What you can do to be more Energy Efficient in 2019
One of the best ways to reduce expenses in your home is to become more energy efficient. It can be difficult to determine the ways you can save energy and reduce your consumption. On the surface, you might become more conscious about what is being used around you. Lights may be left off, the kettle may not be filled to its max, you may not have as many baths.
Fortunately, there are easier ways to figure out what you can do to help the environment. You could find yourself a useful blog post (like this one!). You may look into what electronics have the lowest effect on your energy bill. Or, you could get in touch with EPC London to get an Energy Performance Certificate.
Energy Performance Certificates
Energy Performance Certificates are used in outlining the energy performance of a building with a rating from A-G. The higher your energy rating, the higher the score on the A-G chart (A being the best, G being the worst). EPCs comes with a recommendation report that gives information on affordable ways you can enhance your energy rating. Before a building in the UK can be put on the market for sale or lease, an EPC will be required. If a homeowner gets an energy rating of A, the value of the home will be increased.
Purchase Solar Products
The sun powers everything. It provides us with vitamin D and gives all nature of life the energy it needs to grow and survive. It also emits, however, electromagnetic energy. This can be incredibly useful in your home. Electromagnetic energy can be optimised upon through the use of solar panels.
Your energy rating will instantly be improved upon after using solar panels. They also provide a greatly reduced energy bill at the end of the month. Quite often, you will find the suggestion of solar panels on your energy recommendation report after an EPC rating.
Start Planting Trees
An enormous change always starts with small steps. By planting trees and other plants across your garden and land, you’re actively taking part in making your home and environment greener. You might find that these trees have positive impacts upon your life. By being outside, you’ll be more active and harbouring the benefits of more oxygen. Research done at the Auburn University has revealed that growing trees in your compound can save energy costs by up to 11% if 17% of your compound is in the shade of a tree. By reducing the heat in your home and cutting the use of your fans, you can save money and be more energy efficient. Trees on your compound can also increase the value of your home.
Pay More Attention to Your Lights
Make sure to always switch off the lights in a room anytime you leave that room. You also have to double check your electricity outlets once you’re leaving your home for an extended period of time to ensure that energy is not being used while you’re out.
While you’re at home, you can decide to save energy and let the sunlight in. At night, you can make use of reading lamps to further save energy. If you have an incandescent lamp fixture at home you can replace your old bulbs with LEDs. It’s been estimated that using LEDs instead of lights globes can cut four-fifths of your electricity costs. If you’re bothered about the price of installing the LEDs in your home, you can use Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) instead.
Use Less Heat While Washing
While you’re operating your washing machine, you can set it to use cold water to wash your clothes. If you’re opposed to using cold water, you can set the machine to use the lowest amount of heat. The more heat your washing machine uses, the more energy is being used. Make use of your washing machine only when all your clothes are dirty. The machine doesn’t necessarily use more energy when more clothes are being washed.
If the clothes you’re washing aren’t exactly dirty, you can bypass the pre-wash cycle. Doing this will reduce the use of hot water by 20%. Cleaning the lint filter from time to time can also help reduce the energy your washing machine uses.
Make Use of a Smart Thermostat
With your mobile phone, you can make use of your smart thermostat to control the heat in your home. Smart thermostats are used to check how you use heat in your house, and can even recommend the exact period best to switch on your heat so you can save energy. They can also be used to automatically determine your proximity to home to switch on/off your heat.
To be energy efficient means to totally change a lot of things that you’re used to. You can check the amount of energy a new appliance might use, reduce the use of your electrical appliances at home, and turn your TV off of standby mode. In the long run, you will save a lot of money by doing this. Of course, by contacting one of our EPC offices, you will get all of this information in a recommendation report.
