House renovation...Energy saving measures!!

sam1970

We moved into this 100 years old house last year (5 beds detached) and obviously there is a lot of energy waste considering the house age and the inefficient 40 years old boiler. My annual gas use (Heating and cooking) was 24000 KW in comparison with 12000 in our previous house. This is with very tight use of heating (2 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening in the winter months). Annual electricity use was 6000 KW and that is with energy saving bulbs every where.

We will be starting a loft conversion soon followed by complete house renovation (plastering, rewiring, floors, central heating etc) and apart from the obvious energy efficient boiler I wonder what other energy saving measures we should consider. Advice will be much appreciated

thozza

Try the DIY forum http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=39 where this type of topic is regularly discussed, this forum is mainly about off grid energy.

FreeBear

sam1970 wrote: »

We will be starting a loft conversion soon followed by complete house renovation (plastering, rewiring, floors, central heating etc) and apart from the obvious energy efficient boiler I wonder what other energy saving measures we should consider.

As you are plastering, internal wall insulation would certainly be a big help - I'd go for warm batten and aim for around 75mm of Celotx/Kingspan on the walls.

Floors are another source of heat loss, but insulating under suspended wooden floors can be problematic. The the boards are tongue & groove with 3x2 joists, your options are very limited.

If you are lifting the boards on the upper floors, it is well worth checking for draughts - I've got some howling gales blowing through under my floorboards upstairs and have identified some of the areas on the external walls where the wind is getting through. Slowing going round the place insulating between the ground floor ceiling and upstairs floor, sealing the gaps in the brickwork, and adding internal wall insulation.

If you don't have much in the way of loft insulation, that is one relatively low cost improvement you could do - Current minimum recommendation is 270mm of mineral wool.

sam1970

Many thanks for your reply. I will be considering your suggestions. As for the loft, we are actually starting with a loft conversion so hopefully that will sort it out

Ben84

If you're going to be doing extensive work, I think you could benefit from getting a professional energy audit to weigh up the options better.

High efficiency new boilers can look good, but then again, I'm happy with my reliable 40-something year old boiler and have very low heating bills despite it. Our house (1920s build I believe, so not modern) has now been insulated and draft sealed very well, including secondary glazing. Our need for central heating is very limited now, and it doesn't matter how efficient your boiler is, it isn't burning gas when it's not running!