When selling your home, it seems you must think of everything from property photography services to ways to save energy, This article will show you five easy ways to save energy and money in your home with some low-cost kits that you can purchase at your local hardware store. You can easily get them for under £20 by searching online.
Water-Saving Showerheads
Many people think that taking a shower is more efficient than a bath. But this isn’t the case always. High-volume showers use more water than a bathtub. If you are using an electric shower, this will not affect you because these showers are configured to only heat the water you need. But if your shower draws hot water straight from the hot water tank or boiler, you should fit a special water-efficient showerhead to save energy. This will help save at least £70 a year on gas and £115 a year on utility bills.
Low-Voltage LED Light Bulbs
One of the quickest and easiest ways of saving energy is to change your
light bulbs to low-voltage LED bulbs. Most of these bulbs are available in the local supermarket. LED bulbs have become more advanced over the years and are as bright as the standard light bulb right now. In fact, LED lights use at least 90% less energy compared to halogen bulbs and last at least 50 times longer. You can save up to £35 a year with this change.
Change Your Regular Extension Cables to Smart Power Strips
Extension cables are used to power numerous devices in your home. You can instead opt for smart power strips that are designed to turn all your standby devices off in one go. You can event purchase smart power strips with timers to switch off the devices while you are sleeping. A basic model of a smart power strip cost only £15 and will make sure that your standby devices are not draining energy, as well as cash, when not in use.
Seal the Gaps around Your Windows and Doors
Even though newly built homes are well draught-proof, old buildings are prone to draught issues. If you feel the chill, you are losing heat and money at the same time. Check for any gaps around the doors and windows in your home. Even though professional draught-proofing can be quite expensive, you can use self-adhesive metal, foam, or plastic strips to cover these gaps between the doors and windows in your home. Silicone sealants are ideal for smaller draughts. Other effective solutions include letterbox flaps, keyhole covers, as well as flexible silicone fillers, between pipework and floorboards. All these items can be easily found in shops like B&Q. You may also check online for these products.
Insulate the Attic and Eaves
The first place to start is to block off draught around the loft hatch.
Low-cost strip insulation is ideal for this – just like you would on a sealant or a door. Check with your local hardware store for these items, and you can buy them easily. You shouldn’t forget to insulate the loft, flat roof, or attic too. The process has been effectively used for over 40 years. You can use do-it-yourself techniques rather than calling a professional to insulate these places. It will pay for itself many times over because you have to spend only for the rolls that are around £20 each. In fact, you can perform the necessary work in stages if you want to save money in the process. You can also apply for a grant from the government. No matter how you choose to do it, you can easily save up to £250 a year on your utility bills.