Five tips on keeping a more energy efficient home - you could save hundreds of pounds!
With reminders to be more energy conscious regularly issued to us, it’s no surprise new laws and regulations have been implemented to ensure rented properties meet a minimum energy efficiency standard.
In case you missed it, from 1st April 2018 it became a legal requirement for all rented properties to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with at least an ‘E’ rating. This means new tenancies cannot be granted on properties rated ‘F’ or ‘G’ (the lowest ratings), effectively forcing landlords into carrying out improvement work if they wish to continue letting their house or flat.
So, we thought there’s no better time to issue a few helpful tips on how you can be more energy conscious around your home:
LED Lighting
Old, traditional incandescent bulbs are proven to be only 10% energy efficient because they mostly produce just heat, so more and more people are changing to LED bulbs. They emit the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb but at a fraction of the energy required.
With the replacement of bulbs being a tenant’s responsibility, it certainly wouldn’t harm to prompt any tenants you have to always buy LED bulbs.
Smart meters
Smart meters are slowly being rolled out across the country by energy providers. They show you exactly how much energy you’re using and how much it’s going to cost you, so they’re a very handy prompt to turn off light switches or cope with having the home a degree or so cooler.
Most energy providers will switch you to a smart meter completely free of charge. If they don’t, consider switching to another company!
Water-efficient showerheads
On average, a person will spend 8 minutes in the shower. Doesn’t sound long, does it? But 60 litres of water will be used in that time, which is a lot!
If your hot water comes from a tank or boiler (rather than an electric shower), consider installing a water-efficient shower head, which can halve the amount of water used when showering. They work by restricting the amount of water allowed to flow through them. What’s more, you’ll barely notice a difference to your overall washing experience!
Energy-efficient appliances
Not many people know this, but every appliance is rated between G (lowest) and A+++ (highest) for its energy efficiency. The better the rating, the more money you’ll save on running it; and while buying new appliances is of course costly, you could save hundreds of pounds every year.
Install a condensing boiler
It’s been a legal requirement for all new gas-fired boilers fitted since April 2005 to be condensing boilers. They recover some of the heat usually lost from the waste gases they give off and cool/condense them back into a liquid known as condensate, which is then used to slightly warm up the cool water that returns from the radiators as it enters the boiler.
Fitting a new boiler can be an expensive initial outlay, but good condensing models can achieve energy efficiency over 90% and the savings you make over the years will eventually outweigh its price.
If you'd like more information about energy efficiency, or if you're looking to buy, sell, rent, or let out a property, get in touch with the team at CPS Homes estate and letting agents today. Call us on 02920 668585, email: enquiries@cpshomes.co.uk, or pop into one of our three Cardiff branches.
