Saving money on your home energy bills is nowhere near as challenging as some people make out. When you take a look around your house, you can quickly identify the biggest energy guzzlers. That’s a term I use to describe the main aspects of your property that make you lose the most amount of energy!
Identifying these things is the first step to saving money and living in a more comfortable home. Once you’re aware of what’s depleting your energy, you can make moves to stop it from happening any longer. Then, the next time you receive your energy bill, you will see some incredible savings.
What are the biggest causes of energy loss in your home? It can vary slightly from house to house, but these are the main problem areas:
Windows
Windows let so much heat escape through them all the time. They’re on this list because energy can leave your house due to a variety of window problems. The first issue is a window that’s not installed correctly or has some sealant coming loose. Here, you have gaps appearing around the windows that let drafts of air through. Coldness comes in, heat goes out – it’s a recipe for disaster. You need to turn the heating up higher to accommodate for the lost heat, and energy gets used up.
The second issue is to do with the type of windows in your home. Hopefully, you’re all rocking double-glazed windows. If not, then this might be the problem. Single-glazing is too thin, allowing too much heat to escape. As you can see on www.phoenixwindowsdoors.com, you can buy and install energy-efficient windows with thicker glazing to trap as much heat as possible inside your home. If your windows are outdated, then this is essential to conserve energy and lower your bills.
Doors
Doors are almost the same as windows, though they’re generally not as bad. This is because doors are made of thicker substances that can trap heat in your house better than windows. The main issue with doors is around the sides. There can sometimes be little gaps that let air into your house, causing drafts. Luckily, you can sort this out without needing to do anything dramatic. Get yourself some draft blockers that fit under the doors and around the sides to stop air from coming into your home from outside, and to stop any heat from trying to escape.
Another good thing about doors is that you’ll probably only have two to worry about – the front and the back doors. Sometimes, letterboxes may be a problem as well. If you feel like your door keeps losing heat through the letterbox, then maybe get a new door and have a postbox outside for all of your mail.
Attics
If you have an attic (or loft, depending on where you’re from), then this can definitely be a cause of energy loss. Attics should be insulated, but this insulation can wear thin over time and become defunct. Also, heat travels upwards. There’s no way of changing this, which means a lot of heat goes into the attic and escapes through your roof.
With that in mind, what can you do to stop this? For me, the first step is improving the insulation in your attic/loft. This will make a considerable difference on its own, but you should also look at your roof. Check for any signs of cracks or holes that may let more heat escape. It could even be beneficial to invest in an entirely new roof to keep your home more eco-friendly and energy-efficient. Yes, this is a big step, but it can help you save so much money over the course of time.
Lights
Don’t forget that electricity is also a form of energy! When people talk about saving money on their energy bills, they always go on about how to reduce your heating costs. I can understand the reasoning behind this – heck, I’ve pretty much done it in this article up to now! Heating costs tend to be a lot higher than electrical ones, but that doesn’t mean you should neglect your electricity-usage.
So, where do your lights come into play? Leaving lights on in your home will waste so much energy. It’s a complete and utter waste of your money as you don’t see any benefits from having them on at all. For example, if you leave a light on when you go out, then nobody gains anything from this. It’s totally pointless – and it can be on for hours! Make sure you turn off all your lights before leaving your house and avoid turning them on unless absolutely necessary. It’s also worth getting smart lightbulbs that you can turn off when you’re out of the house. This stops you from accidentally leaving them on all day long while you’re at work.
People!
Yes, that’s correct! People are probably the leading cause of energy loss in your home. There are a couple of ways in which you’re guilty of wasting energy. We’ve mentioned one already in the point above, and it holds true for loads of other electrical things in your house. You and your kids will leave appliances and devices on when they’re not in use. With the exception of your fridge, every other electrical thing in your house can be turned off if you’re not using it!!
Secondly, the way you dress can cause energy loss at home. This sounds bizarre, but hear me out. If you’re prancing around in shorts and t-shirts during the winter, then you’re obviously going to be cold. As such, you turn the heating on and consume energy. Instead, add on some extra layers of clothing before turning to your central heating system. You’ll be stunned at how much energy you save by simply dressing appropriately for the seasons.
Right, that’s step one taken care of; you know the biggest causes of energy loss in your home. Now, move onto step two; prevent these things from wasting your energy! As a result, you can save money every month on your household energy bills.
