1. Home Energy Efficiency
Nev’s Money Saving Guide to...
I know my stuff
I’ve spent a lot of time working
on home energy efficiency; from
boilers to insulation, solar to
fuel switching, I’ve done the lot.
One of my old companies was
even the UK’s largest provider
of domestic energy surveys, so
I like to think I know what I’m
talking about. Plus, I absolutely
love saving money so make it
my business to find new ways
to save.
Government ‘help’
Of course nothing in life is simple and the government like to constantly
change grant schemes and energy policies. In my opinion this has been
to the detriment of both the industry and home owners. We’ve had
CERT, Warm Home Discount, ECO and Green Deal to name just a few.
These tend to be aimed at different people in different areas and require
different personal circumstances to access. This makes it harder for
homeowners to understand and apply for. Some schemes have been well
funded and promoted while other are badly funded and relied on the
industry to spread the word. The result has been schemes that have made
a real difference like CERT, while others such as the Green Deal have been
spectacular flops!
Do your research
While government policy may be confusing, what I can say is that making
your home more energy efficient will reduce your energy bills. It will
also create a more even temperature in your home and even helps the
environment! It is definitely worth doing your research and finding out
what funding help is on offer in your area; the Energy Saving Trust are a
great place to go to for help. www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
Cavity wall Insulation If you have a property with cavities that isn’t subject to
a lot of extreme weather (coastal properties), then cavity wall insulation could be
for you. Quite simply a specialist firm will come along and fill those cavities with a
modern damp proof insulation material. This will stop a 1/3 of the heat escaping
through the walls and keep cold out. A detached house could save up to £275 per
How to save

2. Get smart Let’s face it, we all waste energy. If we get smart
andstartsavingsmallamountsofenergy,savingswillfollow.So
how about switching devices from standby to off every night,
turning the thermostat down a notch, reducing the amount of
water you boil in the kettle, fitting draught excluders etc. etc.
I personally stopped singing in the shower and now I‘m out 5
minutes quicker! These simple things can easily save £100+ a
year and you can get the kids involved as well.
Fuel switching I’m still amazed at the number of people I meet who have never
switched energy supplier, often staying with one of the ‘big’ suppliers for decades.
It takes just minutes to compare different suppliers and is really easy; yes even I can
do it! The first time I switched I saved over £300 and now compare suppliers every
12 months without fail.
Solar What a hot topic solar panels have become! Installing solar panels on your
roof offered two ways to save; firstly by producing your own cheap energy to use
yourself, the second was selling back what you didn’t need to the national grid. With
the industry expanding the numbers of people buying their own systems as well as
‘renting’ their roofs to solar companies grew rapidly. However, not liking to leave
things alone, the government have been cutting the rates solar owners could earn
by exporting energy to the grid. As I write 2016 looks to be an uncertain time for
domestic solar.
Boiler replacement This can be a substantial investment, but upgrading from an
old inefficient boiler to a new all singing and dancing A-rated model can make a real
difference to your bills, as much as £340 a year.
Floor Insulating under the floorboards will save you up to £55 a year. You can also
seal the gaps between floors and skirting boards to reduce draughts; this is an easy
DIY job with just a tube of sealant required. Don’t stop with just the skirting, block
up any unwanted gaps that let cold air in and warm air out, you’ll use less energy to
heat your home.
Loft Insulation It’s not rocket science, heat rises. So if you haven’t got insulation
in your loft the heat will keep on rising through your roof and away. Insulating a loft
from scratch could save up to £240 per year.
Solid Wall Insulation People in older properties without cavities may be able
to have Solid wall insulation instead, I like to call this a big duvet for your home!
Although the experts will tell you it’s a system of fitting insulation boards to your
wall which can then be rendered in a range of attractive finishes. Either way it can
save up to £455 a year on the bills for people in a detached property, which is good
news.
Happy Savings! Nev x