Energy-saving features in your home are good for the environment, will help you save money on your bills and will add value to your home when the time comes to sell.
If you are making changes to your home by decorating or renovating, there are some things you can do to improve the energy efficiency of your home, lower your bills, reduce energy waste, and add value.
LED Lighting
We are living in an age where there are many options available to make your lighting more environmentally friendly. By using dimmers, timers, and intelligent lighting systems, you can easily adjust the brightness, so you aren’t wasting energy on using a wattage that’s too high. You’ll save money on your electricity bill as LED lightbulbs use 90% less energy than their more-traditional counterparts. Try to replace your bulbs with LED where you can and consider using WiFi-enabled bulbs so that you can put them on a timer and operate them from your mobile device.
Insulation
It is sensible to take an ‘insulation first’ approach to make your home more energy efficient and will enable you to gain the maximum benefits of your heating system. By insulating your property effectively, you can keep the heat you generate in the home rather than escaping through the windows, roof or walls. The less heat that escapes, the less you need to generate. An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) will have specific recommendations for your property regarding insulation, so it’s essential to be aware of this when you purchase a new home.
Renewable Energy
One way to help Scotland reach net zero and to have a sustainable system in your home is to consider renewable energy by way of a heat pump, solar panels or biomass boiler. Each has its own benefits and drawback.
If you are worried about the cost, there are schemes available to first improve your insulation and then provide a grant to cover much of the cost. And with interest-free arrangements available, you could find that your savings make up for your repayments.
An air source heat pump or ground source heat pump absorbs heat from the air or ground to heat your home, even when it’s cold outside. It requires space to install a unit outside your home and will cut your energy bill by around 30% to 40%. If you have an energy-efficient boiler, you can also consider a hybrid system whereby it uses both systems depending on, according to the Grid, when the prices are cheapest.
Whereas an air source heat pump uses the air outside, a ground source heat pump uses pipes buried in your garden to extract heat. One drawback is that you’ll need lots of outside space where you can dig a trench.
Solar
Solar water heating systems are also known as solar thermal and uses heat from the sun collected by panels on your roof. You will need about five square metres in a sunny position and additional space for a large hot water cylinder.
Biomass
Biomass systems burn wood pellets, chips or logs. Although this does mean you are emitting carbon dioxide, it is at a much lower level than coal or oil, provided the fuel is sourced locally. Biomass is a sustainable option as long as new plants continue to grow in place of those used for fuel. You will need space for the wood boiler and storage for the fuel.
