Get your home winter ready with Energy Essentials

Get your home winter ready with Energy Essentials from Alsford!

 

With the days getting shorter and the nights getting longer the promise of cold weather looms ahead. News of rising energy costs may have you wondering what you can do to winter-ready your home without breaking the bank this year. Alsford have put together a selection of Energy Essential products that you can add to your home.  

Keeping your home warm starts with preventing the loss of the heat that you are generating. Draught-proofing is a practical way to keep the heat inside your home instead of allowing it to escape outside. Sealing gaps around doors and windows and adding barriers between window panes and your living spaces helps to trap the heat in the room, keeping you warm and keeping fuel costs down.

Lofts

It is estimated that at least 25% of heat lost from the home is lost through the loft area according to the Energy Saving Trust. Installing loft insulation is a foolproof way to ensure that less heat is lost through these spaces. Once loft insulation is correctly installed into the home it can reduce both heat loss and energy bills according to the Energy Saving Trust.

Windows

Checking for cracks and gaps where heat may be able to escape around your home and sealing them with water-based latex caulk or expanding foam is a quick way to lessen heat loss through the exterior walls.

Hot air from radiators is naturally drawn towards the cold glass of windows, when this glass is unprotected some hot air is able to escape your room. By covering your window with an acrylic sheet for glazing windows and covering your windows with insulative curtains or blinds Insulating roller blinds you can help to keep the heat in your room. By adding an inside barrier to your windows and doors your heat will be able to do what it is designed to do, keep you warm!

Hot Water

Insulating the units that heat you is an effective way to ensure that heat lasts longer once it is produced. A hot water tank insulator jacket allows the hot water being produced in your home to remain hot for longer. By preventing heat from leaving the tank the water will take less time and energy to be reheated when required. Similarly, once the water is heated and begins to move throughout your home heat can be lost without proper insulation on your pipes. Also, it’s paramount that all water pipes in uninsulated areas such as out of the building or the pipes above the insulation of your loft are Insulated to ensure they do not freeze and burst during the coldest months of the winter.

Radiators

Most homes in the UK rely on radiators to keep interiors warm in colder months. By adding a sheet of radiator reflector foil behind the radiators in your home you can also redirect the heat being produced back into your room and cut heat loss by up to 50% which is another excellent cost-saving initiative. Reflector foil is designed for use behind radiators on external walls as it helps to prevent loss of heat through the walls and does not need to be added behind radiators on interior walls. This will show the greatest result when used against uninsulated solid walls.

Water Consumption

The average UK household uses 25% of their average daily water consumption on showers according to the Energy Saving Trust. In addition to contributing to water bills, this also drives up the cost of your heating bills as the water is heated. Saving water by installing a water-saving shower head to reduce the amount of water used when you shower or adding a water butt to your garden to collect rainwater are practical ways to cut down on your overall water usage.

Making small changes to your living space can make a big difference to your energy prices. By getting your home ready you can feel secure in the knowledge you’re doing everything possible to insulate your home.