Do you think your home could be more energy-efficient?

If you’ve wondered whether your home could be more energy-efficient, you’re not alone.

Research by property maintenance solution provider, Help me Fix, has revealed that a whopping 74% of homeowners in the UK now rank the energy efficiency of their home with greater importance as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, with many of them turning towards home improvements to help them cut their energy bills.

Ettan Bazil, chief executive officer and founder of Help me Fix said: “Many households will find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place at present, keen to upgrade their home to make it more energy efficient, but unable to cover the cost of doing so with our household finances currently spread thin due to the cost-of-living crisis.”

“But while a new boiler or double glazing is an expensive way to cut energy costs, there are a number of smaller, more affordable endeavours that can help cut your energy bills.”

“Energy suppliers are currently obliged to swap you to a smart meter, which is great for better managing your energy output. It’s also completely free to ensure you avoid leaving electrical appliances on standby and turn everything off at the plug when not in use.”

“You can also look to upgrade your appliances to more energy-efficient ones for a marginal cost, as well as the bulbs throughout your home. Every little bit helps in this respect and these minor changes will make a difference.”

“Finally, try and locate any drought areas within your home, even if it’s a makeshift solution, using a thick blanket to block the space underneath doors, for example. In doing so, you’ll ensure the warmth stays within your home and you can reduce the energy used heating it,” he concluded.

A survey was done across 1,000 UK homeowners who have purchased their home within the last six months and found that for over half (53%), a home’s energy efficiency rating was an essential consideration during their search.

It’s not all doom and gloom

There’s some good news: the average energy efficiency rating of our homes has increased by 10.5 points over the last decade, up from a score of 55.6 to 66.1.

Despite this, a significant number of homeowners are unsatisfied with their homes’ energy efficiency, so much so that 77% stated they had made a conscious effort to increase their homes’ energy efficiency.

The most common attempt to reduce those pesky energy bills has been done by simply turning off appliances at the plug when not in use. Energy-efficient lightbulbs also ranked high, while many have also opted to service their boiler to ensure it is running at its optimal capacity.

The installation of a smart meter was also a popular choice for those hoping to reduce their energy consumption, as was reducing draft areas within the home.

It seems as though it has been money and time well spent for the nation’s homeowners, with 56% seeing a reduction in their energy bills as a result.

That said, 78% still believe their home could be more energy efficient, however, the cost of upgrading their home is the main hindrance.