We all get older and eventually retire. Something to think about...Is your Home Ready?
What I mean by this, is your home thermally fit? Do you have any renewable's? Utility prices continue to rise and will always do so. As you retire and are drawing from your pension will you be able to afford to heat your home.
While you are still working, now is the time to take into consideration what you can do to improve the energy efficiency of your home. Do you need to take out a loan to improve your home?
Here are some general costs to think about;
Solar
✔ A solar panel system for a family of three costs around £4,000-£6,000 in the UK
✔ Solar panels could reduce your monthly energy bill by nearly 50%
✔ Buy a solar battery and you’ll use all the energy that goes to waste in the daytime
External Wall Insulation
So with prices starting at £100/ m², how much does an average mid terrace cost to insulate with external wall insulation? Well approximately £7,000 + VAT, although the type of insulation selected will vary in cost.
There are many things that can be done to your home to improve the energy efficiency. The walls of your home lose 35% of the heat your generate from your heating system. Get these walls insulated. 25% of the heat is lost through your roof. These are both important measures that can save you hundreds a year on your heating bill.
So where do you get started? You can have an Energy Performance Survey done on your home to determine what can be done. Additionally as of January 1st 2020 there is a new legislation called PAS 2035. So what is this?
In General, PAS 2035 is the new over-arching document in the retrofit standards framework introduced following the recommendations of the Each Home Counts review. PAS 2035 essentially provides a specification for the energy retrofit of domestic buildings, and details best practice guidance for domestic retrofit projects.
Ok, what does that mean. Well in simple, with retrofit insulation the Government has brought PAS 2035 into force. The property will have an Energy Efficiency Survey, then an Occupancy assessment is done. We need to know how you use your home. Then recommendations will be made for the whole house so you will have a better understanding what can be done. The people that do the assessments will be qualified and insured professionals, so you will be protected from bogus traders. The Government Trust Mark Scheme will oversee this.
Best practice guides will be used to ensure the design work is carried out in the appropriate manner.
You can get more information from the Energy Saving Trust
So is your home ready for your Retirement?
Comments