Williams Hedge Estate Agents

Keeping Your Home Warm

We encourage property owners to take advantage of the simple solutions currently on the market that can help properties retain heat and save on energy costs.
By carefully assessing your home and taking practical steps to conserve energy, you will save money and guarantee a comfortable winter! For those looking to make these improvements, we have the following top tips:

• Cavity-wall insulation – Although this involves a rather noisy installation process, the benefits can be felt instantly. Insulating your walls harnesses the heat generated in the home meaning substantial savings on your energy bills. [A specialist installer should always be sought for this type of job so ensure you choose a member that is Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA) qualified].
  
• Draught-Stripping – Installing specialist stripes of foam around windows and doors will significantly reduce draughts and air permeation in your home, helping to retain the heat and ultimately saving you money. [Costing around £50-£80 depending on whether you install it yourself or not, draught-stripping can save up to £20 per year for a gas-heated semi-detached house].
  
• Replacing your boiler – Replacing your old boiler with a new one can certainly help to reduce emissions and reduce your bills at the same time. Although the boiler scrappage scheme has now come to an end, trade-in incentives are still available for this kind of purchase. It is worth checking out the funding database on the Energy Saving Trust site for specific details on what is out there: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/
  
• Loft Insulation – This well-established efficiency measure offers a cheap and easy way to top up insulation already installed. Boosting the thickness of the insulation to between 250 and 300 mm thickness is recommended for optimum efficiency.
  
• Pipe Cladding – Ensuring an external pipes are well insulated minimises additional heat loss and can reduce the risk of freezing if a property is left unoccupied during a cold period.
  
• Move furniture away from radiators – This can increase the feeling of warmth in a room by allowing the heat to flow more freely. Place foil behind radiators on exterior walls to reflect the heat back in to the room and minimise heat loss to the outside. You can use ordinary foil or purchase specially designed panels from a DIY shop.
  
• Replace windows and doors with double glazing – This can improve the aesthetics and saleability of your home, as well as save energy. However, it can be costly and the money you will save on subsequent energy bills is unlikely to cover the outlay. If you are worried about heat loss through windows, a cheaper option is secondary double glazing or using rubber draft stripping which is available in DIY shops and can also be used on doors.