Energy Saving
DIY, Energy Saving
In today’s world where the economy is down and the costs of everything is up, there is hardly any way for us to save money. Housing costs have gone up, oil prices have sky rocketed and we are left to bear the costs of everyday living. Our homes are our sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. Even today, the costs of renovating our own homes or hiring contractors to do so are really expensive.
In this day and age, we have to be prepared to do things on our own. DIY (Do It Yourself) home improvements are on the rise today. You do not have to be too technically sound to carry out your own home improvements. Here at diy-improvements.com, you will find the best information on doing your own work and improvements at home.
Energy Saving
With DIY home improvements, you can also make energy saving improvements. With these, you can save a lot of money on power and lighting by changing a few things. Energy saving is big in the long run and savings can be anything from a couple of pounds to thousands down the line. From lighting fixtures and bulbs being changed to improving electricity consumption on larger electrical appliances in the house, DIY energy saving improvements can really help lighten the load on your pocket.
Energy saving is simply defined as efficiently using what electricity you have. Small improvements really go a long way. Not only is it beneficial for your pocket, it also is great for the world with Global Warming becoming more than a reality. With diy-improvements.com, you will find all the best information on DIY improvements and even energy saving.
Light Bulbs
All old style light bulbs are slowly being phased out and replaced with the energy saving variation. Why wait for this to come into effect when replacing them now can, on an average house, save you up to £35 a year.
Draught Proofing
There are many areas of the house that can be improved by draught proofing. Windows can be much more energy efficient when fitted with draught-proofing strips. These fill the gaps between the framework and the window. Doors can also be fitted with strip insulation and also can benefit from draught excluders and letter box flaps/brushes. Due to hot air rising, loft hatches can also be a very problematic area so fitting them with strip insulation like you would a door can go a great way to cutting heating costs.
Loft Insulation
With loft insulation installed you could be saving around £150* a year on your heating bills. Loft insulation materials are available from all good DIY stores and the cost of these can be recovered within 2 years just on your heating bill.
* Source: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk Feb 2009
Other Considerations
Although not usually considered DIY jobs unless you are very competent in the industry. Other Energy saving recommendations would be to replace your boiler, some new boilers run at 90% energy efficiency compared to 50% of some older boilers. Cavity wall insulation is essential for keeping the heat in and will also help save on your bills in the long run. Last but not least is double glazing, as with most of the other points above this helps insulate your home making it much more energy efficient.