Other measures

Draught-proofing is one of the simplest and most effective ways to save energy and reduce heat loss from your home. Draughts when uncontrolled, let in too much cold air and waste heat. To draught-proof your home, you should block any unwanted gaps that let cold air in and warm air out. Draught-free homes are more comfortable at lower temperatures so you may even be able to turn the thermostat down saving you money on energy bills.

Controlled ventilation is essential as it helps to reduce condensation and damp by letting fresh air in when needed. Air needs to flow through your home so it stays fresh, dry and healthy. Your home will typically have ventilation in rooms were there is a lot of moisture produced such as kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms. It is important not to block off any intentional ventilation including – extractor fans, wall vents and trickle vents. A well-insulated home should have good ventilation to reduce the possibility of condensation and mould.

Energy efficient windows come in a wide range of materials and styles. The energy performance of a window depends on how well these materials can stop heat from passing through them, how much sunlight can travel through them as well as how little air can leak around the window. There are generally two types of enegy efficient glazing:

• Double-glazed
• Triple-glazed

If you are considering the replacing your windows they will need to comply with the current standards of a maximum U-value of 1.6W/m^²K. A U-value is a measure of how well an element of a building such as a window, will transfer heat. The lower the U-value the better your home is insulated. When looking for energy efficient window options you can also refer to the Window Energy Rating (WER) which will indicate the energy efficiency of a window on a scale from A++ to E with A++ being the most energy efficient and E the least.

We don’t often think of our doors as being inefficient but you should consider the age of your door, if your door is adequately insulated, fitted and sealed to prevent air leaks.

Just like windows, doors also have an energy efficiency rating. This is known as a Door Set Energy Rating (DSER) which will indicate the energy efficiency of a door on a scale from A++ to E with A++ being the most energy efficient and E the least. Similar to replacement of windows a replacement door will have to comply with current standards of a maximum U-value of 1.6W/m^²K.