Considering property repairs improve your energy efficiency

Improving the energy efficiency of your home whilst you are having other work done is a great way to save money and make your house more comfortable to live in. Did you know that better insulated properties stay warmer in winter?

1. Lofty ambitions: If you’re having an extension or loft conversion ask your builder to check your loft insulation. Did you know that loft insulation can cost as little as £250 with a government subsidy to install and could save you up to £205 per year? That means it pays for itself in 1-2 years. As they’re already onsite, installing it then instead of coming back will save you money on labour costs. If you have less than 270mm insulation, you need a top up.
 
2. Is your house draughty? This easy to install measure is cheap and could save around £30 per year. All you need is tube of flexible filler or some draught proofing stripes from the DIY store! Look for draughts around windows and doors, light fittings and other service areas.

3. Under the boardwalk: If your builder’s pulling up floorboards or re-laying floors, it would be a great time to install under floor insulation. This sits underneath the floorboards and makes sure rooms stay warm in winter and less draughty. It will cost around £90 for materials and the householder could save around £50 a year depending on how many rooms it can be installed in.

4. Insulation, insulation, insulation: If your builder’s fitting a new kitchen or bathroom in an older house, it would be a good time to request some internal wall insulation. Older properties can be hard to heat and adding internal wall insulation will add to your comfort and reduce your bills by around £500 per year not to mention save their time in labour. If you’re undertaking major renovations to the inside of your house, it is the perfect opportunity to install internal wall insulation and save yourself between £1,000- £3,000 of the installation cost as you won’t have to pay twice for scaffolding and other associated costs.

5. How about the hot water tank? An insulating jacket for hot water tanks only costs a few pounds and pays for itself within months. If their jacket is less than 75mm (3") thick they will benefit from fitting a new one and could save around £40 a year.

6. Exposed Pipe work? If you’re having some plumbing work done or they’re working with exposed pipe work, you could save money by having them lagged. Lagging hot water pipes or the cold water pipes next to them reduces wasteful heat loss and means you could save money off your water bill too. It will cost around £8 for the materials and could save you around £12 a year.

7. Having lights done? Ask your builder to install dedicated energy saving light bulb fittings. . Priced from just £2.00, energy efficient light bulbs last around 10 times longer and for each bulb they fit, they can save around £3 on your annual electricity bill. This saving could be up to £6 a year if you’re replacing a very bright bulb with an energy efficient one of the same brightness, or one used for more than a few hours a day. Energy saving lights come in all shapes and sizes and even dimmable lights are available.

8. Butt why not? Always wanted a water butt but not had the room in the car to bring it back from the DIY store? Why not ask you builder if they can collect and fit it for you?

9. Water efficiency: Ask your builder/plumber to install water efficient bathroom fittings, such as aerated shower heads and low flow taps.

10. Be switched on to energy performance: Talk to your builder about whether the work they’re completing can improve the energy efficiency of your home. A higher rating on your Energy Performance Certificate will mean lower bills and may even make it easier to sell. If in doubt, ring our advice line on 0800 512 012.

Information provided by The Energy Saving Trust.  If you need further information about the advice that your builder is giving you, they are on hand to give you free, impartial advice. They also have a grants information database which you can complete to find out about grants in your area; simply visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/ or call 0800 512 012 for more details.