Skip to main content

Home Energy - Footpaths challenge - Getting to know your home - Checking for draughts

It has been now more than two years that I am living in my home. I cannot claim I know my house very well in order to do all the energy saving changes. Thanks to Footpaths manual, there is a checklist to help in getting to know a home. It encouraged me to do some searches.

A number of energy saving changes were done before we got in the house

  • the 300mm of loft insulation
  • cavity walls filled
  • double glazed windows
  • the hot water tanks and pipes were lagged
We came in the house with good habits such as ensuring that the appliances and gadgets are not on standby and assets - all our lights are energy savings light bulbs. Nevertheless, there are still few things that are ought to be looked into more closely:
  • draught strips around windows and doors
  • heating controls programmed
  • thermostatic valves on radiators
Let start with ensuring that the house is draught-free!



With my beautiful little hand, I went all around the house checking if there were any drafts. I found one.
Under my front door. I now understand why the corridor is always very cold. So what options do I have to fix this little issue from the least expensive to more expensive options
- Do Nothing
- Make with reclaimed material a door draught excluder (see pic)
- Change the door sweeps
- Change the front door
Easy busy!

I have to choose one of those options. I might start with a door draught excluder!


What about you?

Did you check for any drafts in your house?
What did you do about it?


Comments

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Home Energy, Footpaths Challenge - Monitoring Energy Consumption

According to the Energy Saving Trust you could find that your energy usage drops by between  five and 15%  in the first year of using an energy monitor, which could be a saving of £25 to £75 on a £500 bill. I am following the homework of the Footpaths book as promised in previous post ( here ).  I set myself to read my meters every week to monitor my energy consumption. It is tedious.  I tried twice to make it an habit. I fell miserably. Reading is not really the issue but accessing the meter might be the issue. I better put my shoes elsewhere and learn to squat.  I recognise that for changing you have to recognise first your pattern of behaviour.  The truth of the matter is that I do not know exactly how bad we behave in our household. Badly, most probably.  Example - I spent most of the day in my warm gown with a hat on. The heaters  were off. Then family came back home in the evening. I went to the kitchen to cook. I came out of the kitchen, go...

Horrid Airbnb Experience - Part 6

In part 5, M. confront B. who is half of the man we first met. He cries and he is ashamed of himself. He promises he won't drink no more. We decide to keep him one more night and to help him with his car the following day. The night comes. M. is called to visit his sister. I decide to go with him reluctantly.  As M. and I come out of the house. B. comes down the stairs and said that he is going for a walk. I do not trust him. M. said to me to not worry that he talked to him and everything will be fine. We arrive in front of her sister house. I decide to go back to the house as I am not feeling well. I go back to the house. No one yet. I can hear the clickety of the keys in the door. I decide to open it because I know B. is back. He looks at me, scared. In his a Tesco bag with a pack of 10 Stella Artois. I am horrified. I decide not to confront him. He goes upstairs to the bedroom. I call M.: ''Come back to the house NOW''

Facilitation training

We will be holding our next Footpaths facilitation training on the 12th and 13th Jan, possibly in Leicester, maybe elsewhere. If you know anyone in some other part of the country who would be interested in finding the people for and facilitating a Footpaths group, please do give them my phone number (0116 2899074) or direct them to our website (  http://www.leicesterfootpaths. org.uk  ).