Top Features Buyers Look for in Energy-Efficient Properties

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With the government continuing to encourage people across the UK to adopt greener solutions, coupled with energy bills remaining high, many property owners are exploring how to make their homes more energy efficient.

As professional tradespeople could be called in to install some of these beneficial features, it is important that those in the trade understand the top green property equipment that is currently well sought after.

Induction Cooking Hobs

If you often fit new kitchens to properties, you may have found that induction cooking hobs are being requested more frequently.

As well as providing property owners with a simple yet sleek design to really allow this area of a house to stand out, induction hobs are now one of the most energy-efficient cooking appliances on the market.

This is because these hobs minimise the amount of energy and heat loss by only heating cookware directly through an electromagnetic induction process. Less heat will escape into the environment surrounding the cooking area then, while further energy waste is prevented as the hobs automatically switch off as soon as a pan is removed from the heat.

We have a fantastic selection of induction hobs available, when you need these features for your next kitchen redesign project.

Heat Pumps

A more sustainable alternative to a gas boiler, it should be no surprise to see that heat pumps are appearing around more properties throughout the UK.

These electric-powered heating systems, sized and installed correctly, allow property owners to achieve all of the following:

• Bring down the amount of carbon emissions released from a property.
   

• Cut running costs of having heating systems on, when part of a retrofit plan with other interventions.
   

• Reduce a person’s reliance on fossil fuels.

With the UK aiming to transition to a nation that eventually produces net-zero emissions, property owners in England and Wales could also save on how much they pay for a heat pump if they are eligible to apply for the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme. 

Grants and/or an interest-free loan funded by the Scottish Government may also be available to property owners across Scotland via an application on the Home Energy Scotland website. 

However, please take note that the Northern Ireland version is now closed.

We have plenty more information about heat pumps if you are only starting to install these heating systems within this helpful guide.

Smart Heating Controls

Staying on the topic of heating a property, your professional trade services could also be required to fit smart heating controls throughout a house.

With this stylish technology in place, property owners will have a solution to enable them to keep on top of their energy bills.

After all, the devices can allow people to remotely control which rooms in their property are heated up by using apps on their smartphones. Schedules can also be set, while the gadgets even have the capability to learn someone’s habits and adjust heating settings automatically.

Purchase the smart heating controls you need for your next job on our website and be sure to check out our guide to smart homes as well for more ideas about bringing properties into the 21st century.

Underfloor Heating

No longer only an option for those with luxury abodes, underfloor heating solutions are now more readily available. They are also a great way for property owners to solve the problem that their floors can lose a huge amount of heat when additional insulation is fitted at the point that the underfloor heating is installed.

Underfloor heating can be achieved in a property by applying insulation under suspended timber floors. 

Laying rigid insulation onto concrete flooring is another option. However, placing insulation onto an existing concrete floor can have some major implications. Stairs may not be compliant, worktops and sockets may become too low, and door heights may be reduced, for instance, so plenty of planning needs to be done for this much more complex method.

Either way, the heat will be distributed more evenly across a floor than the likes of traditional radiators can deliver – especially when paired with the heat pumps we mentioned earlier.

Read through our underfloor heating advice article for top tips on fitting these systems effectively.

Solar Panels

While our last feature for making a property more energy efficient isn’t anything particularly new, solar panels continue to be a great way to reduce someone’s reliance on fossil fuels.

The technology has advanced a lot since solar collection techniques were first introduced in the 1970s, with the latest solar panels on the market much more aesthetically pleasing than their predecessors.

Solar panels can be combined with battery storage units too, so that free and clean electricity can be stored and then used by property owners when required. Ideal instances can include at night, during a power cut or during periods when energy companies charge peak-time electricity rates.

As a side point, battery storage is also becoming a great way to lower energy bills – even without solar. This is because this method can open up new tariffs to store energy when the network is full, similar to how energy companies now offer lower rates during the night to those with electric cars.

Wondering which technology that you will need for your next home improvement job? Don’t delay in discovering our handy guide of the different types of solar panels available for you to buy today.