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Energy Saving Tips For ‘Technophobes’

Light beige Duette® honeycomb blinds on floor‑to‑ceiling windows in a modern living room.

January 30th, 2018

Five Tech-Free Energy Saving Tips

Smart meters, Hive, ‘Alexa’ – consumers can be brainwashed into thinking “tech” is the only way to ‘save’ on ever-increasing heating bills in the home.

But let’s not forget the ‘basics” when it comes to saving energy – and the millions of ‘technophobes’ out there that, quite simply, won’t ever link their smart-phone to their heating system!

In fact, a recent national survey revealed that 14.4% of people are looking for “disconnection” in 2018 – with less technology in their lives!

While the big marketing spend focuses on all of the ‘new energy-saving technology’ that we can incorporate into our homes (that resulted in a triple-digit growth in ‘smart home appliances’ in 2017), should the focus actually be on creating “better insulated homes” – something that’s firmly the Government’s agenda* and is also fairly simple to achieve?

So given technology isn’t for everyone – the team here at Duette® blinds have come up with five “tech-free” back to basics ideas from for cutting energy bills in the home …for the technophobes among us!

1. Windows

Draught-proofing windows is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to save energy! No matter what age or type of house, draught-proofing can work.

A staggering 50% of domestic heat can be lost through windows so use these simple techniques to help insulate these “energy holes”.

Image credits: Which? And Duette® blinds

Draught-proofing windows is a simple DIY task, applying self-adhesive foam tape to a window frame (or ask a local handyman to do the job). A 10m roll of foam draught excluder, enough for four average windows, costs as little as £2.50 – but can save around £25 a year.

And a top tip is then to add energy-saving blinds, like Duette® blinds, proven to minimise heat loss from double glazed windows by up to 55%, keeping more heat in the room! The result of 20 years’ of product development and design Duette® blinds insulate windows using a honeycomb structure and special fabric. The blackout version offers the most insulation and there are semi-translucent and translucent variants. To find out more visit www.duette.co.uk

2. Doors

Door draft excluders (or snakes) can make a style statement for as little as £3 if you make your own. Alternatively, Not On The High Street has a fantastic selection. Amazon or eBay are also good places to find stylish solutions.

Close doors – It may seem obvious but if the central heating is on keep the doors to the rooms to be heated closed. Closing doors and keeping them closed to make sure the warm air current remains within the designated space.

Image credit: notonthehighstreet.com

3. Floors

Even the addition of the humble rug to bare floors during the winter months can retain heat. Rugs can warm a room by acting as insulation between the floor and feet. Generally, the larger and thicker the rug the warmer the room will stay. If a single large rug isn’t affordable or practical, consider several matching or coordinating rugs. Try The Rug Seller www.therugseller.co.uk

4. Skirting and sealing floors/skirting

Eliminate draughty gaps between the skirting board and floor by sealing them to make homes warmer. Often people underestimate the scale of this problem – the cumulative gaps between the skirting and floor in a room can equate to the same as a small window. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that a household can save £20.00-£40.00/room/year by filling skirting and floorboard gaps.

Image credit: draughtex.co.uk

Gaps can be filled easily and successfully with expandable foam tape. Simply push it into place with a wallpaper-stripping knife. Once in place, the tape automatically expands to the thickness of the gap and stays firmly in place. The black tape becomes an invisible shadow once in the gap. This can be undertaken on the floorboard as well as skirting gaps.

5. Loft insulation

A quarter of heat is lost through the roof in an uninsulated home. Insulating the loft, attic or flat roof is a simple and effective way to reduce heat loss and reduce heating bills. Loft insulation is effective for at least 40 years and it should pay for itself many times over.

Find out how much energy you can save with Duette® blinds, request an in-home design consultation today.