Energy efficiency improvement of housing
With record high electricity prices, more and more of us have opened our eyes to energy efficiency measures at home. With the help of small and large measures, you can potentially reduce electricity consumption, and thus also your electricity expenses. There are several solutions that are relevant. Here we take a closer look at some of them!
How to save electricity in your house?
Everyone who lives in the household can do their part to contribute to lower electricity consumption. You can turn the temperature down a couple of degrees, take shorter showers and postpone the laundry until the times when electricity is cheapest. However, there are also a number of other measures that can be taken. These can help make the home more energy efficient without you having to do so much yourself.
Insulation
Many Norwegians live in older and drafty homes. If there is a lot of draft in your home, this is often due to poor insulation. In short, this means that much of the heat produced inside the home disappears, which is not very energy efficient.
A craftsman can assist with thermography of the home, and find out where the heat travels. Another tip is to lead a candle calmly along windows, nooks and crannies, and see where the flame moves. If the flame flickers, you’ve probably found an area where the heat is leaking.
It is common for a lot of heat to be lost through cracks between walls and floors, or between window frames and walls. If the windows are old, a lot of heat can be lost through the glass, too.
By insulating the home where there is a lot of drafts and installing double-glazed windows, you can significantly reduce heat loss. This is something you can do yourself, but many people prefer to get help from a craftsman.
Heat pump installation
Did you know that 50-60% of the electricity consumption of an average Norwegian household goes to heating the home? If you replace an old and energy-consuming heater with a more energy-efficient solution, you can potentially save a lot of money.
Heat pumps produce more heat energy than the amount of electricity they consume, which makes them very energy efficient. With a heat pump, you can quickly reduce consumption by more than 9,000 kWh annually. When the price of electricity is high, this can add up to many thousands of Swedish kronor over the course of a year.
Remember that heat pump installation must be carried out by a certified installer, and that it is illegal to install it yourself.
Heat pump = energy efficiency.
Take advantage of your automatic electricity meter
During 2019, Norwegian households had automatic, smart electricity meters (AMS meters) installed at home. These digital current meters meant that it was no longer necessary to read the current manually.
However, automatic electricity meters also offer other advantages. According to Enova, they also give you the opportunity to monitor your electricity consumption on your mobile phone.
It is also possible to automate power consumption, so that power-hungry devices are active when power is cheapest. Time-controlled power saving is very practical and energy efficient, and something your electricity supplier can help you with.
Other energy-efficient measures
There are countless solutions that can help make your home more energy efficient. In addition to the measures mentioned above, you can consider the following:
- Solar panels on the roof
- Solar collectors
- Water borne heat
- Ventilation system with heat recovery (balanced ventilation)
- LED lights instead of halogen or incandescent bulbs
- Smart water heater
Remember that many measures entitle you to Enova support. This means that part of the costs are covered by the public sector. This applies, among other things, to the installation of a water-borne heating system, smart water heaters, solar cell systems or liquid-to-water heat pumps.
A craftsman helps you with the energy efficiency of the house
Many energy efficiency measures require help from craftsmen. This applies, among other things, to all measures that provide Enova support. If you cannot document that the work was carried out by certified professionals, you will also lose your right to support.
Even when it comes to re-insulating the home, it can be good to let a professional craftsman do the job. That way, you can feel confident that the job is being carried out in a good manner in accordance with regulations.
How to finance energy efficiency measures?
Investing in energy efficiency costs money, but is usually economically beneficial in the long term. If you do not have funds saved, you may need help with financing. In that case, it is wise to find the right bank and the loan with the most favorable conditions.
Eiendomsfinans helps you obtain loan offers from several players, so that you can easily choose the most favorable solution.
Compare different offers, now!