The Best Ways To Improve The Energy Efficiency Of An Old Home
When it comes to energy efficiency, older properties are notoriously poor performing. Despite their style and elegance these properties have often not been fitted with features or undergone the relevant upgrades to improve energy efficiency either recently or ever. And while it’s important to preserve their historical value and style, upgrading these homes and improving their energy efficiency rating should be a top priority.
Old, Cold & Draughty – Is This The Norm Across The UK?
As an old country there is no doubt that a large majority of the properties standing in the UK are of an age which makes them ‘old’. And while older properties with traditional features are incredibly valuable for their own reasons, they are unfortunately far less energy efficient than properties built since 2012. Homes built after this period are much more likely to have a high energy efficiency, scoring highly on a number of factors that the government uses to assess a property.
However, there is a huge number of homes in the UK that would be considered old, cold and draughty. In fact, 15% of homes in England were built before 1900! While 46% were built between 1930 and 1982, demonstrating just how old our property stock is. Homes built before 1900, especially, have been shown to be the least energy efficient properties in the UK and are very unlikely to score anything above a C when given an EPC rating.
Therefore, the majority of residents in England are living in homes that are unsatisfactory in terms of energy efficiency. Work should be done in order for these homes to meet the government’s goals of improving energy efficiency by placing homes within band C or above.
5 Signs Of Poor Insulation In Your Home
If you live in a property that was built before 2012 and have been considering making upgrades, these are some tell-tale signs that your upgrades are long overdue:
- Draughts and cold floors and ceilings
- Frozen pipes in winter
- Energy bills that rise unexpectedly
- Difficulty maintaining the temperature of a room
- Wet or damp insulation in the attic or walls
If you have noticed any of these signs, there is no better time than now to implement changes.
Apply For ECO 4 Funding To Upgrade Your Home
It’s easy to say ‘upgrade your home’ but actually doing this requires time and money. For the average homeowner the cost of home upgrades, such as new loft insulation, is both expensive and time consuming. This is where the ECO4 funding scheme comes in.
The latest phase of the ECO Scheme, ECO4, offers funding and grants for eligible households, with a clear focus on improving the energy efficiency of the UK’s housing stock. The qualifying criteria for the scheme allows for low income households and homeowners on a range of qualifying benefits to access ECO funding and the support required to implement new energy saving measures.
The funding focuses on insulation and heating measures, such as insulation and heat pumps, as well as boiler upgrades and can be accessed by both private residents, homeowners and landlords.
To check if you are eligible for the scheme, fill out our grant application form here.
Fitting Modern Energy Solutions Without Damaging Your Property
By working with ECO Providers to access your funding and also fit new measures into your old and cold property, we will take on the important role of ensuring a quality job is done. Helping to not only improve the energy efficiency of your home but future proofing it for the next generations.
Plus, all of our work is conducted with your property in mind. Ensuring your home is fit for the upgrades with a retrofit assessment and work carried out by insured and qualified installers. With these upgrades, you will notice that your home’s value increases and your living environment is improved.
And, if you’re worried about major works being carried out on your old and historical property, some of our most recent work includes internal wall insulation installation on an older, detached farm house.
Don’t Wait, Make A Change To Your Property For The Future…Today
Over the next few years the government has laid out clear plans, explaining that the older housing stock in the UK is required to go through these upgrades in order to improve energy efficiency throughout the nation. Completing the assessment and checking your eligibility for the ECO4 grants is the perfect place to start. To find out more about the ECO4 Scheme or to discuss your concerns, get in touch with the ECO Providers team today.