Your thoughts right now may be predominantly focused on your summer holidays and enjoying time with the family, but it’s wise to have it in the back of your mind that winter will soon come along.
It’s a point we make because once the chilly weather does arrive, you’ll spend less time in the great outdoors and more time indoors at home, and we don’t want you to feel the cold in your living space, nor be hit by expensive energy bills.
You’re unlikely to if it has a high thermal efficiency rating. If you have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) this will let you know how it rates for energy efficiency. It will be labelled from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient).
Anyone who doesn’t have an EPC should get an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor to visit their property and assess its thermal credentials so that a certificate can be issued. This can be organised here.
To achieve or get as close as you can to an energy efficiency rating of ‘A’, employ these energy efficiency measures:
Get double or triple glazed windows and doors installed
It’s said that a quarter of the heat lost from a property escapes through windows and doors providing an unsatisfactory standard of insulation.
The installation of double or triple glazed windows and doors will virtually eliminate heat loss. Our UPVC Extreme windows are A+ energy rated as standard, so hardly any heat loss through the windows will occur, which is why this exclusive collection has also received the much coveted Secured by Design accreditation.
As a rough estimate, you can save around £170 per year on your energy bills too.
Fit an eco-friendly boiler
Like most white goods, all new boilers are energy labelled, having an ErP rating (Energy related Products Directive), with the majority offering an A-rating.
If it’s 10 years or more since you bought your current boiler, there’s little chance it will have a strong ErP rating, and there’s an increased chance of it breaking down.
Swapping your old existing boiler for a brand-new A-rated boiler could result in an annual saving of £340. So don’t be put off by the cost of buying a new boiler as it won’t take long to get your money back.
Invest in loft insulation
We mentioned that up to 25% of heat can be lost through poorly insulating windows and doors, and the same amount of heat can be lost through an uninsulated roof.
To bring that figure right down, get insulation put in your loft, attic or roof space. It doesn’t cost much, and if you’re up to it, you can fit the insulation yourself. Otherwise, head to the National Insulation Association website to find your nearest approved insulation installer for assistance.
You can get 40+ years out of quality loft insulation.
James Oliver can give you a FREE no obligation quote for new windows and doors if they’re what you need to create a cosy home for winter.