Energy Saving DIY Home Improvements
Practical advice to help you save energy at home, lower your energy bills, improve comfort, and protect the planet. Whether you're renting, a social tenant, a homeowner, or a landlord, this advice is for you.
DIY Energy Saving Measures
Letter Box Draught Excluder
A letter box draught excluder is handy for preventing cold air from entering your home through the letterbox and warm air from escaping. Draught excluders can also have positive impacts in helping to reduce external noise.
You can find handy explainer videos on YouTube: Fit a Stormguard Letterbox Seal Draught Excluder - YouTube
DIY Draughtproofing
Draught–proofing strips can be used to seal gaps around windows, doors, and floorboards to prevent draughts, reducing draughts. These strips are easy to apply and improve insulation, meaning that when you put your heating on you will notice the positive impacts of a warmer home quicker. Brush draught excluders can also be purchased and applied along the bottom edge of doors.
The Energy Saving Trust has some excellent additional information on this: How to draught-proof your windows and doors - Energy Saving Trust.
Radiator Foil
Reflective foil placed behind radiators helps to reflect heat back into the room rather than letting it escape through the walls, improving the efficiency of your heating.
How to install radiator foil to keep the heat in and reduce your energy bills - YouTube.
Temporary Secondary Glazing
A low-cost solution for single-glazed windows, adding a layer of transparent material to create a thermal barrier and improve insulation. Several types of temporary secondary glazing exist and can be removed once the winter period is over, to create a cooler home over summer.
How to do simple double glazing with window insulating film - Youtube
Magnetic secondary glazing - YouTube
Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs)
Allows you to control the temperature of individual radiators, reducing energy use in rooms that do not need constant heating. This helps lower your overall energy consumption. This video explains how radiator valves work, alongside handy tips:
How radiator valves work and how to set them up - YouTube
Eco-Shower Heads
Reduces water usage by mixing air with water, maintaining pressure while using less water. This can lead to lower energy bills, as less hot water is needed.
Eco Showerhead - YouTube
Tap Aerator
Similar to Eco Shower Heads, a tap aerator mixes air with water, reducing water flow while maintaining water pressure, therefore saving water and energy.
How to install a tap aerator - YouTube
LED Lightbulbs
LEDs are far more energy-efficient than traditional bulbs, using a fraction of the energy. Switching to LED lightbulbs can save up to £65 a year.
Did you know that regular lightbulbs waste a significant amount of energy as heat? Swapping to LED’s next time your light blows can be a great way to reduce your energy usage.
Boiler Jacket Cover
Adding an insulation jacket to your hot water tank can help retain heat, reducing energy loss and saving you around £40 a year by reducing external heat loss.
Hot water heater insulating jacket - YouTube
Pipe Insulation
Insulating pipes help to prevent heat loss from hot water pipes, making your heating system more efficient and reducing energy costs.
Insulating exposed water pipes - YouTube
Chimney Ballons
Inflatable ballon that blocks unused chimneys, preventing warm air from escaping and cold air from entering through the chimney.
How to install a chimney balloon - YouTube
Purchasing DIY items?
DIY home energy improvements can be purchased from your local DIY shops or online. To find your local DIY shop visit our Construction Directory.. Your local DIY and hardware shop can also offer advice on DIY and energy saving tips.
In need of DIY tools?
Local lending libraries Things in Common and Library of Things provide DIY tools for Islington Residents! Items can be rented for a fraction of the price compared with buying brand new and saves cluttering your home with tools you only need to use once or twice.
No-cost energy saving tips
In addition to these DIY measures, you can make simple improvements to your home's energy efficiency immediately by adopting these everyday energy-saving habits and tips.
Turn down your thermostat by just 1°C
Turning your thermostat down from 22°C to 21°C can save you £90 a year. If you are or live with elderly, ill or have small children, then it is important that the temperature does not go below 18°C. Maintaining your home's temperature at a constant 18°C is important for preventing damp and mould.
Adjust radiator valves
Only heat rooms that are in use can help to reduce wasted energy in unoccupied spaces. You can pick a warm space where you or your family spend the most amount of time such as the lounge.
Only boil the water you need in the kettle
Boiling only one cup of water instead of filling the whole kettle can save up to £11 a year. It might seem a small amount, but coupling this with other energy-saving tips can help save energy.
Heat the body, not the home
Focus initially on staying warm by wearing additional layers and using blankets instead of heating the entire home. There are also a number of low-cost solutions such as electric gilets, USB hand warmers and gloves, which all have low running costs.
Turn off standby mode
Appliances on standby still consume energy. Switching off standby can save you £45 a year. Turn off devices at the wall to reduce wasted electricity. If sockets are in challenging-to-reach locations i.e., behind the TV cabinet, you can purchase standby saves which can allow you to switch power at the socket remotely using a small remote.
Set radiators on a timer
Program your heating to come on only when needed, avoiding unnecessary heating. For example, turning it on half an hour before you wake up and half an hour before you come back from work. The Centre for Sustainable Energy has produced some excellent explainer videos on how to program your thermostat.
When turning the heating down or off, it's always important to remember the negative impacts a cold home can have on physical and mental health. Having a home that's poorly heated can also lead to frozen pipes and increase the risk of damp and mould.
Dry clothes in well-ventilated rooms
Instead of using a tumble dryer, which consumes a lot of energy, opt for air drying. This can save you up to £50 a year. A dehumidifier can also help reduce moisture and speed up the drying process. If possible dry your clothes outdoors, or if this isn't possible, try to keep a window open to prevent too much moisture building up.
Wash clothes at 30°C
Washing at a lower temperature saves energy and helps prolong the lifespan of your clothing. Washing at 30°C can prevent clothes shrinkage and preserve colours. Most modern detergents work just as effectively at 30°C.
Fix dripping taps
A dripping tap can waste more than 5,300 liters of water per year. Ensure taps are fully turned off and address any leaks.
Shorten shower times
Keep your showers to four minutes. This can save up to £95 a year on water and energy bills. Purchasing a small shower timer or playing a playlist of your 4 favourite songs can help keep you on time.
Move furniture away from radiator
Furniture next to radiators can prevent the warm air from reaching the room, being absorbed by the furniture instead. Creating a gap between radiators can allow hot air from your radiators to circulate effectively around your room. As well as helping to reduce damp and mould.
Review energy ratings of appliances
When your appliances are at the end of their lives, make sure you check the energy efficiency rating before purchasing a new one. An ‘A’ energy efficiency rating represents the most sustainable option and a ‘G’ the least.
Support and Services from Islington Council
SHINE – Seasonal Health Intervention Network
SHINE provides free, tailored advice to help you stay warm, reduce your energy bills, and access grants for energy-saving improvements. Services include home visits from an Energy Doctor and support with energy-related issues.
Net Zero Planning Advice
All Islington residents can access 15 minutes of free planning advice to help understand local planning policy and explore sustainable improvements to their homes. A great opportunity if you're thinking about making retrofit improvements.
Duty planning officer service | Islington Council.
Adult Community Learning (ACL) Courses
ACL offers free courses focused on energy efficiency and practical ways to cut your energy bills. These sessions are ideal if you're looking to build your confidence in making small, impactful DIY home improvements.
Islington Adult Community Learning
Construction Directory
Islington's Construction directory links you with local retrofit contractors and suppliers. You can also find your local DIY and Hardware Shop for purchasing DIY energy saving improvements.
More resources
If you're interested in going further, here are some trusted resources with practical advice and inspiration: