Make Your Period Property More Energy Efficient

A Victorian or Edwardian property often has a wealth of character features. Unfortunately, with the charm can come expensive energy bills as the property will often lack the energy efficiency features that are now standard in residential new builds.

Property owners today are motivated to make their homes as energy efficient as possible – not only can you save money, but the home is more comfortable and it is more appealing to potential buyers who are conscious of their monthly bills when buying a new home.

Therefore, it’s worth considering measures to bring your older property up to date. With period properties it’s essential that this is done properly and sympathetically to the original features of your home, helping to retain its unique character.

Landlord responsibilities

Landlords letting properties were built at the turn-of-the-century properties also need to be aware of the Government’s new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), which prevent you from granting new leases on homes with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating below E.

Get the right advice

If your property is over 100 years old, talk to an architectural conservation specialist about getting a historic building survey along with information on how to address the issue of energy efficiency in the overall context of preserving the architectural features.

Loft insulation

A quarter of your household heat is lost through an uninsulated roof, and this can be higher in an older property. It is simple to install roof insulation, and shouldn’t cost too much. The benefits are well worth it.

Flooring

Period properties are often have timber flooring throughout the house, and these tend to have draughty gaps. Consider installing a wood, laminate, luxury vinyl or carpet with a good quality insulating underlay.

Walls

Houses built before around 1920 tend to have solid walls rather than cavity walls. Without insulation, it can account for a huge 40% of your property’s heat loss. Insulation is possible from the outside or inside, but needs to be installed by professionals.

Windows

Wooden sash windows are a stunning period feature, but they aren’t particularly energy efficient when compared to double or triple glazing. There generally isn’t a need to replace them as they are built to last, but they may need to be refurbished and draught-proofed to make them more energy efficient. It’s also possible to fit secondary glazing.

Check your boiler

If your boiler is more than 15 years old, you may need to get a new, more energy-efficient system fitted. If it doesn’t need to be replaced, you can have radiators power flushed and have individual thermostats installed onto your radiators. It’s also worth turning radiators off if the room is rarely used.

Radiators

If your radiators are positioned under a window, you could be losing more heat than you necessary. Therefore, if it can’t be moved, insert a reflective panel on the wall behind the radiator to bounce the heat back into the room.

Vanilla Square – highly personal sales and lettings! Whether selling or letting property, you will always be liaising with one of our business partners, which makes our service that much more responsible and approachable. When you instruct us, your property will reach a wider audience as we are one of the few agents who are present on all the major property portals to offer sellers and landlords maximum exposure. If you’re looking to buy, sell, rent or lease your property, or you’re simply considering the idea, contact us by calling 0141 229 0210 or pop into our new office at 711 Great Western Road. One of our partners will be delighted to help and provide you with impartial, expert advice.