Green home improvements adding value

With energy bills soaring, the advantages of improving energy efficiency are becoming evident to many homeowners seeking to reduce their outgoings.

Research earlier this year from MAB suggests that over a quarter (26%) of British homeowners want to carry out improvements in order to make their home more energy efficient.

Give your home a price boost

Not only could energy efficiency improvements make a huge dent in your annual energy bills (up to ￡1,878, according to a study from WWF and Scottish Power), but they could also add an average of ￡10,000 to the value of your home.

So, what are the top green home improvements and how much could they add to the value of your property?

? Air-source heat pump – ￡5,000 – ￡8,000

? Solar panels – ￡1,350 – ￡5,400

? Electric vehicle charging point – ￡5,400 – ￡7,400

Take all three together, and the average is ￡10,000!

The smallest actions can make a difference

Despite their clear long-term benefits, the cost of installing low carbon technologies can be prohibitive – the average installation?cost of an air-source heat pump is nearly ￡11,000! Don’t worry – even the smallest actions can chip away at your energy bills and reduce your carbon footprint.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, these are the top ten energy savers that you can try without splashing too much cash:

? Keep showers to four minutes – ￡70 per year

? Avoid the tumble dryer – ￡60 per year

? Ensure appliances aren’t on standby mode – ￡55 per year

? Draught-proof windows, doors and floors – ￡45 per year

? Insulate your hot water cylinder – ￡35 per year

? Wash clothes at 30 degrees and less frequently – ￡28 per year

? Don’t overfill the kettle and fit an aerator to your tap – ￡36 per year

? Turn off lights when leaving rooms – ￡20 per year

? Only run dishwasher when full – ￡14 per year

? Replace baths with showers – ￡12 per year

Taken altogether, these actions could shave ￡375 per year off your bills!