Many of us are looking for ways to reduce our energy bills as the prices soar, and from using our appliances at off-peak times like Stacey Solomon to making savvy energy-saving updates around our homes, we'll give anything a try.
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Now help is at hand courtesy of Grand Designs host Kevin McCloud, who has revealed his top energy-saving home improvements that could help to make significant savings on your bills. Speaking to Real Homes to celebrate Grand Designs Live, he revealed that loft insulation can be a good place to start, and while you will have to spend money on the installation, it will quickly provide a return on investment.
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"Some of the steps you can take to reduce energy, so insulation, for example, are real no-brainers because they are so cheap," Kevin said.
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"If you put in an extra four inches / 100mm of loft insulation in your house, that pays for itself within two weeks. Why wouldn’t you do that? Or put the third layer on for that matter, that also pays for itself quickly."
© Photo: iStockKevin advises against saving up for double glazing
Kevin also revealed his tip to save money on installing insulation, explaining: "You could ring up insulation suppliers and ask 'have you got any seconds? Have you had any returns? Have you had some stuff sent back to you from a major build because it’s got a dent in the corner?' For a fraction of the price you can buy insulation bi-product online."
Meanwhile, homeowners whose main concern is single-glazed windows don't need to worry about saving up for double glazing to improve insulation in their home.
© Photo: iStockThe Grand Designs host says loft insulation pays for itself within two weeks
The 62-year-old says that secondary glazing, which involves installing another layer of glass behind an existing single glazed window, is a no-brainer, as a more affordable way to provide better insulation and reduce energy costs.
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Kevin also shared another top money-saving tip for homebuilders during a recent interview on Chris Evans' Virgin Radio podcast. He revealed that swapping plaster for mud is not only cheaper, but also more environmentally friendly, and something he had seen in practice in an episode of his hit Channel 4 show.
"In the last recession people said: 'Oh it’s just going to be so difficult and hard and tough'. But when they think their way out of a hole, that’s more fun. Then you get people building their own fence panels and plastering walls with mud," Kevin shared.
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