With average energy costs rising every year, it’s more important than ever to make sure your home is as efficient as possible in order to reduce wasted energy and keep your monthly bills to a minimum. The rising issues caused by climate change are also a major concern for many people which is why more and more homeowners are making changes to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
From installing high quality doors to cutting down on electricity usage, there are plenty of ways to keep costs down. We’ve put together a list of our top tips for reducing your energy bills and decreasing your carbon footprint.
Home energy saving tips
Switch off appliances
This may seem like an obvious point that has been promoted for years but there is still a huge amount of energy lost every year from appliances being left on. On average, up to 16% of household energy is used by electrical products such as TVs being left on standby mode.
This is essentially wasted energy which can substantially increase your monthly and annual electricity bills. The good news is there’s a very easy fix for this that doesn’t cost a penny. Remember to switch off appliances at the mains plug when they aren’t being used to reduce any wasted energy.
Use energy efficient doors
Lost heat is one of the most common causes of wasted energy in homes and can often result in much higher average bills. There are many ways to increase the thermal efficiency of your home and although doors are often overlooked, the type of internal and external doors you choose can have a big impact.
Up to 20% of heat in a house is lost through windows and external doors so when choosing doors for your home, it’s important to think about the type of materials they are made from. Doors made from higher quality materials will usually provide more insulation both externally and internally between rooms as they are thicker.
If you opt for a glazed external door, choosing Heritage Clear Double glass will help reduce heat loss and provide better insulation as the glass itself has a U value of 1.8. There are also a number of triple glazed external door designs that feature an encapsulated glass and therefore naturally provide an additional barrier against heat loss.
Properly fit your doors
Choosing high-quality, energy efficient doors is important but it’s just as important to ensure they’re properly fitted to avoid heat loss. If a door is poorly fitted and there are small gaps around the frame, it can cause draughts and result in heat loss.
Use high quality frames and properly fitted door linings to ensure a secure fit and reduce any spacings or gaps. At Doordeals, we offer optional nylon or rubber weather seals on external frames to stop draughts and improve energy efficiency.
Use energy saving gadgets
Thanks to new technologies and gadgets in the energy market, it’s now easier than ever to manage and monitor your home energy usage to see exactly how much you’re using on a daily basis. Using a smart meter will help you track your energy expenditure so you can see if there are certain times you’re using more energy.
Invest in draft excluders
If you’re fitting a new door or have moved into a property that has a poorly fitted door with gaps around the framing, draught excluders and seals can be an effective way to reduce heat loss and seal up any gaps. They are a much more cost-effective way of fixing draughts and can be easily installed reducing the need to install new framing or an entirely new door.
Insulate your home
Properly insulating your home is one of the most effective ways to reduce heat loss and increase its overall efficiency. Many houses, particularly older buildings lose a lot of heat through poorly insulated walls and roofs so investing in insulation can save you hundreds in energy bills over time. Any insulation projects should be done in conjunction with the other tips in this article to maximise efficiency.
Saving energy with Doordeals…
Hopefully these tips will give you some more ideas on how to save energy in your home so you can start to reduce your carbon footprint and save money by reducing your monthly bills. At Doordeals, we specialise in providing a range of high-quality internal and external doors, door frames, fixtures and draught excluders. Browse our full product range and start saving more energy in your home.