most homes have a loft and unless it has been adequately insulated, you can be loosing as much as 35% of the heat through the roof space. The minimum recommended thickness for loft insulation is 270mm, if you have no loft insulation you could be loosing somewhere in the region of £220.00 per year. Loft Insulation acts as a blanket, trapping any heat rising from the house below. It is also recognised that as well as keeping your house warmer in winter, having the correct level of loft insulation will keep your home cooler in summer! So you will benefit all year round. There are different types of loft insulation. For example you can install a loft quilt, these come in varying thickness, from 60mm up to 200mm depending on the circumstances of your property, this is currently the most common methods used. There is also Loft Blown Wool and polystyrene beads. The blown applications are better suited when access is restricted or the shape of the roof space would be too uneconomic to fit insulating quilt.
The next method of improving your home insulation is cavity wall insulation. The majority of houses built after 1930 will have a cavity wall, an external wall and an internal wall with a gap of at least 50mm. A detached house can loose as much as 25-35% of its heat through an uninsulated external wall. Cavity wall insulation is injected into the cavity between the inner and outer leaves of brickwork that make up the external wall of the property.
Whilst there are a variety of different materials used for providing cavity wall insulation they all work in the same way; by combining with the still captive air to act as a barrier to heat loss. Cavity wall insulation helps to reduce the amount of gas, oil, coal or electricity used to heat your house and once installed should last the lifetime of the property. Installation of cavity wall insulation is simple and will take less than a day to complete. To ensure a total fill of the cavity, the insulation material is blown under pressure through a predetermined pattern of drilled holes that are filled afterwards with mortar, colour matched to your external walls. It works by storing the heat in the inner wall and radiating it back into the home, so you can turn down your thermostats and not loose out on comfort. By insulating your home correctly, you will recoup the initial insulation costs in 2 years!
So, how much does all this cost?
The UK government has introduced incentives to help reach its target for carbon emissions reduction. You can apply for a 75% grant for home owners, tenants and landlords.
You will qualify for a 100% grant.
If you are on benefits, such as:
Income SupportCouncil Tax BenefitHousing BenefitIncome Based Job seekers Allowance
Attendance AllowanceDisability Living AllowanceIndustrial Injuries BenefitWar Disablement PensionPension CreditChild Tax CreditWorking Tax CreditDisabled Persons Tax CreditOver 70 years of ageOne call to our customer service centre will start you on the road to lower fuel costs.
