Modern ideas to help an older home save on energy bills

One of the best things about the home counties is their beautiful traditional properties. However, the price of tradition is often high energy bills. Historically, older homes have been less energy efficient due to:

• Lower standard building regulations at the time of building
• Older household appliances that use up more electricity
• Inferior insulation
• Lower quality, single-glazed windows

As we all look to do our bit for the environment, we’re here to bring your property into the 21st century. We’ll be covering the best modern home improvement solutions to make your old home more energy-efficient, including:

• Upgrading your windows
• Enhancing your doors
• Replacing your conservatory roof
• Using LED lightbulbs

Improve your glazing

Some of the most common problems with older homes are draughts and poor heat retention. However, this does not have to be accepted as ‘just the way it is’. It’s very possible that your old windows are thermally underperforming, allowing air to enter through cracks in the frame, and allowing internal heat to transfuse through the glass. This is especially likely if the windows are single-glazed.

By upgrading to double or triple glazed windows, you can prevent heat loss and lessen the need for central heating through Winter. At Unique Glazing, our windows can achieve A++ energy ratings, making them the very best at retaining heat and preventing draughts. This modern technology doesn’t require you to sacrifice your traditional appearance either. With our timber-effect sliding sash windows, you can maintain your home’s Georgian, Victorian or Edwardian aesthetics, without paying the price on high energy bills.

Replace your front door

Old doors can also be a weak spot for draughts, especially if they’re made of timber. Over time, timber doors can split, allowing moisture to get inside the frame and cause it to warp. From here, it’s a fast track towards thermal inefficiency and poor performance. To combat this, we’d recommend installing a front door made from more modern uPVC or composite materials.

With Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) skin and a thermal foam core, composite doors are some of the most thermally efficient doors on the market. Furthermore, they’re also available in a range of traditional wood effect finishes.

Even the most pastoral homes can be accommodated with uPVC stable doors, which have outstanding energy ratings to prevent heat from escaping.

Replace your conservatory roof

Dating back to Victorian times, polycarbonate conservatory roofs are incredibly outdated. After a few years, the material is prone to dangerous leaks as well as terrible heat retention. This may explain why your old conservatory is becoming a cold and unused space. Thankfully, there are two modern roofing solutions to bring your conservatory into the future:

Glass conservatory roofs

Made with industry-leading Pilkington glass, our glass roofs use solar control panels to maximise thermal performance. Furthermore, like with our windows, the glass has energy ratings of A++.

Tiled conservatory roofs

Tiled roofs are remarkably strong and resistant to UV rays. However, they’re also exceptionally lightweight, making them very easy to install. Furthermore, their opaque material helps to prevent heat loss. When it comes to thermal performance, it’s hard to beat authentic tile.

Use LED lightbulbs

Finally, for a quick and easy improvement, LED lightbulbs provide far more efficient lighting. They can last up to 25,000 hours, using 18% less electricity compared to CFL, for the same amount of light.

Quality windows, doors and conservatories across the South East

At Unique Glazing, we manufacture and install windows, doors and conservatories with quality thermally efficient features. We serve areas across London and the South East of England. For more details on our products, or to ask us more questions about home security, please feel free to contact us.