On average, households in the UK now spend an eye-watering £1,344 every year on gas and electricity. After rent and mortgage payments, this amounts to one of our largest monthly outgoings, placing financial strain on low earners and making large properties unaffordable for many.
With the cost of heating and lighting already a burden for many, the last thing homeowners will want to do is pay out more than they need to. Though you may be doing your best to keep your energy consumption as low as possible, if you’re making one of these three common mistakes, you could be throwing your money down the drain.Using an unaccredited company
If you use an unaccredited company to install your central heating, insulation or windows and doors, there are no guarantees the work they do will meet modern standards of efficiency. Though you may save a small amount of money initially, poorly fitted windows and doors, inadequate insulation and inefficient heating could cost you thousands of pounds in the long term. To make sure you’re not let down by unscrupulous installers, make sure that you always choose a company with recognised accreditation and a good reputation.Turning the thermostat up when it’s cold outside
If you’re one of the 35% of Brits who turn the thermostat up when the mercury plummets, you could be wasting hundreds of pounds every year. The whole point of a thermostat is that it keeps your home at a constant temperature. If it’s cold outside, your thermostat will tell your heating to kick in automatically, bringing your home up to the required temperature.Insulating your home with substandard products
The quality of the windows, doors and insulation products you use in your home will have a big impact on its ability to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Products that are poorly made or that have been manufactured using substandard materials won’t insulate your home as well as they should, resulting in you spending significantly more on heating throughout the winter months. Using top of the range products and materials on the other hand will help to make your home more energy efficient and more comfortable, saving you money on your energy bills and making your property a more enjoyable place to be.To learn more about improving the energy-efficiency of your home, call us on 0800 987 654 to speak with a member of our team, or get a free quote.