The growing relevance of energy efficient homes
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Period Homes
A large portion of our homes in the UK are considered 'period or character'. These homes often have a certain charm, attraction, and individuality in comparison with more modern counterparts and will always hold a special place in our hearts. Whilst impossible to reform these often historical and important buildings to 'passive' or modern efficiency standards, there are a number of solutions available to their owners to safeguard against rising energy prices.
Air source heat pumps, replacement boilers, secondary glazing and internal insulation can all combine as positive changes, often without sacrificing any character features or originality. And small changes such as installing temporary chimney balloons, upgrading radiators, plugging keyholes and sealing gaps in doorways or junctions can helps top warm air escaping and aid towards a surprising saving in household running costs.
Should you be looking to undertake a comprehensive refurbishment of a period property, Historic England recommend the use of an air tightness test and thermal imagery technology to identify any leaks or cold spots within a home. Improving the insulation of an older property is seen as essential for other energy efficient systems to work effectively, which is why Historic England stress the importance of homeowners taking a full and considered view before diving in and making costly changes.
The retrofit of an older property may include installing breathable wood fibre insulation panels on the walls and under the original floorboards, or the installation of a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system which extracts warm and stale air from the kitchen and bathroom areas and supplies fresh filtered air to the rest of the living space. Not only could your property benefit from a lower energy consumption, but the system also reduces dust and pollen, making the air cleaner and healthier.
