3 simple renovation tips to make your home energy efficient

Most people live in older homes designed and built with little thought given to energy efficiency. Fortunately, there are many ways improvements can be made to the energy efficiency of an existing building. Here are a few tips to make the home you live in more energy efficient:

• Shutters are a traditional way of containing heat in a house. Leave them open during daylight hours so that ­sunlight can get in; close them at night to keep heat from radiating out through windows. Slatted shutters can be used in summer for shade.

• Double-glazed windows greatly reduce heat loss by creating a layer of dead air between the panes that acts like insulation. For maximum benefit, windows should fit tightly and joints should be fully weather-proofed. Cover single-glazed windows with heavy curtains in winter.

• The energy efficiency of an existing house can also be greatly improved, although at a cost, by rearranging the interior spaces.
• Where the bathroom, laundry, and even the garage take up valuable space along the northern side of the house they might be moved to make way for living areas.
• For some homes, the addition of a north-facing wing may be possible.

• Domestic architectural styles of the past tended to shun sunlight; many old houses will benefit from opening up to the sun.
• The north-facing side of the house, where a few small windows may be found, can be fitted with an array of generously proportioned windows that will let in the winter sun.
• Where ordinary north-facing windows cannot be provided, a clerestory window might allow winter sunlight to shine through the roof.
• In some homes there may be a way to glass-in a north-facing balcony to create an old-fashioned "sunroom" which will trap solar heat and direct it to other parts of the home in winter.

It's as easy as that! These simple renovations could go a long way to making your home more energy efficient. This, in turn, will save you cash and decrease your carbon footprint!