We all know how expensive those dreaded energy bills can be. Adding up to thousands of pounds over the course of the year, they are often one of the highest regular expenditures in the family home after mortgage repayments and food.
Creating a better family life through building and construction work that results in fantastic home improvements is something the team at RGB Construction get involved with on a weekly basis across Cardiff and South Wales.
The top three reasons we see families opt to undertake home improvement projects are:
More space needed within the family home.
Add value to the property.
Try to reduce bills through energy saving improvements.
We've touched on the first two reasons a number of times in previous news posts, so this time we though it'd be beneficial to take a closer look at the third most popular reason.
Thankfully, a fresh new guide has revealed a few handy ways to help you save hundreds of pounds on your energy bills.
Period features often the cause of high bills
In the UK, we're lucky in many ways with our traditional family homes being packed with period features, large bay windows and creaky attics full of charm and character. Especially across many suburbs of Cardiff where we certainly have our fair share of incredible traditionally built home dating back a century or more.
The 1930's saw the introduction of double glazed windows, but they weren't seen as a must-have feature among Britons until the arrival of the 1980's. As beautiful and as sought-after period features are, they may actually be whittling away a big portion of your cash, especially when you take a close look at your energy bills.
Fortunately, there are plenty of simple home improvement solutions that you can undertake to save you hundreds of your hard earned pounds - as much as £880 a year, in fact.
Report reveals home improvements that save big
A recent report by Bark.com - a reputable directory for local professional services - revealed a number of simple steps that can ensure your traditional family home continues to look as period as ever, but without the old-school period energy efficiency.
Kai Feller, Bark.com's co-founder, claims that houses that were built over a decade ago probably don't have any cavity wall insulation, and double glazing only really took off in the 80's. Therefore, according to Feller, if your home is 30 or more years old, it's more than likely leaking heat and costing a fair whack more than it needs to be in energy bills.
Hollow wall cavities fitted by a professional home insulator can instantly save around £250 a year in many cases. Heat will always flow from warm areas to a cold ones, so during the winter heat is emitting from your house out into the bitter coldness at a rate of knots if there's nothing to put a stop to it. Ensuring your walls are adequately insulated will reduce the need for excessive central heating use, and prevent what heat is being produced from escaping as waste.
Replacing draughty windows with energy efficient double glazed windows is another way to help you save hundreds on your energy bills. This easy home improvement can save the average homeowner around £110 a year, while also making sure there are fewer draughts and cold spots throughout your property. It'll also make your home a quieter one, while reducing the build up of condemnation during the winter.
If parting with your old, charming single-glazed windows is too much to bear, you could consider hiring a draught-proofing expert to block unwanted gaps that feed the cold air in and hot air out, as this could shave around £35 a year off your bills.
If your house is an old-fashioned period property, then what's the condition of the boiler? Chances are, it's not too energy efficient unless it has been recently modernised. It's a problem that can be easily fixed with a modern combi boiler, and having one of these installed can shave a whopping £225 a year off your energy consumption.
An attic or loft that hasn't been adequately converted with modern improvements can also cost a pretty penny in bills, so a few simple tweaks could put a stop to that. Falling short of a full attic conversion (which is still something you could consider), is attic or loft insulation. This can reduce bills by a hefty £240 per year. Loft insulation is effective for at least 40 years and will easily pay for itself over and over.
Feller stated that it's surprising just how much money can be saved by making a few simple home improvements. Investing in your property may seem costly and quite a burden at the time, but the money you save over the years in reduced energy bills can ensure you see a healthy return on your investment, as well as a healthy increase in the overall value of your property.
If you're keen to undergo a more substantial home improvement or renovation project to protect your home, improve energy consumption and add real value, then get in touch with the team at RGB Construction today. We offer a FREE no obligation quotation, and would love to discuss your situation.