Energy Saving Measures for Your Family Home ♥

More people around the country are waking up and needing to defrost their cars and vehicles this morning as we move firmly into the winter season and with snow already touching the ground in Europe, could we be in for a white Christmas this year? As the temperatures have started to drop, no doubt you’ve dug out the winter coats, with bonus forgotten loose change from last year and set your home thermostats to a cosier minimum. Although some family homes will be holding off touching that dial just yet, instead opting for extra layers and heavy blankets to save a little bit of money on their rising heating bills.

To combat the low temperatures and keep your energy bills on the more reasonable side, here are some fantastic energy saving tips for your family home this winter;

Close All Sources of Drafts
Draught-excluders are a common household accessory, laying across the front door in order to prevent chilly breezes sneaking their way in, however, there are plenty more sources of cold air that get into your home that can be sealed to keep the pricey warmth in.

If you have a chimney that you don’t use regularly, consider a chimney balloon or heat saver fireplace shield, both of which can be easily installed and removed for fire use. Alternatively, you can have your chimney capped, should you wish not to use it at all and prevent warm air escaping up the chute.
Your letterbox is another, often missed, culprit of heat loss and can be easily sealed with a cost-effective draught-excluder attachment that prevents heat from getting out and cold air blowing in. Make sure to check around wall sockets, loft hatches, windows and external fed cables as well, over time these fixtures can become looser and holes become wider and stop preventing heat loss, although some caulk or wall filler can make quick work of these gaps.

If your windows are particularly old (pre-1970s) or you still have single glazing, it might be worth investing in new double glazed windows which have been proven to contribute to energy saving in your home. A survey was done by Which? found that incredibly, up to 44% of people saw a 40% reduction on their energy bills after the installation of their double glazing, not to mention their homes were warmer and they had less interference from external noise. With many styles of windows to choose from including French windows and flush casement windows, check out http://www.customchoicewindows.com/ for more information on upgrading your windows today.

Considerable Bathroom Use
You might be wondering how changing the way you use your bathroom can help save on your energy bills but there are a lot of homes that tend to leave their extraction fan running for much longer than necessary and then leave the bathroom door open, which can quickly deplete your home of all warmth and take a while to warm up again. Consider keeping a spare towel in the bathroom to dry walls, mirrors and shower screen doors so the extractor fan doesn’t need to be used for as long, this can also help prevent issues such as mould that is caused from condensation build ups.

Got an old-fashioned shower? Consider upgrading to an energy efficient aerator shower head, not only will you save money on your water bills by using up to 50% less water than the standard equivalent, but you’ll save on the energy required to heat your shower water. Want to save even more in the shower? Turn the water temperature down a degree or two, not only will you feel more refreshed from a cooler shower, you’ll likely want to stay in for less time!

Go Smart, Let Your Home Do the Work
Smart appliances have been around for a few years now and as they develop and become simpler to use and more cost-effective, they are slowly making their way into more family homes. Particularly with the advent and free installation of new smart meters from the government and energy companies, allowing you to watch your energy costs in real time and make active changes to your lifestyle.

In addition, you have smart thermostats, like those from Nest and Hive, which learn your routine and can adjust your home’s temperatures as per your schedule or using geo-location and your smartphone, even start warming your home before you arrive.

Paired with other smart appliances like Philips bulbs which can be set-up to only turn on when required or using a Wi-Fi connection, smart plugs that can be controlled via an app over Wi-Fi and USB EcoButtons which, when pressed, put your computer into a low-energy saving state until you are ready to use it again.

These energy saving methods and small lifestyle changes can make huge contributions to your energy bills and help keep your home well-lit and warm, in some cases, without you needing to raise a finger!