Heat loss is a surprising issue for many homes – even the most modern ones. When you are stuck in the grips of winter your energy company will be rubbing their hands together greedily as they know that most people will be paying out a large amount of money to keep their houses warm. Then of course, there’s the issue of energy conservation. If your home experiences heat loss, it is also wasted energy. There are plenty of ways to prevent heat loss in your home to save energy and money which are commonsensical and easy to implement. Some may need a small cash outlay but you’ll see payback in a short time as you start benefiting from reduced energy bills. Here are 7 Ways to Prevent Heat Loss in Your Home to save energy and money:
Snapshot Survey
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Please subscribe for your personalized newsletter:
1. Slam the Door
One of the easiest ways to save money on energy bills is to shut all your doors to prevent the warm air from getting out. This doesn’t take any effort on your part as all you have to remember is to shut the door. You should also notice that the reduced heat loss makes your house warmer meaning you can turn down the thermostat a notch or two, thereby saving even more energy and money.
2. Dress to save
One of the best ways to prevent heat loss is to make sure your water tank is covered in a heat-retentive jacket. This jacket doesn’t cost a large amount of money, and in the long run the savings you will make will far eclipse the cost of the jacket itself. This does save money on energy bills as it’s estimated that it can reduce them by a minimum of 30%. If there’s enough space fit a double jacket.
Frequently asked questions
3. Exclude the Draft
To help your house not lose heat you not only have to keep the warm air in, but the cold air out. Drafts can appear from anything as major as a hole in the roof all the way to a simple gap under the door. Draft excluders are very simple cost-effective measures to reduce energy loss and shave more money off your utility bills.
4. Chimney Matters
What many people forget is that an open fireplace can also act as a significant detriment to your saving efforts. It’s estimated that heat can be lost at a rate of up to 70% in most rooms. The best option is to simply not have an open fireplace. If you do have an open fireplace in use, consider the purchase of a chimney balloon. This balloon is sausage-shaped and is able to lower the amount of heat loss by up to 30%. Just beware of a big pop if you decide to accidently light a fire without removing the balloon.
5. Reflective Radiators
You can reduce wasted energy after you have turned your radiators off by preventing heat leaving via the walls. To do this your radiators should have heat reflectors attached to their reverse which will reflect the heat back into the room and away from the walls. This can save money on energy bills as now you don’t have to keep your heating on for as long as you had to previously.
6. Barricade the Walls
Up to a third of lost heat is via the walls, but this can be prevented through insulation. Cavity wall insulation makes the room like a spongy tea-cosy. While insulating your walls requires a not insignificant financial outlay, you have to look at it as an investment for the future. The savings on your bills will more than repay the initial cost of insulating your home.
7. Drapes
Heavy drapes can be a great way to keep the heat inside your room because they successfully absorb any sunlight while blocking out any wind which may seep through the cracks of your windows. This is a relatively low-cost option to insulate your home.
These Ways to Prevent Heat Loss in Your Home to save energy and money are especially effective when used in conjunction with each other. However when used on their own they are still useful in order to save money on energy bills. You should also check regularly what grants are being made available by the Federal Government to incentivise more energy efficient homes – global positioning on energy conservation is changing all the time and home improvement money may be available to help you reduce heat loss.
Which methods have you tried to to prevent heat loss during the winter months?
Top Photo Credit: weheartit.com
Comments
: