Long term journey to saving energy – A rate your whole home.

Energy saving is at the front of everyone’s mind and with more price increases forecast preparing your home is the best plan of attack. We understand that doing everything all in one go is impossible so if you have a budget see our other blog however a great long term plan is the best solution and as always the prices quoted below are dependent on the size of your home.

Year 1 – Start small

• Change all halogen lighting to LED or CFL (£10 to 30) annual saving approx. £50-70
• Roof insulation (If it’s 150mm or more, leave for now)
• Efficient boiler of at least 90%, condensing type
• Good thermostat heating controls
• Water saving shower head and tap flow restrictors.
• Get a pulley clothes dryer
• Fit radiator reflectors
• Insulation your hot water & heating pipes in cold parts of the house like lofts and garages
• Monitor your electricity usage with smart meters and plug in energy monitors

Year 2

• Solar panels, to make it cost effective you should consider at least 3kw, maybe 4-5kw for good battery storage charging later
• Windows – are yours double glazed? Low E? Consider changing

Year 3

• Roof insulation upgrading to at least 270mm thick, save extra £40-100/year
• Walls – Solid walls? Empty Cavities? Consider cavity wall insulation
• Doors – Consider UPVC which contain insulation

Year 4

• Floor Insulation
• Initial battery storage, around 4-6 Kw hrs – some energy suppliers offer off peak rates – batteries can be charged overnight to provide additional power during day when you may have a higher price

Year 5

• Battery storage consider upgrading to 8-10kw hrs.

For more details, also see our self-assessment energy saving page