With the rising cost of energy, and although Brit’s are due to be given a grant to ease the cost of living, many of us are looking for ways to keep already pricy bills down. In fact, searches for “energy saving tips” have seen a 175% increase in the past 12 months.
While there are lots of things homeowners can do to make their homes more energy-efficient, from investing in window treatments and attic insulation to replacing their boiler, for renters, such major changes are less conceivable.
With this in mind, and with the help of the experts at GTSE, here are 7 ways to help those renting make their properties more efficient. With energy-saving hacks starting from as little as £3, there are plenty of options to help improve the efficiency of your home and lower those fast-rising bills.
Layer Up Some Rugs
Did you know that studies have shown a home can lose 10-20% of its heat through uninsulated flooring? While carpets are a very effective way of insulating your home, what should a renter with a wooden floor do? Consider adding some layers to your floor with rugs. Indeed, area rugs don’t just add colour and style to your home, they keep your floors cosy, adding extra insulation to your home.
Layering trendy rugs is a renter-friendly tip that will not only make your home look stylish, but keep the heat in, too. The Spruce explains that “Layering rugs work best when your two rugs are two different sizes. One should be large and more dominant, and the others should be smaller and act as an accent”.
Draw Your Curtains
Every tenant knows that using soft furnishings can make your rental flat feel like a home. Whether it be via trendy rugs, throws, cushions, curtains or an upholstered piece of furniture, fabrics can add texture, personality and colour to your living space. Swapping out curtains is also an easy way to make the place your own. Moreover, hanging heavy curtains over your windows can help make your home more energy-efficient.
Indeed, using thick, insulating curtains, and drawing them as soon as the evening comes in, can help keep the heat in, especially if you have drafty windows. Although not as budget-friendly, these types of curtains can also be picked up for about £50.
According to researchers at the University of Salford, drawing your curtains in the evening reduces heat loss by up to 17%. You can further this by choosing to use electrical tape to secure your curtains to the wall. Although this seems like more of a drastic measure, it can increase heat loss prevention up to 25%, by preventing cold air from the windows coming around the curtains.
Use Foil
It’s worth making sure that you’re maximising the work radiators are doing to heat your home. You can do this by simply installing radiator foils behind your radiators.
Radiator foils basically work to help keep more heat in the home by reflecting the warmth back in the room, instead of escaping through the walls. This hack can cost as little as £7 and is a super easy change to make to your home for some impressive results. In fact, studies have shown that using certain types of radiator foils can save you up to £4.02 per radiator, depending on the type of property you have.
Reinforce Your Windows’ Insulation
It’s important to ensure you insulate every part of your home from the attic to the windows, to the walls, doors, and floors. There are also some easy hacks to help you insulate your home from as little as £3.
Windows account for a whopping 25% of heat loss in homes, so they should be considered as a priority when insulating. In turn, you could keep your home warmer through winter. Beyond opting for double glazing, you can buy window insulation kits for £3 which can help as an easy, simple way to keep more heat inside and those bills down.
Unique Ways to Reduce Water Consumption
Although there are plenty of basic ways to reduce water consumption just through your daily routine, such as turning off the taps when brushing your teeth or just spending less time in the shower, there are also some budget-friendly improvements you can make to your home to help reduce how much water you use.
You can invest in water saving showerheads, prices can vary for these, but they start from around £12 per head. These low-flow heads work by simply reducing the amount of water that needs to run through the shower without dampening the water pressure. Some modern models can also reduce the amount of water needed by almost half!
These are also a great hack for those that are not on a water meter as they’re still reducing the amount of water you need to heat up, in turn reducing your energy bills.
Use Smart Power Strips
Smart power strips are essentially outlet extensions that automatically stop power from going to your electronics when they’re plugged in but not in use. They can help to reduce your overall energy bill by up to 10% annually.
Invest in an Eco-Kettle
Kettles can be one of the most wasteful uses of energy, especially if you’re heating more water than what you need. However, you can find environmentally friendly kettles which use as much as 30% less power to heat your water. Check out the Which? round-up of the best eco-kettles to buy here.
The Bottom Line
Commenting on the tips, Tom Armenante, Ecommerce Director from GTSE says, “Energy bills have reached an all-time high, and to no surprise, majority of us are on the look-out for ways to help save some money on costly bills.’
‘We hope these tips provide some inspiration on just some of the ways homeowners can look to make their rental homes more efficient, with plenty of budget-friendly options also available to keep the warm in and the cold out.”