Greener homes are worth much more

It’s official: green homes are now more popular with potential house buyers, according to a new report commissioned by estate agents. The report also confirms a greener home is worth up to 5% more. Just imagine if your home was worth £200,000 and you upgraded its energy efficiency it could be worth a further £10,000. Upgrading your properties energy efficiency doesn’t have to cost a fortune and a lot of measures can be installed free of charge if you qualify. Check out if you qualify for financial assistance on this site.

Green home improvement work is set to increase further this year as more people are waking up to the massive cost savings that can be achieved.

Latest Government figures show that more than half of homes do not have enough insulation or an efficient condensing boiler and most do not have proper heating controls.

Mind those gaps!

Did you know that up to 25% of heat in many homes is lost through inadequate draft proofing? Check that windows and doors close properly and if there are gaps, either use a draft excluder or fit draft proofing strips around the sides of the doors and windows.

Time for a new boiler?

Heating and hot water account for about 60% of the average fuel bill. If your boiler is older than 15 years, it should be replaced. By installing a high efficiency condensing boiler, you will save around one-third on your bills.

Insulate before you generate

Good insulation is crucial to ensuring that you are not losing heating that you have already paid for. Current Building Regulations recommend that the minimum level of loft insulation should be 200mm (8″). It is also worth insulating your walls as you could also be losing a further 35% of your heat through them. A further 15% of heating can be lost through the floor. Having floor insulation installed will dramatically reduce this.