As a homeowner, improving energy efficiency and saving money on bills is paramount. Window specialists Ventrolla gives its top tips for saving money on your energy bills without changing the appearance or character of a period property

The Resident:

1 Turn your heating down just slightly

Many households have their central heating set higher than they need it, without even realising it. Try turning your room thermostat down by one degree. Leave it for a day and if you still feel warm enough, try turning it down another degree. Carry on until it feels a bit too cool and then turn it back up one degree.
Every degree that you turn it down could save you around £65 a year on your heating bill.

2 Turn everything off

Make sure you turn your lights, appliances and chargers off when you’re not using them. If you turn a light off for even a few seconds, you will save more energy than it takes the light to start up again, no matter what sort of lights you have. And, nearly all electrical and electronic appliances can safely be turned off at the plug without upsetting their systems – the only exceptions are satellite and digital TV recorders which should be left plugged in so they can keep track of any programmes you want to record – but check the instructions on any appliances you aren’t sure about.

A family could save between £50 and £90 a year just by remembering to turn things off, if they don’t already do this.

3 Careful in the kitchen

You can save another £40 a year just by being careful how to use your kitchen appliances. Set your washing machine to wash at 30 °C, only use your tumble dryer when you can’t dry your clothes outside, and don’t fill your kettle right up every time – just boil the amount of water you need.

4 Save water
If you’ve got a shower that takes hot water straight from your boiler or hot water tank (rather than an electric shower) then you may be able to fit a water-efficient shower head and cut your hot water use without noticing any difference when you shower.

A shower head will cost around £27 and a family of four will save around £75 a year on heating water, and another £90 on water bills if they have a water meter.

5 Make your hot water cylinder energy efficient

If you have an uninsulated hot water cylinder, you could start saving now by fitting a tank jacket. And while you’re about it, insulate any exposed hot pipework around the cylinder and around the boiler.

It’s easy to fit yourself, the materials for the whole lot will only cost you around £25 and you’ll save £60 a year.

6 Block out draughts

Unless your home is very new, you’re likely to be losing some heat through draughts around doors and windows, gaps around the floor, maybe up a chimney or two, and a whole host of other little holes around the house. So why not buy some proper draught-proofing for the doors and windows, seal your skirting boards with silicone sealant, and fit chimney draught excluder or sealed fire guards?

Depending on your house, materials could cost up to £160 but you could save up to £75 a year so they’ll pay for themselves in less than two years.

7 Invest in your windows

Ventrolla windows has a tailored range of period window solutions including window renovation and energy improvement measures, designed to enhance the beauty of your home and ensure it is as efficient as possible. You don’t need to buy completely new windows, existing timber windows can be treated to remove any rot and improve overall appearance and operation. Alternatively, Secondary Glazing can be fitted to improve insulation, save you money on your heating bills and reduce noise pollution, while Slim Double Glazing sees replacement double-glazed sashes, which are designed and hand-crafted using traditional carpentry methods, conserve energy efficiently and are in keeping with the look of a period home.

8 Change your light bulbs

Have you changed all your light bulbs for low-energy ones? Even the halogen spots? You can now get LED spotlights that are bright enough to replace halogens, as well as regularly energy saving bulbs for pretty much everything else. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and fittings. Look for the Energy Saving Trust Recommended logo to be assured of light quality and lifetime.

If the average household replaced all their remaining old-fashioned bulbs, it would cost around £125 and save around £60 each year.

For a FREE no-obligation survey and quotation call Freephone 0800 0277 454 or email info@ventrolla.co.uk. For more information, visit ventrolla.co.uk

Source: Energy Saving Trust, August 2013.

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