Much of the UK’s population live in terraced houses that have been standing since the Victorian era. Despite how old they are, they remain a huge staple in the UK’s housing market today, housing a combination of homeowners and renters. As with all housing, terraces come with their own challenges when it comes to energy efficiency. Here are a few pointers on how you can help cut down your monthly bills.
The general picture
In many cases, terraced houses are more energy efficient than semi-detached or detached houses. Most obviously, there are less external walls for the heat to escape through – especially in back-to-back houses. This also means you can benefit from any heat escaping from your neighbour’s homes.
On top of this, location can dictate how energy-efficient your home is. Homes located in rural areas tend to have lower energy efficiency ratings than those in towns, with band D being the most common rating for cities and towns, compared to band E being the most common band in hamlets and villages.
Improving efficiency during the winter
When it comes to improving the energy efficiency of your home, there are a number of things you can do.
- Draught-proof your home – Covering gaps in your home can do wonders for retaining any heat and preventing it from escaping. The Energy Saving Trust has helpful tips, from draught-proofing your chimney to installing letterbox brushes and putting draught excluders at the bottom of your doors.
- Install double glazing to windows – Double glazed windows create an additional barrier for the heat to escape through, on top of helping with sound reduction and security.
- Install roof installation – Even with the advantage of sharing terraced walls, much of the heat from your home can escape through your roof, so ensuring you have roof insulation in place is key.
- Fill gaps in floorboards – Not only does this prevent the build up of dust in the gaps of your floorboards, but it also helps to prevent more heat escaping from your home. Add a big, thick carpet on top to go one step further.
Keeping terraces cool in the summer
While terraces can be great for heat retention with the right adjustments in place, they can be notoriously tricky to cool down during the summer compared to other housing types. This is down to the fact that there is less room for any heat to escape.
As much as we may not want to spend money, certain investments can help us save in the long-term. We’re talking energy-efficient windows and wall insulation, both of which are just as handy at keeping hot air out in the summer as they are trapping the heat in the winter. Other more cost-efficient hacks include closing the windows and drawing the curtains to keep it cooler inside, or taking a cold shower before bed to help you sleep.
