energy efficiency Archives - CURLY AND CANDID

Creating A More Energy-Efficient Home

Nicki CawoodJune 29, 2020

Many of us are eager to save money and do our bit for the planet. By creating a more energy-efficient home, you can tick both boxes. If you’re looking to maximise your disposable income and protect the environment, here are some simple strategies you can employ today.

Increasing Heat Retention

We all know that the British weather can be unpredictable. It can snow in March, rain cats and dogs in August and be beautiful in October. When you own a home in the UK, it pays to be ready for all eventualities. One of the most effective ways to lower bills and make your home more eco-friendly is improving heat retention. There’s no point in paying a vast amount of money to heat your home if hot air is escaping through every available orifice. By patching up holes and gaps, investing in double glazing and looking into insulation options, you could save a fortune and radically reduce the amount of time your radiators are running.

You don’t have to break the bank to insulate your house, and it can make all the difference when winter arrives. You can click here to find out more about options like spray foam. If you have single glazing at the moment, it’s beneficial to get some quotes for double glazing. Double glazing makes a huge difference to heat retention, and it can also improve security and reduce external noise.

Replacing Old Appliances

Technology advances at lightning speed. If you’ve had your washing machine, TV, fridge, kettle and toaster for as long as you can remember, you might be surprised at just how far household appliances have come. Modern-day devices and gadgets are eco-friendly and they consume much less energy than their older counterparts. You will need to spend money at the outset, but replacing old appliances will save you money in the long-run. It’s also a great idea to swap traditional light bulbs for LED bulbs and to consider replacing your boiler if you’ve had it for more than 10-15 years.

Creating A More Energy-Efficient Home: Using a Thermostat

Many of us devote a significant chunk of our income to keeping our homes warm and cosy in the autumn and winter months. To lower bills and increase energy efficiency, it’s wise to use a thermostat. A thermostat monitors the temperature of your home and it prevents the heating system from running when it’s already warm enough.

Turning Appliances Off at the Plug

Be honest. How often do you go to bed or leave the house with your TV and computer on standby? I’m sure that if I walked around the house now that I would find one or two things the children have left plugged in that they aren’t using. Take a moment to ensure that everything is turned off before you hit the hay. You might be surprised at the difference this can make to your electricity usage and your monthly bills.

Creating A More Energy-Efficient Home: In Summary

Are you looking to save money and embrace greener ways of living? If so, making your home more energy-efficient is an excellent place to start. Focus on improving heat retention, lowering energy consumption and reducing waste to cut bills and do your bit for the environment.

In Home, Interior Design

Investments To Make In Your Home

Nicki CawoodMay 13, 2020May 14, 2020

Once you’ve bought a home, you can be excused for thinking that your main spending days are over. However, there are plenty of things you still need to invest in to improve your property. I’m not talking about things like bathroom renovations or extensions. Ideas like that are more specific to the individual property. Instead, let’s look at some essential investments to make in your home for noticeable improvements.

Investments To Make In Your Home: A New Boiler

Unless your home is brand new, you will probably need to invest in a new boiler. On average, they last around 15 years, but this can reduce if they aren’t taken care of. If you click here you can see an overview of some prices, which lets you know what to expect. This is an essential investment for two main reasons:

A boiler supplies your home with heat, meaning you stay warm in winter and have hot water when you need it
A new boiler is highly efficient and can help you save money on your monthly energy bills compared to an older version

If you take care of it, it will last closer to 20 years than 15, meaning it’s an investment that lasts a long time before it needs to be replaced again.

Boarding for your loft

Most homes are built with lofts, but few are actually build with boarding up there. This means you’re basically left with an empty roof space and some rafters. It’s not practical at all, and you’ve wasted so much space that your home can make use of.

Invest in some boarding for your loft. This will let you lay down wooden boards and create some additional storage space. Now, you have a place to put some boxes of belongings, old items that you don’t need every day, and so on. It opens up your home by removing a lot of your clutter! This is a task you can either pay someone to do or do it yourself. Either way, it’s a lifelong investment as you’ve basically just provided your home with an extra storage room.

Investments To Make In Your Home: Energy-efficient windows

Lastly, invest in some energy-efficient windows for your home. This includes both the glass panes and all the fittings. It’s a crucial investment as it helps you save more money on your energy bills every month. You’ll also feel a lot warmer in the colder months.

Additionally, energy-efficient windows are designed to be very thick and durable. So, they add an extra element of security to your home as well. There’s less chance of something or someone breaking a window when it’s made to be durable. With dual benefits, it’s easy to see why this is a worthwhile investment for every homeowner.

Investing in your home is all about choosing things that will benefit you both now and in the future. All three of these ideas will do just that. For me, these are things that every homeowner should invest in at some point. If you’ve moved into an old house, then you might need to invest in all three right away. In a brand new house, you should have the first and last ideas ticked already. In which case, the second one is all you have left to invest in.