Budgeting for Necessary Upgrades
Many of the changes you would like to make can cost more than you’ve accumulated in your savings. If you feel that bringing your home up to current standards in sustainability is something that needs doing, the first thing you need to do is set a budget to ‘live’ by. You may need to re-mortgage your home to come up with the capital it will take to invest in these upgrades, but the savings you realise over time will more than compensate for the cost of a new mortgage loan.
That said, there are ways to find the best going rates with a user-friendly mortgage comparison tool online. In fact, you should never take out a mortgage, original or a re-mortgaging loan, without a reliable mortgage comparison source.
Begin by Insulating the Home
Bear in mind that many older homes don’t have the roof or outer walls well insulated so it would be up to you to have this taken care of. Although it is something that is typically done when the home is being built, there are ways to insulate without ripping out walls or ceilings. There are several foam insulating products that work extremely well and are even safer for the environment than many of the older products that were manufactured with asbestos.
Unfortunately, the removal of asbestos will need to be undertaken by a licenced team. While it may be a bit pricey to have this done, you must also think about the health of your family alongside the savings you will realise with cost-effective heat sources. Imagine what it would cost a family if the main source of income suddenly came down with a lung disease resulting from asbestos insulation in the home. The price you pay to have it removed and replaced with a safer alternative is well worth the cost. Also, anything that promotes good health falls within the realm of that which is eco-friendly.
Best Windows for Energy Efficiency
Most older homes were built with single paned windows. When upgrading the windows on a home to make them energy efficient, either double or triple glazed windows are installed. However, it may be necessary to install a whole new frame for each window to accommodate the extra width. Double glazed windows are two panes separated by 20mm and triple glazed are three panes separated by 12mm between panes. This forms an insulation barrier and with triple glazed being the most efficient, they would probably work best if it were possible to install them, depending on the age of the home and other variables.
Solar Energy
Finally, if you are looking to reduce your draw on the electric grid, adding a solar system to your home would save a significant amount of money each year. Then, if you produced more than you required and were able to feed some back into the grid, you would be compensated for that as well.
If you calculate the amount of energy that you would save every month by heating your home and water with a ground or air heat pump along with the savings from insulating your home, you will find that the cost of renovation could be quickly recuperated.It's a Combined Effort
Even so, your focus on going green for your home will add to the efforts of homeowners throughout the nation. As an increasing number of people join the effort to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels, it is possible to reduce the damage we are doing to the planet. The goal may be zero dependence by the year 2050, but as more people begin making necessary changes to their lifestyles, it may even be possible to reach that goal earlier!
In summing it up, you can look forward to drastically reduced energy bills while doing something positive for the environment. It starts with renovating that old home in which you live, but along the way, you can learn other useful tools that will ultimately make you a totally sustainable household. Now, that’s something to look forward to!
