Energy efficiency has been a hot topic in current years, as people become more aware of how much they are spending and where they can save money. Saving money is a very important part of many people’s life, but becoming more energy efficient will also decrease your carbon footprint, which is beneficial to the world around us. Carbon emissions are contributing to climate change, so if everybody gets together to reduce their carbon footprint, we can begin to make a change. This is why we are going to take you through a few ways that you can increase your energy efficiency at home.

Boiler repair or replacement

One of the biggest culprits for effecting energy efficiency is your boiler and heating system in your home. Many people still have old style boilers, and it is thought that some boilers that are over 10 years old can waste 30% of the heat that they produce. This is a huge amount to lose and really negatively affects your energy efficiency. So, if you have a newer boiler but it has been having issues, boiler repair may be the way to go. Even though your boiler may not be old, if there are problems with it then it may not be running at maximum efficiency, which of course means you are not being as energy efficient as possible. Keep an eye out for black marks or scorching around your boiler and the pilot flame burning yellow. As well as decreasing energy efficiency, these can also be dangerous to your health, so call a professional boiler repair company as soon as possible.

If your boiler is in the category of being old and worn out, a boiler replacement will probably be the smartest move. It may seem like a drastic cost, but with the money that you will save whilst being more energy efficient, it will certainly be worth it in the long run.

Smart Thermostat

Smart technology is ever increasing and year on year we see new waves of smart technology, from smart robot hoovers to smart taps, your home can be fully kitted out with automated technology and things that make your life easier. A smart thermostat is no exception to this and certainly makes your life easier, as well as helping make your home more energy efficient.

Smart thermostats such as Google Nest and HIVE allow you to be in control of heating your home no matter where you are, via an app on your mobile phone or smart device. The thermostat is connected to your wifi, which is why it is allowed to be controlled via your mobile. This is fantastic for the forgetful people out there, who may often leave the heating on when they go out and end up wasting this energy whilst there is nobody home! Smart thermostats also allow you to set schedules for when you would like to have the heating on and off, again, reducing the amount of time that the heating is turned on unnecessarily and therefore reducing wasted energy. It’s also a great benefit that you are able to control the heat of your home so easily, as it just makes your life slightly easier and more stress free!

Turn devices off

In the modern day, we are always plugged into something, oftentimes more than one thing, but are you turning your devices off properly when you are done with them? We have TV’s, laptops, games consoles and more all plugged in together, but when they are left on standby they are still using some energy. Make sure that you are turning things off at the plug to ensure that you are not wasting energy.

This may only be a small amount, but we are firm believers that every little helps when it comes to saving you money.

Use LED bulbs

A simple and easy energy saving method, that often gets overlooked, is upgrading to LED light bulbs in your home. The initial cost is often what puts people off of buying LED light bulbs, as they are more expensive than your typical incandescents. However, the diode light in LED bulbs is much lighter, which means they operate far more efficiently than normal light bulbs. Figures state that LED bulbs use 75% less energy than incandescent, so the higher upfront cost will be recovered in energy savings anyway, so price is not a problem.

As well as the cost side of things, you are also reducing your carbon footprint as we previously mentioned, and doing your bit to reduce the negative effects we are having on the planet.

So, there you have just a few ways that you can make your home more energy efficient, saving yourself cash and saving the planet from more climate change, stick to these tips and save energy wherever you can!