How retrofitting could reduce gas and electricity bills

While moving into a new house which has been built in the last eight or nine years could mean households benefit from the latest in energy efficient technology, such an ambition may still be out of reach for many Britons financially.

With this in mind, the Guardian has recommended that households residing in a property built before 2001 which may not have the greenest appliances or the most insulation should consider taking steps to retrofit their entire home in order to lower their carbon footprint - which gas and electricity bills could also be reduced.

The publication stated: "Whereas a typical-sized house from the turn of the millennium might have an annual carbon footprint of four tonnes, an unimproved Victorian or Edwardian equivalent with no wall insulation, open fireplaces and single-glazed windows would use much more energy and create roughly twice as much CO2."

Taking a retro look at property

In order to lower these carbon emissions, along with gas and electricity bills, the article asserted that Britons should first consider finding out how much heat is leaking from their property.

Doors, windows, walls and lofts can all be culprits when it comes to wasting valuable home energy, leading to gas and electricity bills increasing, so it is worth making an investment in insulation and double glazing.

But in addition to this, central heating can also be given an efficiency boost by investing in a new gas boiler if the current model is over ten years old.

The Guardian recommends a modern condensing boiler - or a biomass boiler if a property is not situated on a mains gas network - could end up paying for itself through the significant reduction in gas bills it will make.

Modern homes could also be greener

But it is not only Britons who live in older properties too could find there are ways they could lower their carbon emissions.

The Guardian stated that while in such properties walls, lofts and floors are already likely to be well insulated and there may already be a condensing boiler and double glazing in place, improving home energy efficiency could help to lower carbon emissions.

In addition, Britons could also find themselves saving money on their home energy bills, which may mean there are ways households can live greener lifestyles, no matter what the age of their property.