As the autumn weather turns colder, many families are proactively seeking ways to reduce their energy use as, even with the £2,500 average household cap in place from today, October 1, bills have risen to untenable levels.

National Home Energy Week is showing homeowners that savings are possible – and that sometimes they can be relatively quick and simple to achieve. Running from 26^thSeptember to 2^nd October 2022, the initiative includes advice on energy efficiency, home insulation and installing renewables.

In the private rental sector, many landlords and tenants are working together to solve the problem of energy loss from the home, and online lettings platform lettingaproperty.com shares five top tips for lowering energy bills this autumn to mark National Home Energy Week.

–

1. Service the boiler

Boilers must be serviced annually as part of obligatory gas safety checks. However, servicing them again just before tenants turn them on to ward off the autumn cold can help to ensure that they are operating efficiently. An autumn service has the bonus of potentially heading off any problems before the winter months, when gas engineers are at their busiest and may be hard to call out at short notice.

–

2. Bleed the radiators  

Well-bled radiators can have a major impact on energy consumption. Over time, air can become trapped in radiators, making them less efficient and increasing the amount of energy needed to heat the property. Bleeding the radiators in the autumn can therefore reduce energy consumption and costs. Leaving radiators un-bled, on the other hand, can cause the heating system to go into overdrive and potentially fail, resulting in expensive callout charges.

–

3. Cover bare floors

While hardwood and tile floors can look fabulous they also mean cold toes as homes lose their summer heat. Carpeting the property, or simply adding rugs for the autumn and winter months, can help the property to retain its heat and keep feet toasty warm.

4. Prevent air leaks

Running a bead of caulk around the inside and outside of windows can prevent air leaks. It’s a quick and simple job that can eliminate chilly draughts – and with them energy loss – in minutes.

–

5. Use window film

Self-adhesive window film is another quick win when it comes to reducing energy consumption. Applying it over window glass can help the home to retain heat as autumn temperatures dip. And with a wide range of textures and patterns available, it can also be an inexpensive way to give a room a new look and feel. Perfect for the change of season.

–

“Getting a property autumn-ready at the start of the season can pay off significantly, compared to doing it once temperatures have fallen. Reducing energy loss is good for the planet and for the wallet, so we would encourage all landlords and tenants to think carefully about undertaking these and other energy-saving measures as soon as possible” says lettingaproperty chief executive Jonathan Daines.