Best ways to improve building heating efficiency guide, Property heat advice, Home wnter warmth

The best ways to improve heating efficiency in buildings

17 August 2022

As energy prices soar and the cost-of-living crisis wears on, it’s now more important than ever to make sure our buildings are energy efficient. In 2016, the Building Energy Efficiency Survey discovered that 67% of energy consumed in commercial buildings was for lighting, heating, ventilation, cooling and hot water. Making these processes more energy efficient could mean great things when it comes to saving energy and decreasing energy bills. Couple that with proper building insulation and the savings made could be astronomical.

Best ways to improve building heating efficiency

The best ways to improve heating efficiency in buildings guide

Why is heating efficiency important?

The heating efficiency of a building can determine how much energy each resident consumes. Heating efficiency measures how adept a building is at heating up and then retaining that heat. Proper building insulation seals up air leaks and helps keep the heat in, as well as ensures that seals around windows and doors are doing their job properly. Loft and wall insulation also plays a huge role in cutting heating costs.

All these factors influence how much it costs to keep a property warm, so it’s a good idea to get the basics right. In addition, heating efficiency and quality insulation often increases the value of a property, so consider investing in heating efficiency if you’re planning to sell your property.

How to improve heating efficiency

As well as good insulation, there are plenty of ways to improve the heating efficiency of your property. There is plenty of plumbing and heating equipment for improving energy efficiency, including quality ventilation, pipe insulation and heating devices that don’t soak up energy and give residents a fright once the bills come in.

Boiler efficiency

There’s a reason our heart sinks any time the boiler’s on the blink. It’s at the crux of every UK property’s heating operation. That’s why it’s important to ensure the boiler is modern and efficient, built to generate more heat with less power. Old boilers will inevitably cost you more in bills and repairs. Consider future-proofing your property with anything from a Condensing to System, Combination or Energy Efficient boiler

Boilers account for at least 55%-60% of a person’s annual spend on energy. Make sure this money goes to good use and has efficiency built in.

Double glazing

Thankfully, most new projects have double glazed windows, but if you’re dealing with an old property, it’s likely to be single glazed. Double glazed windows work wonders when it comes to insulation. They’re made of two panes of glass with a pocket of air in between. This pocket acts as an insulating barrier to minimise the loss of heat through the window.

Triple-glazed windows are already hitting the UK market. Although they are more commonly used in the colder climes of Scandinavia, it might be a good idea to invest ahead of the market boom and add even more value to your property.

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image courtesy of architects practice
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