Keeping your home cosy and energy efficient as the nights draw in

How to prepare for an energy-efficient autumn/winter season As the cooler months set in across the UK, there's no better time to ensure your home is ready to combat the autumn and winter chill. Retrofitting an older home with energy-efficient upgrades not only helps to keep it warm, but also reduces heating costs and carbon emissions. The benefits of an energy-efficient home A well-prepared home is vital for enduring the colder months, and retrofitting can yield multiple advantages: Lower Energy Bills: efficient insulation and heating systems reduce reliance on constant heating, keeping bills manageable. Increased Comfort: insulation and draught-proofing retain…
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Protecting your home: weatherproofing tips for all eventualities

Our unpredictable weather With the UK's weather continuing to shift from being intensely cold to predicted April/May heatwaves (with talk of snow flurries in between) we thought that now would be a good time to post some tips that could help you to protect your home... whatever the weather. Preparing for cold weather Proper insulation is key to keeping your home warm and energy-efficient during the cold weather. Whilst the autumn-winter season is ordinarily the perfect time of the year to take care of these fixes, it's never too late - or too early - to put things in place.…
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Why improving indoor air quality matters

  'All we need is the air that we breathe…' When we think about air pollution, we often picture smog-filled city streets or industrial emissions. However, the quality of the air inside our homes and buildings can also have a significant impact on our health and well-being. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the cleanliness and purity of the air within enclosed spaces such as: homes, offices, schools and public buildings. It encompasses factors such as the presence of pollutants, levels of humidity, and ventilation rates. Poor indoor air quality can lead to a range of health issues, including respiratory…
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A breath of fresh air: home ventilation and sustainable living

As winter draws in… Although you may feel like closing the curtains tight and shutting all windows to keep the cold air out, this practice could be harming your home - and yourself. It's only natural as the air outside gets colder, to want to cosy-up indoors - but in doing so, we are also in danger of blocking out the fresh air that we need so much. With sustainable living, we often focus on energy-efficient appliances, renewable energy sources, and eco-friendly materials. However, one crucial aspect that is sometimes overlooked is home ventilation. The air we breathe within our…
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Damp and Mould: Why education and retrofit are key to eradicating the health scourge of bad housing

Damp and Mould: two of the most common problems in poorly maintained housing The more people who can live a decent life by being kept out of fuel poverty and out of hospital, the better off the entire country is. Take a look at this Headline: Tackling cold homes would save the NHS £540mn per year, new BRE research reveals Here I examine the causes and health impacts of damp and mould and explore how education and retrofitting can help to eradicate these problems, particularly in low-income communities. Causes of damp and mould Damp and mould are caused by excess…
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