Keep Warm Save Money

Transcription

1 Keep Warm Save Money in your Victorian House Make yohuorme Victoriaenfficient energy & y save mone

2 Heating Victorian Homes In 2013, the Times said Dorking was one of the best towns in the UK. Our beautiful Victorian architecture as well as events at Dorking Halls and walks on Box Hill earned Dorking its top town status. Victorian homes are beautiful, but can be difficult to keep warm. This leaflet gives advice on making your home warmer, reducing your energy bills, and helping the environment at the same time. Why are Victorian homes harder to keep warm than houses built today? Modern homes, unlike those built during the Victorian era, have insulated cavity walls, double glazing, loft insulation and no chimneys releasing warmth into the sky. Energy Survey In 2013, Transition Dorking and Mole Valley District Council arranged for a professional energy survey of a Victorian house in Dorking. The survey identified where heat is lost, and what can be done to make our homes warmer and cheaper to run.

3 What measures can you take? Fireplaces Loft Install a chimney balloon in your chimney when not in use. This keeps warm air in your home. Loft insulation is a relatively cheap and easy way of making your home warmer and cutting your energy bills. Don t forget to insulate the loft hatch too. Have you thought about a log-burner? They re much more efficient than open fires. Doors Draught excluder tape around your doors and windows will keep warm air in your home. A letterbox flap will reduce draughts. Windows In 2013, the Times said Dorking was one of the best towns in the UK. Our beautiful Victorian architecture as well as events at Dorking Halls and walks on Box Hill earned Dorking its top town status. Victorian homes are beautiful, but can be difficult to keep warm. This leaflet gives advice on making your home warmer, reducing your energy bills, and helping the environment at the same time. Why are Victorian homes harder to keep warm than houses built today? Modern homes, unlike those built during the Victorian era, have insulated cavity walls, double glazing, loft insulation and no chimneys releasing warmth into the sky. Energy Survey In 2013, Transition Dorking and Mole Valley District Council arranged for a professional energy survey of a Victorian house in Dorking. The survey identified where heat is lost, and what can be done to make our homes warmer and cheaper to run. Secondary glazing made from budget polyester and fitted to your windows in winter will keep draughts out and warm air in. Heavy curtains, roller blinds or shutters help too. Walls PIR or phenolic insulation on the inside of your external walls will cut heat lost through the walls and reduce your energy bills by around 300 per year. Hot Water Fitting a low-flow showerhead means you ll need to heat less water for a shower, saving you money. Radiators and your boiler Thermostatic radiator valves (or TRVs) allow you to set a different temperature for each room. Why pay to heat one room when you re in another? A new energy-efficient boiler, together with TRVs on your radiators, could save you around 200 in energy bills every year. Lighting LED lights are much cheaper to run than halogen lighting and because LED bulbs last for around 20 years, their lifetime cost is significantly lower. Warm Clothing Keep warm by putting on an extra layer.

4 Where does our energy go? In the house we surveyed: 62% space heating 33% external walls 11% windows 9% draughts 3% ground floors 4% roof 2% doors 26% hot water 7% appliances 3% lighting 2% cooking (up to 30% is lost from a house with no loft insulation) Paying for energy improvements Many of the measures in this leaflet are cheap to put in place. A basic roll of draught excluder tape starts at 1.50 for example. Other measures such as internal wall insulation and fitting TRVs are more costly and you ll need professionals to help you. The Green Deal is a government initiative which offers low-interest loans for home energy improvements and grants maybe available through the Energy Company Obligation Scheme. Contact Action Surrey, the impartial energy advice centre, on for information. Importance of ventilation Breathable materials, such as lime plasters and mortars, were used in the construction of Victorian buildings. These materials, particularly those in the external walls, are important for allowing moisture to evaporate, and protecting the building from damage such as rising damp. See Energy Efficiency & Historic Buildings, available free on the English Heritage website, for more information. Conservation Areas Many Victorian streets in Dorking are conservation areas. To retain the beauty of these roads, planning permission may be required before many external alterations can be made to homes, and for many internal alterations to listed buildings. Please contact the Historic Environment Officer at Mole Valley District Council on for more information. Could I generate renewable energy? If you have a south, east or west-facing roof, you could be generating electricity or hot water, reducing your bills further, and helping the environment too. Contact Action Surrey, the impartial energy advice centre, on for information.

5 Where can I go for more advice? Transition Dorking can help. us on transitiondorking@gmail.com or call us on and we ll try to answer any questions you have, or put you in touch with someone who can, or obtain a report for you if you have no access to the internet. Transition Dorking is part of the Transition Movement, an international grassroots response to the challenges of sustainability, peak oil and climate change. We establish initiatives enabling Dorking to become more independent and resilient in the face of change, and in doing so bring us together as a community. Transition Dorking was established in 2008 by a group of local residents. We are entirely volunteer-led and are always looking for people who can work with us. Further information - read the professional energy survey report and detailed advice on how to improve the energy efficiency of your home - visit the sustainability zone and find out about conservation areas - Surrey s impartial energy advice centre - Energy Efficiency and Historic Buildings - independent, free, expert help and advice on saving energy Designed & printed in Dorking by Squiggle & Netherne Print, Nov 2013 Working Together for a more sustainable Mole Valley Transition Dorking and Mole Valley District Council are working together to identify the best techniques for saving energy and keeping warm.