Energy Saving New Year’s Resolutions

It’s a brand-new year which means you can put your best foot forward with some New Year’s resolutions. Our EPC London team are keen to recommend saving energy at home. Choosing an energy saving resolution can be fantastic for two reasons: lowering your energy usage will lessen your contribution towards polluting the planet, and at the same time you will save money at home! What’s not to like?

If you’re thinking about being eco-friendlier in 2020, the first thing you need to know is how energy efficient your home is. Organising a domestic energy performance certificate is the first step. Read on for more ideas on how to save energy, save money, and save the planet!

Get a domestic EPC

You need an energy performance certificate (EPC) by law if you plan to rent or sell your home. As they last for 10 years, it’s a good idea to get one now and see how energy efficient your home is even if you’re not planning to move.

The EPC assessor will visit your home, conduct a brief green energy survey, and issue a certificate. It will show your energy-efficient ranking, from A to G, with A being the most desirable. Your ranking is dependent on the amount of energy used per square foot and the level of CO2 emissions. The report also gives suggestions for how you can make improvements to be more energy-efficient and shows how much that would save you each year. It’s a really informative way to learn the facts about your home and helps prioritise what home improvements could be worthwhile investing in.

A domestic EPC is incredibly cost effective with prices ranging according to the size of your property. Hopefully, the information provided will help you save far more than the cost of the EPC, making it a smart way to start your new year.

Upgrade to solar

Changing from fossil fuels (gas, coal, petrol etc.) to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power is part of the UK’s commitment to reaching NetZero greenhouse emissions by 2050. For your home, installing solar panels is usually a more feasible option than owning your own wind turbine.

The cost of installing solar panels is now 70% cheaper than previous years. Installing eight 2.0 kW solar panels on a semi-detached home will cost around £3800 and save on average £214 per year on energy bills. In 17 years, the solar panels would have paid for themselves! Alongside this, you’d be immediately benefitting the environment but reducing your CO2 usage. Installing solar panels is also seen as a tremendous home improvement, adding value to your property if you ever decide to sell.

With prices of solar panels coming down every year, it’s worth shopping around and getting the best value.

Watch your water meter

You water bill may not be your biggest concern, but using less water means there is more water in our rivers and estuaries, and it keeps the environment healthy. By reducing water usage, you also lower the cost of waste-water treatments and the energy required to treat, pump and heat it.

So, what small lifestyle changes can you make to save water and conserve fuel resources?

• Turn off taps rather than leaving them running as you brush your teeth or rinse dishes.

• Fix any leaks to dripping taps and toilets. A slow drip from a tap can waste up to 20 gallons of water a day and a running toilet tank can lose 200 gallons a day.

• On the same topic, install a dual flush or low-flow toilet. Older toilets use 6 gallons per flush while newer ones use just 1.28 to 1.6 gallons. 

• Re-use wastewater where you can. For example, when rinsing fruit and veg in a colander, catch the water in a bowl and use it to water houseplants. 

Just making these simple changes could easily halve the water you use, lowering your energy bills and the strain you are putting on the earth’s natural resources. There are plenty more ways to save energy.

By following these simple suggestions your new year is already shaping up to be energy-efficient, starting with that domestic EPC!