Homeowners 'should insulate before buying solar panels'

Article date : 16/08/2010

Making sure a home is thoroughly insulated should be a priority in the properties of people who want to live greener and more energy efficient lives.

Gordon Miller, sustainability and communications director of Sustain, said that before people even start to think about generating their own power or hot water using solar panels, they should be making sure that their home is properly insulated.

He added that this was one of the key components of an eco-friendly home, meaning the building retains heat better in the winter, but stays cool in the summer.

Mr Miller added there are also lots of small changes consumers can make to save money on their bills, such as not over-filling the kettle.

"When you step up to the bigger stuff like insulation and so on, it does cost a bit more, but it is not a huge amount of money. You can save a couple of hundred pounds a year, so the payback is only a year perhaps," he explained.

In addition to insulation, having central heating systems modernised so they include the latest heating controls and a condensing boiler could also see Britons saving over £200 a year on their utility bills, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

Written by Jasper Cullen

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