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We are offering all Build Scotland readers a FREE pair of tickets worth £16 – Click here to register for your free tickets now www.homebuildingshow.co.uk/buildscotland
One of the highlights of the show are the eight free seminars taking place each day. Eco expert Tim Pullen will be presenting two seminars each day - Energy Efficiency – The Ten Best Eco Home Investments You Can Make and Choosing The Right Heating System. Over the next two weeks Tim will be sharing his tips top 10 tips for creating a greener home.
1 Draught proofing – The cheapest, easiest, most effective and least interesting way to reduce your energy bill. Sealing gaps around windows, doors, floorboards, skirting boards, loft hatches, pipes, fireplaces can make a huge difference. In a typical house 15% of the heat is lost to draughts. If you have an unused fireplace with an open flue that figure can get over 50%.
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2 Insulate – Doubling the thickness of insulation will increase the cost by less than 25% - the labour element remains largely the same. Insulation is king in an energy efficient home and whether the insulation is Rockwool or Kingspan, sheep wool or cellulose will depend on preference and budget.
3 Windows – double glazing is good, but replacement units are not always the answer. Secondary double glazing can come in at a tenth the price and will be almost as good. Remember, we only lose 10% of the heat through the windows so be budget aware.
4 Lighting Power – Halogen bulbs are not energy efficient. Use LED’s or compact fluorescent. The average kitchen will need at least 8 halogens at 50W each. LED’s will give the same amount and quality of light for less than 100W.
5 Power Consumption
As the proliferation of electrical equipment has increased so the amount of electricity used by the average household has increased – at a steady 2% per year since the 1960’s. Minimise electricity consumption by using things like low-energy lighting, power-down plugs and A-rated appliances.
Look out for Tim’s final five tips next week.
TICKET OFFER
Click here to register for a free pair of tickets to the show worth £16
