If you want to upgrade the energy efficiency of your home, and upgrade your energy label to a higher standard, there are a number of things you can do.
Did you know you the government provides subsidy for most of our tips? With the subsidy, you get about a percentage of the costs back. To be eligible for the subsidy, you must have carried out at least two insulation measures within a year. Measures that qualify for this subsidy include insulation of the roof, HR ++ or triple glazing and exterior wall and floor insulation, for instance. It is also possible to combine one insulation measure with a heat pump, boiler or connection to a heat network.
1. Insulate the walls
One of the most popular and effective energy efficiency measures, and likely to cost you less than alternative improvements, is wall insulation. It can be a particularly efficient way of improving your score, especially if it’s a corner home or if the insulation was poor or lacking before.
Wall insulation, whether cavity wall or solid wall insulation can be a very effective way of improving a property’s energy rating. However, the costs vary significantly. Cavity Wall insulation on average could cost from €800 to €1250 to install for a typical row property making it an easy, simple and relatively cheap step to take, and could have a big impact on your overall EPC rating.
- Insulate the roof and floors
Increasing the insulation of your roof from the inside, at least 270mm thick, will have a significant impact on how much energy escapes through the roof. Did you know that when a roof is poorly insulated it’s responsible for the loss of 33% of heat! Insulating your roof will keep your home warm in winter and nice and cool in summer.
Floor insulation can be done best from your crawl space. A popular option is to inject the crawlspace with EPC pearls. If the cavity under your home allows it, a great second option would be to spray a thick layer or foam under the ground floor to keep the cold out.
Insulating the floors can be a challenge for those that do not have a crawl space. In that case the ground floor will have to be removed completely, some sand will even have to be removed. Insulation can be installed, and a new concrete floor will top it off.
3. Invest in double or triple glazed windows
There is no point investing in the latest heating and insulation technologies if you neglect the property’s windows. While having double glazing doesn’t have as much of an impact on the EPC as wall or loft insulation, it reduces the amount of heat lost through the windows.
Most homes in this day and age will have double glazing – and a property without double glazing will be less likely to reach the required efficiency rating, but this might not be the case for older properties. New double glazing could help to boost your property’s EPC score by five to ten points, and the cost is likely to be in the region of €2,000-€5,000 for a typical terraced property.
Triple glazing is a more drastic step but is becoming more popular and mainstream and can make it much more difficult for heat to escape from your home. However, these will likely be even more costly – for only a small improvement in your EPC rating.
4. Install more efficient equipment
Heating systems are the cornerstone of a property’s EPC rating. Depending on the age of the existing heater, switching to a newer, condensing model can significantly improve your rating. You might also consider upgrading to a different system all together. Think of a heat pump or city heating.
Pairing this upgrade with smart heating technologies such as intelligent thermostats and connected radiator or floor heating controls will also allow you to save on your heating bills and improve your rating.
By investing in energy-efficient appliances in your home, you can lower your bills as well. Think of light bulbs, showerheads, refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers and dryers. It might feel like a small step, but every little helps.
One of the major drags on a home’s energy efficiency is typically inefficient equipment. Switching to induction cooking and heated water through a 100-litre boiler in combination with solar panels can easily save you a lot of money.
5. Install solar panels
If you have the possibility to install solar panels, you will be able to generate electricity that you can use to power your home. Solar panels not only generate sustainable electricity, but you also save on your energy bill. The yield of solar panels depends on the location and the angle of inclination of your roof, the power, and your location in the Netherlands. If you live on the coast, there are more hours of sunshine than, for example, in the east of the Netherlands. The yield of solar panels in the Netherlands is on average 2,600 kWh / year.
