Energy Savers Week: Keeping bills down and tenants warm
Next week marks Energy Savers Week, a national awareness campaign dedicated to helping people save money and energy by making their homes more efficient. Here James Kent, the NRLA’s Chief Innovation Officer, and founder of digital compliance platform Safe2 talks about simple changes you can make to help cut bills and save energy.
Energy efficiency has never been far from the headlines in recent months, with the Government launching a consultation on the way EPCs are calculated, and a second, on new minimum energy efficiency standards, due in the coming months.
Plans to introdue a minimum EPC rating of C by 2030 were announced by the Government last year, with the NRLA already talking to Government about the significant challenges that will come when making upgrades, particularly when it comes to insulating older solid brick homes, and the need for a comprehensive support package for landlords.
An energy-efficient home benefits tenants and landlords, and not just in terms of who pays the bills, with energy efficient properties more attractive to potential tenants and generally seeing lower maintenance costs over time.
While it is too early to say exactly what the Government plans will look like, there are a number of simple changes you and your tenants can make now to make your rental property more energy efficient, keeping bills down and homes warm.
Top tips for energy efficiency
- Insulation: This will help keep heat in, so ensure your property is properly insulated. This should include at least a foot of insulation in the loft, cavity wall insulation or (where there is no wall cavity) external wall insulation and floor insulation, especially where you have floorboards over joists.
- Install an energy efficient boiler: An example could be a combi boiler. If this isn’t possible be sure to insulate your existing tank.
- Install double – or triple – glazing: This will reduce heat-loss, condensation and – as an additional benefit – will also reduce noise.
- Check your white goods: When items need replacing ensure you choose energy efficient ones with a A+++ rating.
- Use low energy lightbulbs: LED alternatives last longer and consume less energy
- Install reflective radiator panels: These mirrored panels reflect heat back into room
- Check radiators: Make sure to bleed them if they are not heating properly
- Put in thermal curtains: One of the simplest ways that tenants can save energy is to fit correctly adjusted and thermal curtains which can cut heat loss by up to 10 per cent.
- Draught-proof windows and doors: Using draught excluders, or draught excluder tape could save around £60 a year on energy bills and draught-proofing open chimneys when not in use which could save around £90 a year.
- Put in carpets: Hard floors look great and are often more hard-wearing, but they do mean more heat is lost through the floor.
- Think about furniture: Try to avoid placing furniture like chairs and sofas in front of radiators
More information
- From securing your Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and gas and electricity safety checks, to drain inspections and smoke detector testing, Safe2 ensures a seamless, efficient and compliant service from start to finish. We provide all safety certificates including Fire safety, Electrical safety & Gas Safety. We can also undertake any remedial work with a FREE re-test. Explore our services and make your home more energy efficient today by clicking here.
- The Citizens’ Advice Bureau has added its voice to NRLA calls for extra funding for landlords when it comes to making energy efficiency improvements. You can read more about this here.
- When it comes to accessing funding to carry out energy improvements the NRLA has a guide for members, which can be found here.
- The NRLA’s award-winning Training Academy also runs a retrofitting course for landlords. The course ‘Comfortable Home, Smart Savings: A Landlord’s Guide to Retrofit offers practical advice on how to lower fuel bills, and tackle damp and mould as well as offering an in-depth look at systems for insulation, heating, ventilation, and renewables. To book click here.
- And for information about funding for landlords who want to make improvements to their rental properties click here.