There are several reasons why your home should be well maintained and as efficient as possible. Reducing running costs, saving energy and the need to conserve water, are just three of them.

Your home is one of around 26m in the UK and collectively they contribute about 35% of the nation’s carbon emissions, which is the gas that most affects the planet’s climate. So it’s important that we look closely at ways to make a difference.

In fact, the Government has plans to make all UK homes zero carbon by 2050! This seems a long way away but it doesn’t mean that we can sit back and wait! We need to get moving now!

New homes built within the last ten years should all be up to an acceptable energy efficiency standard because housebuilders have had to comply with special regulations to ensure that this happens.

By far the majority of us, however, live in homes which could benefit from simple changes that would vastly improve their energy efficiency rating. Inefficient homes are not only costly to run they also have greater impact on our environment by producing higher carbon emissions. 

So it’s in all of our best interests to look closely at how we can change things for the better.

The UK has the oldest housing stock in Europe. Over a quarter of it has already been around for well over 100 years and will have to last for at least another 100 years, maybe much more! So it needs to be very well looked after!

During the last century many different house-types were built. These range from brick-built, solid wall construction Victorian and Edwardian homes through to the traditional brick/block cavity wall houses built between the wars and which are the staple method of construction today. There have also been various types of concrete homes as well as increasing numbers of timber and steel frame dwellings.

Whichever type you live in it can be improved and updated to meet modern requirements that will enhance your lifestyle and cut down those ever-rising running costs.

And a good starting point is to get your home an Energy Performance Certificate. This will tell you exactly how good or bad your home is at providing all of your creature comforts as economically and efficiently as possible.