HOMES & GARDENS / PROPERTY
www.indexmagazine.co.uk
Is your home energy effi cient?
The weather may be hotting up but some simple steps now could help you cut the cost of your energy bills, plus local news and property round-up
T
o tie in with World Environment Day, which is taking place on Sunday 5th June, here are fi ve top tips on simple cost-effective things you can do to save energy at home. Making a few changes in the home to save energy not only helps the environment, as power plant emissions are reduced, but it can also help save money on utility bills. These tips are low cost, extremely simple to do and could mean that an average family of four reduces their energy bills by up to £450 a year.
1. Fix draughts
One of the easiest ways to help conserve energy and maintain a comfortable temperature in the home is by draught- proofi ng, which can save around £40 a year on energy bills. A home will lose heat through any gaps around windows, doors, skirting boards and chimneys so fi xing these will ensure heat is kept inside. This is something that can easily be
done by fi tting draught excluders to the bottoms of doors and draught excluding tape round all windows. There are also
special excluders that can be placed in chimneys to stop heat disappearing up the fl ue when it’s not in use.
2. Change to LED light bulbs Changing to LED light bulbs, which are even better for the environment than traditional energy-saving bulbs, could save an average family up to £70 each year and it is one of the simplest changes to make. That fi gure can be increased by ensuring lights are switched off in rooms that aren’t being used.
3. Replace a showerhead For showers that take hot water direct from a boiler, replacing the showerhead with an energy-effi cient alternative can make one of the biggest monetary savings as the benefi ts to the homeowner are twofold. They reduce water consumption by
restricting the volume of water that fl ows through them, thus meaning that less energy is needed to heat the water. These showerheads can reduce the amount of water used by up to half and could save an average family a combined £200 a year on their water and heating bills.
4. Make sure a home is insulated Heat rises, so that empty space at the top of a house needs to be insulated to ensure the heat is kept inside and does not escape through the roof. There are a number of different products on the market from traditional fi breglass to polystyrene and ensuring a home is well insulated could save up to £100 a year on heating bills.
5. Turn off the red light Finally, most people go to bed or leave the house with their televisions, game consoles and DVD players on standby, but turning these off at the plug socket could mean an electricity saving of up to £40 a year.
Richard Skinner, from Chandlers Building Supplies, who compiled our top fi ve tips for World Environment Day, said: “At Chandlers we are keen to highlight the benefi ts of using energy-effi cient products and have a diverse range, from rainwater harvesting solutions and insulation to energy-saving showerheads and green roof systems, amongst others.” • Visit
www.chandlersbs.co.uk/sustainability
HOUSE HUNTING IN HYTHE..?
Then check out Barratt Homes’ latest development, Martello Lakes, which features a four-bedroom detached Lincoln show home, styled by interior designer Andrew Henry. Pam Reardon, Sales and Marketing Director for Barratt Homes, says interest has already been high in the fi rst release of properties, even before the launch event: “Demand
for homes at Martello Lakes is largely due to the fantastic location and quality design of the properties.” Martello Lakes will feature a range of two-bedroom apartments and two, three and four-bedroom homes, with prices from £264,995. • For more information, visit the website
www.barratthomes.co.uk or call 0844 854 9936.
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