How can an electrician help make your home energy efficient?

Making your home electrically energy efficient can be quite an overwhelming task. With the amount of choice of products available on the market it can be hard knowing where to start.

Making your home electrically energy efficient can be quite an overwhelming task. With the amount of choice of products available on the market it can be hard knowing where to start. Also If you are not in the trade it can be daunting not knowing what questions to ask. This article should give you some ideas to consider, along with the help of an electrician make your home more electrically energy efficient.

  1. Consider installing Solar Panels

Solar panels help you in generating electricity from the sun’s rays. You can use this electricity to power various gadgets and devices. In the absence of solar electricity, you would have to use electricity from the grid. The grid electricity cost from the grid is higher than the cost of solar electricity.

Not only that, but solar panels also provide you with a renewable power source. So, you don’t have to worry about the energy running out. When you look at the period in which you would be able to recoup the investment in the solar panels, that is relatively short. As a result, you should not be discouraged by the upfront cost, and you should focus on the return on investment in the longer run.

Not all electricians do install solar equipment but if you look for a renewable energy electrician . company then they will be able to provide more information and a quote if you need.

  1. Replace your Halogen lamps With LED’s

Before the advent of LED lamps, CFL lamps were quite popular. These were energy-efficient compared to the halogen ones, but they were slow to respond and also produced cold light.

On the other hand, these days, LED lamps are fast to respond and come in all shapes and sizes.

According to senior Insights & Analytics Consultant at Energy Saving Trust, Brian Home, in the longer term, LEDs make more economic sense. That is because they use less energy and last for 10,000 hours or more.

Instead of being dissuaded by the difference between halogen and LED lamps, it is a good idea to opt for the LEDs since it can last for ten years or more if you’re using it for 3 hours a day. On the other hand, a halogen lamp will last for two years with the same usage. Considering these factors, one of the best ways to make your home energy efficient is to switch to LEDs.

In the UK alone, lighting constitutes 15% of the electricity bills. Fortunately, the lighting component of the electricity bill is easy to reduce.

When you switch to a Bright LED lamp rather than a traditional halogen lamp, you save up to  £3 per lamp per year.

If you replace all the halogen lamps with the LED lamps, the cost would be around £100. However, you would be able to reduce your electricity bills by £40 a year.

For example, if you replace a 50W halogen lamp with an LED lamp the LED version would only be around 5 watts but gives you the same light output as a 50 watt halogen lamp.

The amount of money you would save on electricity costs over the lifespan of the LED lamp would be around £70. That too, without taking into account the amount of money which you would save by not having to replace the lamp again and again. The LED lamps can cost anywhere between £2.50 to £15. You can get higher end light fittings with the lamps integrated into the light fittings with costs varying from around £10 – £30 +

Not only can you save on the energy consumed but also you can save money directly as well.

There are so many different types of LED light fittings, it can become overwhelming with the amount of choice that is on the market today. If you speak to your local electrician then they will be able offer you advice on what LED fittings to go for.

Ground Source Heat Pumps – Harness the heat from the ground.

During winters, heating systems of any home can be energy guzzlers. They can inflate your energy bills by a significant amount. The problem is that during the winter, you need to keep your home warm to insulate yourself from the weather outside.

The question is, how to save on this energy consumption?

The answer is by using a ground source heat pump. Most of you might not be familiar with ground source heat pumps. Simply put, these are a maze of pipes dug into the ground and consist of heat pumps.

Ideally, you need a space like a garden or a backyard where you can dig these pipes. The size of the entire loop of pipes would be dependent on the size of your home. The larger your home, the larger would be the number of pipes.

Now that you are aware of its basic construction let us look at its detailed working.

The contents of the pipe are a mixture of antifreeze liquid and water. This mixture passes through the pipes buried into the ground. While passing through the pipes underground, the water absorbs the heat of the ground. Once the water passes through this maze of pipes, it reaches the heat exchanger system.

The heat exchanger system’s job is to transfer the heat from the water to the heat pump. The heat after that transfers to the home heating system. The best feature is that it can provide heat up to 50 using this method.

The heat thus produced can heat your home and multiple home systems and gadgets like:

  • Radiator heating
  • Underfloor heating system
  • Water heater
  • And so on

The applications are virtually unlimited. However, this heating mechanism does not entirely rely on renewable energy.

You would need electricity to power the heat pump, which extracts the heat from the water. Therefore, it is not a zero-carbon solution. However, since the heat energy you harness from the ground is renewable, it can save you significant money and reduce your carbon footprint.

According to energy saving trust, you can save up to £1400 per annum by using a ground heating system.

Are you looking for some more incentive?

If yes, you would be happy to know that under the renewable heat incentive, you can get anywhere from  £2335 – £2750 a year as an incentive for incorporating this system into your home. That’s the incentive for an average four bedroom detached home.

What more could you ask for?

The heat pump mechanism not only helps you tap into a renewable energy source but also provide you with the incentive for doing so. That is why; it is a win-win situation.

So, if you’re looking to make your home more energy-efficient, these are the three ways in which you can do so. These three ways will also help you in saving money, which is an added incentive. All in all, if you use our guide above, you can benefit in more ways than one.

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