As summer draws to a close, thoughts inevitably turn to the colder months and the perennial challenge of keeping homes warm without incurring exorbitant energy bills.
For many, the prospect of rising costs, a desire to reduce their carbon footprint, or simply the wish for a cosier home free from heat loss, prompts a search for solutions.
Simon Bones, founder and CEO of Genous, offers reassurance, stating that homeowners “don’t necessarily need to tear your house apart… or spend a fortune.”
He suggests that these common issues can often be resolved through a home retrofit, promising an “energy-efficient house that pays you back.”
1. Start with simple insulation – loft and cavity walls
If your house was built before the 1990s, there’s a good chance it’s missing some basic insulation.
“Think of your house like an insulated flask,” suggests Bones. “You want it to keep the heat in.”
However, without insulation in the loft, all that warmth you’re paying for is floating up – and out through the roof, says Bones.
“Same with the walls, if there’s an unfilled cavity in there, which many homes have, you’re losing lots of heat through the walls, too.”
He says getting your loft topped up with insulation is usually a quick job that can be done in a day, and boarding can be put over the top… so you can still store things up there.
“Cavity wall insulation is a bit more complex as installers drill tiny holes in the walls and fill the gap with beads,” he explains.
“A typical home loft insulation upgrade might be £1,500-2,000, with cavity wall insulation toward the top end of the same range – and there’s a government subsidy available that can reduce the cost of the cavity insulation, if your property qualifies.
“Both upgrades will make your home feel warmer, cut your bills, and you’ll notice the difference straight away,” underlines Bones.
2. Ditch the boiler for a heat pump
Heat pumps are like fridges that work in reverse, explains Bones. “They take heat from the air or ground and use it to warm your home and your water.
“Yes, the upfront cost is more than a new boiler, but if designed properly and using a high-quality unit, it can be cheaper to run, especially if you have solar panels or a home battery,” explains Bones.
You’ll be using electricity instead of gas, which is cleaner and better aligned with where the UK grid is going, he says. “And your energy usage should be a quarter or less than what you were using with fossil fuels.
“Add smart tariffs, and that can bring down the cost of running the unit since single-rate electricity is currently much more expensive than gas or heating oil, in particular,” suggests Bones.
He says most people go for an air source heat pump. “It looks like an air conditioning unit and sits outside. You’ll need a bit of space indoors (they need a hot water tank), and you may have to upgrade some radiators, he explains.
“But a heat pump can heat any house if it’s designed properly. And with government grants like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, it might not be as expensive as you think,” suggests Bones.
“The scheme offers £7,500 towards the cost of an air source heat pump, provided you qualify – most homes do,” he adds.
3. Solar panels
Solar panels are a great way to generate your own electricity.
You might think it’s not worth it because we don’t get constant sunshine, highlights Bones. “However, the good news is that solar panels don’t require direct sunlight to work – and an array on most houses will cost between £5,000 and £10,000, depending on size, scaffolding and whether you add a battery.
“Payback in less than ten years is typical, especially if you have dependable electrical demand (like a heat pump) and are at home during the day,” he suggests.
Add them onto your roof and they’ll quietly soak up the sun and churn out electricity through the day, says Bones. “That means cheaper bills, less reliance on the grid, and in some cases, even getting paid for what you don’t use.”
He continues: “The tech has come a long way – panels are more efficient and more affordable than they used to be, and they’re pretty unobtrusive now.”
4. Smart controls – for heat, light, and everything else
“A lot of energy gets wasted simply because we forget to turn things off, or the heating’s on when we’re not even home, or for a room that isn’t being used,” highlights Bones.
“A smart thermostat lets you control your heating from your phone. Left work early? Turn the heating on before you get home. Going away for the weekend? Dial it down remotely.
“Single zonal smart thermostats can be had for a couple of hundred pounds,” suggests Bones. “While smart TRVs (radiator valves) cost a bit more depending on the size of your home, but give more flexibility.”
If you really get the bug, he says there are smart plugs, smart lights, and even smart hot water timers. “And they don’t just save energy, they make life easier.”
The bottom line…
Intelligent retrofitting doesn’t have to mean gutting your home or spending tens of thousands of pounds, says Bones.
“Start with the high payback options for the building fabric (normally insulation), and then think about gradually electrifying, and putting in smart tech to control that electrified home better,” he advises.
Each step can make your home warmer, greener, and cheaper to run… it’s not about perfection, it’s about progress, says Bones.
“One upgrade at a time, and before you know it, you’ve got a proper 21st-century home with 19th century bones.”
