If you’re heading into the winter serious about conserving energy and money, taking the following measures will cut your energy bills and help save the planet too:
- Banish draughts. Historic buildings were designed to be heated one room at a time using separate open fires. For fireplaces you don’t use, inflatable chimney balloons are fantastic for minimising the wind whistling down and the heat escaping up the chimney.
- If when the wind blows your curtains move, consider double glazing, even in a listed property. You will need to get consent so talk to your conservation officer before applying.
- If secondary glazing is out of the question, curtains in thick, heavy fabric are much more effective than blinds.
- Service your boiler and upgrade it every ten years for maximum efficiency.
- Use energy-saving light bulbs.
- Fit a digital display to your electrical appliances. You’ll be able to monitor your electricity consumption as easily as watching the meter clocking up the taxi fare. Are you brave enough?
- Have you ever turned on your hot tap and scalded yourself? If the answer’s yes, your thermostat is set too high and you’re literally burning money. Dial it down a degree or two.
- We are a nation of tea guzzlers and most kettles use a ridiculous amount of electricity. Buy an eco-kettle and if you have an Aga ditch the electric kettle and toaster and use the Aga kettle and Aga wire toaster on the Boiling Plate.
- Insulate your loft to prevent 25% of heat escaping through the roof.
- When buying or renting a new house, check its Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which grades properties from A (most energy-efficient) to G (least energy-efficient) and is valid for ten years. Bear in mind that listed buildings are generally exempt from this requirement.
Do you have any tips we’ve missed? We’d love to hear them. For Michael Graham town and country properties to buy or to rent, see below
