- Minimise your dependence on the grid and protect yourself from energy price uncertainty.
- Make your house easier to sell and less affected by price fluctuations.
- Reduce your carbon emissions and impact on the environment.
Following huge increases in the cost of gas and electricity over the last few years, most of us have had no choice but to reduce our energy consumption wherever possible.
The energy saving tips on this site can help you to achieve that, simply by changing your habits and investing a small amount in low-cost DIY products to make your home more energy efficient.
But in addition to a reduction in your household expenses, there are three other significant benefits of saving energy at home:
1. Protect yourself from energy price uncertainty
Although energy prices appear to be trending downwards again, world events and market vulnerabilities, mean that unexpected rises could return.
Even with price caps and government support, the only way to insulate yourself from such uncertainty is to minimise your energy consumption and dependence on the grid.
Although a completely off-grid home is out of reach for the majority, changing your daily habits, upgrading to more efficient appliances and installing renewable energy sources where possible are the best ways to regain some control over your energy bills.
2. Make your house easier to sell
An added benefit of making your home more energy efficient is that it may be easier to sell and be less affected by house price fluctuations.
All homes being sold in the UK have to give home energy rating information to potential buyers. This rating, or energy performance certificate, compares the efficiency of your home to others of the same type and may become an important buying feature as the cost of running a home continues to increase.
Research by Savills found that 71% of home buyers consider EPC ratings to be a significant factor in choosing their new home.
This is backed up by findings from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, which showed that highly energy efficient homes were more likely to hold their value in a market of falling house prices.
3. Do your bit for the environment
We’ve all heard about the effects of climate change, and scientists agree that the planet is rapidly getting warmer, which is beginning to impact us all.
The chief cause of this warming effect is increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, creating the ‘Greenhouse Effect’.
In the UK, 27% of carbon emissions are generated by our homes, so any energy conservation improvements you make will have a positive and lasting impact on reducing this figure.
