House heat loss means that a lot of the energy and money you are using to heat your home is wasted because of it escaping out of your home in one way or another.There are many products that help save money on heating or cooling your home and cut back on energy related costs [1]. In order to assist you in deciding which energy efficient products to choose when looking to save money on bills and lower your carbon footprint, here is some information about the products available.
If you have a fireplace in your home (an often overlooked source of heat loss) you are likely to be wasting as much energy as you would by keeping a window open. This means that you will be spending more on heating than you should. A chimney pillow is an inflatable airtight bag that is easy to install and remove and is tear resistant. It is a simple, cost-effective way to reduce heat loss and save energy by stopping chimney draughts. These are ideal because you don’t have to do anything with them and you can not see them once they are installed. They are around £19.
Boilers
It is important to have your boiler serviced regularly to ensure it is still running efficiently and that you are not wasting energy and money. There are a few ‘Hometeam’ care packages available which provide you with an annual service, unlimited calls out and a fixed price per repair. A popular package is from npower which is priced at £10.50 per month and if an engineer is called to come to your house, they will ring you in advance to let you know so you do not have to wait around all day.
Furthermore, if you are looking to buy a new boiler go for a condenser boiler as it is the most energy efficient boiler there is. Gas boilers installed before 1990 were typically 60% or less efficient whereas the new condensing boilers are around 90% efficient. By installing one of these you could potentially save more than 30% on your gas bills.
An air source heat pump works by extracting heat from the outside air and uses it to heat water or air in a building. These tend to be better than ground source heat pumps because they require less space to install without excavation. Furthermore, a typical air-source heat pump will generate less carbon emissions and cost less money to run than the best condensing boiler. This is because condensing boilers still depend on finite fossil fuels, whereas a heat pump uses heat extracted from the air outside and thus depends on renewable solar energy [2].
Air Conditioning
Air conditioning is becoming more common in homes and offices across the UK; however it consumes a lot of electricity. It is important when choosing your air conditioner that it is appropriate for the size of the room that needs cooling to avoid it having to work harder and costing you more money than necessary. Also make sure that the unit comes with a seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) of 13 or more as this shows that it is an efficient system. They may be slightly more expensive but more money on bills will be saved in the long run. Moreover, the filter should be changed regularly and make sure the thermostat is adjusted properly to keep it operating as efficiently as possible. The air conditioner condenser must also be kept near a shaded are away from other objects.
Low-E glass is a wonderful type of insulating glass which helps to keep homes warmer in winter and cooler in summer. In winter it works by allowing short wave radiation to pass through a window and heat the carpet and furniture and it reflects back long radiation that tries to escape from the room out the window. In summer, the low-E glass does not let the long wave pass through to heat the inside of the building.
Insulation
One of the best ways to save energy is by insulating you home with both loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. Both these methods are extremely cost effective and will lower the heat loss from where you live, as well as paying for themselves within a year based on the money saved on heating bills [1].
The majority of heat loss in homes occurs through the walls and the ceilings, so roof (or loft) insulation is a crucial part of an energy efficient building. If your attic is not well insulated, enormous amounts of heat can pass through your roof tiles very easily. By properly insulting your home you could save 15-20% on your heating bills. It is advisable to hire a professional to install insulation (though it can be done yourself) and often energy companies will subsidize the insulating material you buy. E.ON has a two for one offer on at the moment.
Blanket insulation (made from glass fibers) is sold in a range of thicknesses designed to fill the gaps between the roof joists. New homes in the UK should have insulation 270mm deep. Sheet insulation is more expensive and is used to insulate the underside of the roof rather than the attic floor. Brown fiber insulation is usually installed by a professional who blows fibrous pieces between the joists using a hose. However, it is not suitable for lofts which are being used for storage or habitation.
Cavity wall insulation has been built into homes that have been built in the last 10-15 years. However, they are also very easy and cheap to install in old homes. For example, a three bedroom semi-detached house, it would cost around £250 with a subsidy, or £500 without it. It is important to remember that even if this seems like a lot of money, you can expect to save £150-200 per year. It takes a couple hours to install and is not messy.
Underfloor Heating
Underfloor heating mats are available with different power ratings for different uses. For example, for primary heating a room you would need 200 Watts per square meter; but for comfortably heating a room you would need 150 Watts per square meter. You should expect to pay at least £30 per square meter for the heating system. The underfloor heating mat can be put under tiled floors and a carbon heating film is available for wooden or laminated flooring. It does not work under fitted carpets.
When buying a thermostat controller for underfloor heating it is best to get one that has temperature sensors in both the floor and the air in order to ensure the heating is controlled so that it keeps the room at the desired temperature at desired times of the day.
Combined Heat and Power
Combined heat and power or cogeneration offers a huge leap in efficiency (more than 85%) over standard electricity generation and heating systems (just 50-60%). Micro-CHP is the name often given to combined heat and power systems designed for use in domestic dwellings. They burn mains gas that generates both heat and power. Heat generated by the burning gas is converted into mechanical power which is then used to turn a turbine and produce electricity. This system is clever in that it will make all the hot water you require like a boiler, while also generating electricity.
Radiators
The Aladdin Auto Vent is designed to automate the bleeding of radiators. Radiators must be bled of cold air that becomes trapped in the central heating system to reduce the energy required to power the central heating and reduce the speed of corrosion inside the radiators that can make them noisy. It is a task that is often forgotten. The Aladdin Auto Vent automatically removes air and gas from radiators. You only need to fit a vent on one radiator in order for it to vent the whole system. They come in two sizes and they can be installed easily. The cartridge needs to be replaced every 3-5 years which is quick and non-messy. The Aladdin Auto Vent is priced at around £10.
A Radiator Booster (from “Dragon’s Den”) increases the efficiency of radiators by using energy efficient fans to suck heat from the radiator and distribute it into the room. It reduces the amount of energy wasted heating the wall and back of the radiator as it sends hot air directly into the room. It sits on top of your radiator, can be adjusted in length and it is quiet. Since the room heats up quicker the thermostat will turn off the boiler more quickly and so reduce gas/electricity consumption and save money. It also comes with a thermostat controller which means that you do not have to remember to turn it on or off as it will do this automatically according to the temperature.
[1] www.green-energysaving.com
[2] www.reuk.co.uk
