Is Your Home As Energy Efficient As You Think?

Is Your Home As Energy Efficient As You Think?

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We all like to think that our homes are energy efficient. Nobody will actively admit that they don’t have an energy-efficient home as it’s an admission that you don’t care for the environment

Nevertheless, your property could have a larger carbon footprint than you think. It’s not technically through any fault of your own; it’s just a case of being unaware of how much energy you use. So, how do you find out if your home is energy-efficient or not? Here are a few questions you can answer that will indicate if you’re saving energy or using too much:

What type of heating system do you have?

Do you use a typical radiator heating system throughout your property? If so, your house is not as energy efficient as it could be. Believe it or not, but underfloor heating has a much smaller carbon footprint. Hardly anyone is aware that the average cost of underfloor heating is less than radiator heating over your lifetime. True, the installation will cost more, but it costs less to run due to energy efficiency. Without getting too detailed, it stems from the way underfloor heating heats up your home. It distributes the heat a lot better than radiators, meaning you don’t need it to be turned on as often – or at as high a temperature. 

How thick are your windows?

There’s almost no excuse to have single-glazed windows in this day and age. It’s simply an outdated product that provides zero benefits. Single glazing is very thin, which means it costs less than double or triple glazing. That’s about the only reason you may have for keeping it! Realistically, it’s a very inefficient product for your property. The thicker the windows, the more energy you keep inside your home. Therefore, you can turn your heating system down a few degrees as your windows provide better insulation. This reduces your energy usage and makes you more energy efficient. As a bonus, thicker windows also make your property safer by preventing breaches. Anyone can smash a single-glazed window with ease, but a double-glazed one requires more effort. 

Do you have a smart thermostat?

Smart thermostats are revolutionary devices in the age of energy efficiency. Basically, they provide full details of your energy usage by showing you some precise figures. You see how much money you spend, and also what’s using up the most energy. From here, you can actively look to reduce your energy usage by following what’s on your smart thermostat. For example, it may tell you that your lights are using up loads of energy and shooting your bill through the roof. Now that you’re aware of this, you can switch to energy-saving bulbs or be more conscious of turning them off. Without a smart thermostat, you will never be energy efficient as you lack the knowledge to see what you’re doing wrong. Don’t just take my word for it; recent research suggests you can save up to 23% on your energy bills with a smart thermostat. In essence, this means you use 23% less energy!

Answer these questions to figure out how energy efficient your home really is. In an ideal world, you’ll use underfloor heating, have thick windows, and call upon a smart thermostat. If everyone followed this advice, the world would be in a much better place.

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
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