How Energy Efficient Is Your Home |How To

According to recent surveys, the average UK household lists electricity and gas as their third largest expense on a monthly basis. Electricity and gas bills are steeply on the rise as energy companies hike up premiums. Quintessential and decidedly unavoidable, electricity and gas costs are eating out a huge chunk of our budgets.

 So how can the average household reduce their energy usage at home? Well before you rush out and spend a small fortune on solar panel installation among other things, there are ways that you can significantly cut back on excess energy usage first.


 Energy efficient appliances 

 Yes the older items like microwaves and dishwashers that have been handed down to you by Mum that she got with her first pay check tend to last forever and then some, without breaking, needing a service or even a whiff of a repair. However, their technology is so outdated that your trusty appliance could be literally eating energy. Try wherever possible to update your appliances and introduce some of the new technology. Washing machines, kettles, irons and that kind of thing all use less water, less electricity and use it more efficiently, although they might not last as long.

 Insulate your home 

 You could be spending a fortune on trying to heat your home, while all your expensive efforts are quite literally evaporating. Insulate your loft or if you are living in an older house have your cavity walls insulated against heat loss. You could save a whopping amount of money every year. And depending on where you live, you could qualify for free insulation - do a bit of research and find out what you are eligible for.

 Renewable energy systems

 As the cost of energy, gas and other energy sources continue to sky rocket, more and more people are starting to turn to solar photovoltaic installations and biomass heating. Solar PV is a relatively new concept made available to the domestic home. Home owners are able to invest in panels and the Feed in Tariff scheme, could in theory not only save you money, but earn your household money as well - for the extra kilowatts of energy your solar panels produce.

 There are number of plans available and it also extends to wind turbines as well as hydro electricity generation. Take great care not to get swept away in pushy sales schemes designed to get you to spend a small fortune under the basis of making loads of cash. There is no substitute for your own research, but the installation of solar PVs and other small turbines are definitely a path to choose to significantly reduce your energy bills over time.

 Visit Mr Renewables for help with reducing bills, as discussed by Keith Barrett. This article may be used by any website publisher, though this resource box must always be included in full.