Improving How Energy Efficient Your House is

When you look at your energy bills, do they give you a shock and make you want to run and hide? Ever-increasing energy costs and inefficient appliances can make your house feel like a money pit. Ensuring that your house is as energy efficient as possible is beneficial to you for many reasons. One of these reasons being an energy-efficient house will save you money, and another reason being an energy-efficient house will increase in value. So, now you know just how important an energy-efficient house is, what should you be doing to make a difference, and what areas should you focus on first?

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The Roof and the Attic

A lot of energy and wasted heat seeps through your roof and attic space, and this is something that is preventable. Having a new roof or replacing broken roof shingles with new ones can stop heat from leaking out of your roof or attic space. Of course, roofing repairs and replacement roofs must be done properly, or else the whole exercise will prove to be counterproductive. Getting in professional roofers like those based in clayton roofing will ensure that you can get roofing work done promptly and efficiently, which is ultimately what you want as the longer it takes to fix roofing problems, the more money it is likely to cost.

Windows and Doors Are Important

Doors and windows that are old are not energy efficient. Windows and doors that are older and that are made out of wood, timber, or aluminum are even worse. You can lose a lot of energy through poorly fitted windows and doors and through units that are perhaps just single glazed. The only way to make your units more energy efficient is to totally replace them or upgrade them. Upgrading them will probably end up costing you just as much as new units, so unless they feature intricate stained glass or artwork, you are most likely better off focusing on replacing old windows with new ones.

Insulation Matters

A cool home in summer and a warm home in winter is what everyone wants, but a poorly insulated house will make this very hard to achieve. If walls and cavities are poorly insulated, then in summer, when it is too hot, you will have to run the air-con lots just to get rooms cool enough, which is not energy efficient. Likewise, in winter, you will find yourself running the heating constantly just to maintain a warm and comfortable temperature. Getting walls, cavities’ and attic spaces correctly insulated will ensure that rooms and spaces can be better regulated, which means excess energy is not required.

Everyday Appliances Count

As well as focusing on and improving the larger areas within your house, why not take a step back and look at the smaller everyday appliances and objects? For example, what lightbulbs are you using? Are you using energy-efficient lightbulbs, or are the bulbs you are using sapping energy. Similarly, are the appliances you need, such as your fridge, freezer, and washing machine, as efficient as they can be, or are they draining energy? The small items do add up, and they do count, so do not discount them when looking at improving your home’s energy usage and efficiency.

Check out: How to Sell your House without an Estate Agent