Cost-Effective Energy Efficiency Measures | Glaze & Save
You don’t need to
spend a fortune to make your home more energy efficient. Low cost soft options
can often give you an idea of what the baseline energy consumption of your
property is, and therefore better inform what more long term and high value
measures you should install. But don’t forget, one of the best ways to save
energy is to change your behavior! You can easily save 20% off your utility
bills and stay warm by becoming intimate with your home, understanding your
appliances, heating controls and what impact usage has on costs. Our CEO Tanya
is passionate about informing and educating consumers on low cost energy
efficient home improvements that we can all enjoy.
1. LED Lightbulbs
Traditional incandescent bulbs have been phased out under EU regulations, and energy saving light bulbs are now used in homes throughout Europe. For a slightly higher initial outlay, you’ll see the benefit of reduced energy costs and lightbulbs that can last up to ten years! It’s important to think lumens, not watts. The higher the lumens the brighter the bulb: a good rule of thumb is that for a 100 watt incandescent bulb should be replaced with a bulb of 1600 lumens.
2. Energy Monitors
Energy monitors and in-home displays can give you a real time understanding of how much energy you are using, and sometimes even where that energy is being used. This can help you get to grips with how much each of your appliances is actually costing you, and help you to make more detailed savings. Tanya started her energy efficiency journey by inventing the Ewgeco (now Netthings) monitor, and know the importance of accurate energy monitoring. As she often says “you wouldn’t go shopping in a supermarket without knowing how much the eggs, cheese, bread etc costs you: so why don’t we know how much our toasters, laptops and kettles cost us!”
3. Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats allow you to programme your heating remotely using your smartphone or PC. Not only does this allow you to monitor your energy usage but it also give you complete control over your eating. Going to be an hour late from work? You can set your heating to come on later. Day turned out sunnier than you thought? Turn your heating timer off from the comfort of your car.
4. Chimney Sheep
A chimney sheep is a wooly draught excluder that can easily be inserted into your chimney to block out those annoying gusts of air. They are environmentally friendly and suitable for most chimneys.
5. Chimney Balloons
Similar to chimney sheep is a chimney balloon, used for eradicating draughts that come from chimneys. Chimney balloons are equally easy to install and remove and allow for some ventilation while keeping draughts at bay.
6. Radiator Foils
Cheap, cheerful and simple to apply, radiator foils are a simple addition to your workplace that can travel with you to subsequent premises. Using radiator foils can reflect up to 95% of heat that would otherwise absorbed by the wall.
7. Thermal wallpaper
Thermal wallpaper is a thick insulating wallcovering that ensures that more of the startup heat is trapped inside a room rather than being sucked out through cold walls or ceilings, reducing warm up times significantly.
8. Wooden Floor Fillers
Precious heat can easily escape through gaps between floorboards, leading to chilly rooms and higher heating costs. Even in rooms with carpet and underlay, gaps between the skirting board and the floorboard can allow significant heat to be lost. Filling the gaps between floorboards and skirting boards with specialist products, draught proofing strips, or even papier - mâché can reduce cold draughts coming up thought the floorboards and improve the comfort and thermal efficiency of your home.
