MINIMISING HEAT LOSS
OPTIONS
QUICK WINS
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If possible, implement zone heating. Heat only the rooms that are in use and close off unused areas to minimize energy consumption.
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Ensure that your home is well-insulated. Insulation in walls, ceilings, and floors helps to keep the heat inside and prevents it from escaping.
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Identify and seal any drafts around windows, doors, and other openings. Weatherstripping and caulking are effective methods to reduce air leakage.
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Reflective panels placed behind radiators can help direct heat into the room instead of being absorbed by the wall.
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Regularly service your heating system to ensure it operates efficiently. Clean or replace filters, check for leaks, and maintain proper functioning.
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Insulate hot water pipes to reduce heat loss as water travels from the heater to the taps. Also insulate any external piping to stop them from freezing in cold weather.
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Place draft stoppers at the bottom of doors to prevent cold air from entering and warm air from escaping.
POTENTIALLY BIGGER COSTS
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Item description
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Insulate hot water pipes to reduce heat loss as water travels from the heater to the taps. Also insulate any external piping to stop them from freezing in cold weather.
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Consider installing double-glazed windows, as they provide better insulation than single-pane windows.
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Triple glazed windows offer numerous benefits, including soundproofing, increased security and better insulation than double glazed windows, which is particularly helpful during the colder months.
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Ensure that your home is adequately ventilated. While it might seem counterintuitive, proper ventilation prevents moisture buildup, which can make your home feel colder and cause your heating system to work harder. Installing good quality extractors in high moisture areas such as bathrooms and kitchens will help.
By implementing these measures, you can significantly reduce heat loss in your home and make your heating system more efficient, leading to energy savings and a more comfortable living environment.
We’ll look at the pros and cons of each in more detail below and provide some examples that may suit you and your home.
COMPARE THEM
THE DETAIL
SMART THERMOSTATS
Smart thermostats not only ensure you home’s temperature is comfortable, but provide energy efficiencies whilst saving you money, but they come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Here's a breakdown:
PROS
Energy Efficiency:
Smart thermostats that are Energy Star–certified, should if used as intended save you at least 8% of your annual heating and cooling bill. And some manufacturers claim you can save even more than that—as much as 20% per year.
Lower Energy Bills
Better energy efficiency obviously mean lower energy bills.
Remote Access
Because these devices are internet-connected it allows you to monitor the energy use from anywhere with an internet connection. This allows you to turn the heating off when you’re out or turn it on when you’re on your way back. It also allows you to keep a minimum pipe temperature to stop your pipes freezing in cold weather.
Geofencing & Location
If you choose to use the geofencing option the system will automatically control your system based on your phones location, so if you leave the house the system will go into ultra economy mode until you return.
CONS
Upfront Costs:
The initial cost of purchasing and installing triple glazed windows, cost between 10 and 20 per cent more than double glazing.
Compatibility
Not all smart thermostats work with all heating systems and most models don’t support electric heating.
Installation Difficulties:
The extra weight of triple glazed windows means there is a slightly higher chance of damaging walls during the installation process, although this shouldn’t be an issue with a quality professional installer or supplier.
TRIPLE GLAZING
Triple glazed windows offer numerous benefits, including soundproofing, increased security and better insulation than double glazed windows, but they come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Here's a breakdown:
PROS
Energy Efficiency:
Thanks to their improved energy efficiency, triple glazed windows can reduce your heating bills by up to 50 per cent, according to some manufacturers.
Thermal Efficiency:
One of the best benefits of triple glazing is thermal efficiency, which is why they’re generally used for Passivhaus and other eco home designs. Triple glazed windos have a U-value of around 0.9 W/m2k (watts per square metre kelvin), compared to double galzed windows, which have a U-value of roughly 1.2-1.4 W/m2k.
Triple glazing generally also has a lower G-value (the measurement of solar gain) than double glazing (0.46 for triple glazing compared to 0.78 for double), minimising overheating in summer.
Minimised Drafts & Condensation:
As a result of the sealed design of triple glazing, they reduce cold spots in the home helping to minimises draughts and condensation.
Lower Energy Bills
Triple glazing should mean lower energy bills due to lower heat loss, and lower summer temperatures. Some window suppliers highlight you could even save up to 50 per cent on energy bills with triple glazing.
Noise Reduction
Although there is some debate around how improved noise reduction is between triple and double glazing, if you choose acoustic glass there you could reduce noise by up to 40dB, according to some suppliers.
Better Security
Triple glazed windows are usually designed with enhanced safety features, such as Secured by Design locking. The additional pane of toughened glass also means they are typically stronger and harder to break, especially compared with single pane windows.
CONS
Upfront Costs:
The initial cost of purchasing and installing triple glazed windows, cost between 10 and 20 per cent more than double glazing.
Upfront Environmental Impact:
There is some stigma associated with triple glazed windows around whether the production and transportation which lead to increased CO2 emissions are worth it. However, it is believed that over the lifetime of triple glazed windows the CO2 savings will outweigh increased upfront emissions. The carbon payback period in Europe is between 35 and 76 months, with northern European climates benefitting from the smaller estimate.
Installation Difficulties:
The extra weight of triple glazed windows means there is a slightly higher chance of damaging walls during the installation process, although this shouldn’t be an issue with a quality professional installer or supplier.
