Home Alternative Green Energy

If you have just moved into an older property that needs improvements then one of the first projects you should concentrate on is insulating your home. The benefits you will achieve include saving money in the long run on energy bills, ensuring your family are nice and warm during the cold weather, and adding value to your home.

Most utility companies have a website where they can work out your home's current energy bills and consumption from a questionnaire you fill out online. Then they make suggestions based on the information you give them on ways you can reduce these bills, mainly by concentrating on improving your insulation by incorporating draught proofing systems. 

The attic is one of the main places where heat tends to escape from, as we all know heat rises and when it reaches the roof space it should stop here and spread throughout the house, however if your attic isn't sufficiently insulated all that lovely hot air will simply disappear. It's quite easy to check, if you can see the wood joists then your insulation probably isn't sufficient. For maximum energy efficiency about 18 inches of insulation is recommended, this is quite an easy project to do yourself - take a trip to the local DIY store and you'll find everything you need there.

The walls of your home also need insulation to stop the outside elements from creeping in, if the property is a new build then rolled insulation should be put in the interior walls, if not you can blow in cellulose insulation either from accessing the interior or exterior walls. 

Any property with a basement needs to be insulated to prevent moisture, cold air and dirt from coming up through the floorboards. Rolled insulation should be in place but if it is not the cold air will come up into the house, meaning your heating system has to work harder and more energy gets wasted. Add fiber glass insulation between the joists in the crawlspace ceiling to keep the cold out and your home comfortable. 

Installing energy-efficient composite doors or UPVC windows will help keep the warm air in where it belongs and reduce your heating bills. Your energy bills will go down and the thermal efficiency of your home increase. UPVC windows and doors, along with attic insulation, will ensure your home is efficiently insulated.

UPVC windows also have other benefits; they can improve the sound insulation of the property by stopping noise from outside from seeping in, and keeping any noise you make from being overheard outside. They provide a high level of security too as they are strong and make it extremely difficult for anyone to break in. 

If you are serious about installing new windows and doors then carry out any research carefully. Don't just sign up for the first company that crosses your threshold, the difference in price can be huge so it will be worth your while to shop around. Doing your research online is a good idea as you have all the time in the world to browse through as many websites as you like making price comparisons and seeing the options available to you. There's no pressure from salespeople so you don't feel stressed or forced into making a quick decision. You can even get quotes online and the discounts are much bigger than any high street store. 

It's sensible to get more than one quote for your windows, to make accurate comparisons ensure they're for the same quantity and specifications each time. Ask each company for a quote and use it to haggle the price down. You don't have to accept the price they give you, most are quite willing to reduce their price if you just ask for a discount. 

Online you'll find a superb selection of UPVC windows, doors, roofing products and conservatory roof styles to suit every home.