How To Make Your Period Home More Energy Efficient This Winter

As the nights draw in and trees turn golden, period homeowners will be concerned about their energy bills during the colder months, despite the government’s recent bailout. With the UK aiming to become a carbon neutral nation by 2050, it’s time to think about future-proofing your home with environmentally-friendly, energy-saving solutions.

Britain’s buildings currently produce a fifth of our country’s total carbon emissions. The pressure is on UK homeowners to reduce their energy usage in order to help meet the government’s net zero targets for greenhouse gas emissions. This can be a challenge in older properties, as they can be draughtier and colder to begin with and retrofitting insulation is likely to be disruptive and expensive. In this blog, we will look at ways you can keep your period home warm and more energy efficient while maintaining its character.

• Boiler replacement

Old or inefficient boilers can eat up energy and cost more to run throughout winter. While replacing a boiler can be expensive, it’s an investment in saving energy and money while ensuring you can heat your home effectively.

The UK government announced earlier this year that homeowners will be able to apply for grants of up to £5,000 through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to replace gas boilers with low-carbon heat-pumps, which currently cost between £14,000-£19,000. Heat-pumps take the heat from the ground or air around a property and compress it to provide warm air. However, to get the best out of a heat-pump your property should be as well-insulated as possible – something that can be a challenge to achieve in period buildings.

A better bet for most period homes might be a hydrogen-ready boiler. Although hydrogen is not yet ready for use in homes, purchasing a boiler that can be converted from natural gas to run on hydrogen costs about the same as a standard gas boiler. It will take a trained engineer roughly an hour to convert the boiler when the time comes to switch to hydrogen.

• Loft insulation

Much of a home’s heat is lost through the roof. Loft insulation is far more affordable and easier to fit than cavity wall insulation, where the costs increase for historic buildings or properties situated in conservation areas due to the challenges of retrofitting. Concentrating on insulating the loft is simpler, less disruptive and provides good value for money over time. Natural insulation solutions such as hemp or sheep’s wool are a good bet for period homes as they provide warmth yet are breathable.

• Double-glazed windows

Anyone living in a property that has single-glazed windows will appreciate the challenge of keeping their home well-ventilated, yet warm, in winter. While you may not be able to or want to change the style of your windows on a period property, it is worth investigating installing secondary glazing as this will retain heat and shut out external noise without compromising the aesthetic of your home.

• Draught proofing

Windows and doors are the places heat can easily escape from a room, or allow cold air to enter. This is a particular problem in older properties where fittings have become warped over time. Draught-proofing is an inexpensive way of addressing this without refitting entire units.

Many period homes have open chimneys. Purchasing a chimney draught excluder to insert into the chimney when not in use prevents cold air blowing down the chimney into living spaces (and hot air escaping).

• Replacing light bulbs

You’d be surprised by how much inefficient bulbs can increase your energy bill. LED bulbs cost a little extra at the outset but have three times the lifespan of a halogen bulb and use a fraction of the electricity to run, so are well worth the investment.

EPCs

Whilst making home improvements for energy efficiency, it is important for homeowners and landlords to consider the impact on the property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating. The EPC is required when selling or renting a property and includes a rating given to the property on a scale of A-G, measuring the quality of the property’s energy efficiency. The report will also include recommendations on ways a property can be improved to cut fuel bills and reduce emissions. Homeowners should consider their rating as there is a correlation between more energy efficient houses and higher house prices.

Should you wish to discuss making improvements to your EPC, please contact our team.

From all of us at King West, we wish you a warm winter ahead.