Replace your boiler with a newer, more efficient model. Fit better controls and use them to make sure your boiler only provides heat where and when you want it. Switch to a cheaper or lower carbon fuel or technology. Find out about renewable technologies for generating electricity and heat. Make any insulation and draught-proofing improvements that you can. Use chemical inhibitors to help maintain central heating system efficiency.

If your home improvement work requires scaffolding, such as a loft conversion, this would be an ideal time to install solar panels. Scaffolding is a significant part of the solar installation costs, so combining it with other works could make them much more cost-effective. Solar panels are most effective on south-facing roofs at a pitch of around 30 degrees. There are various other factors to consider when thinking about whether your home set up works and how best to maximise the installation. For more information on installing renewable energy system at home, see here . Energy Saving Trust

Lighting accounts for 15 per cent of a typical household’s electricity bill. It’s good time to consider changing to LED bulbs. LEDs are the most efficient light bulb on the market and have made significant advancements since their early days of low quality lighting. They are available with varying degrees of brightness, colours, and ‘colour temperatures’ – from warm white to cool white in appearance – and can suit almost all light fittings. Although the cost of bulbs is coming down, it can sometimes appear prohibitive, so consider the most used lights throughout your home as a first step. Statistics from Energy Saving Trust

Make sure your extension is insulated to Building Regulations. You could Consider having the rest of your home to insulated as well. If your home has cavity walls, a layer of insulation can be blown into the cavity. If you have solid walls (usually homes built before 1920), you can have either internal or external insulation added. Applying external insulation at the same time as your extension would ensure the exterior finish to the main building matches the extension, improving the aesthetic of your home. External insulation will also make those cold rooms in your home warmer and, so long as sufficient ventilation is maintained, it can help alleviate many causes of damp and mould. Furthermore, solid wall insulation could save around £225 a year from the heating bills of a typical gas-fuelled semi-detached home. Savings could be significantly higher in detached properties, around £375 per year in a typical gas-fuelled detached home. Statistics from Energy Saving Trust

FAQs Archive - Flow Plumbers | Plumbing Services Hastings

FAQs

Reduce heating costs

Renewable energy

Lighting

Insulation

Bathroom energy efficiency