Weatherproof Your Home Before Winter Hits

As winter creeps up on us, more of us will be noticing those little problems that seem to let the heat leave and let the cold draughts in.

Homeowners are urged to take necessary small steps to help protect their homes before the coldest weather hits. Taking the time to look at any problems now can save money down the line, and can also make sure that you are your family are comfortable all winter.

Saving Money and Adding Value

Utility bills have also risen by an average of eighteen percent this year, despite the fact that wholesale gas prices have gone down. Spending a little of your savings to weatherproof your property can actually pay off in the long run, making you more comfortable as a result.

Estate agent John Keeble also emphasises the fact that, not only will you be saving money, you’ll also be increasing value of your home by adding double glazing and insulation. More and more buyers are now looking at how energy efficient properties are to make their decision over what to buy, and how much to pay.

A few other factors to consider before the weather gets too cold include your boiler, which can save you a lot of money of you replace it with a new one. You should also make sure all your pipes are in working order to prevent any water damage. On top of this, draught excluders are a great way to keep the cold weather out.

Burglars Targeting Student Homes in Rusholme

Thieves in Rusholme have been hitting students as easy targets.

There has recently been a series of burglaries affecting students in the area. Items such as watches, laptops, cameras and games consoles have been stolen. However, sometimes the incidents are more serious, such as one girl getting her face slashed by an intruder.

The string of burglaries has led to the belief that student homes are being watched, and burglars target them when the students leave. Many agents add signs to their properties throughout the year, showing who it is let by. Many local residents are concerned that this is easily letting burglars know which are the student properties.

Some student houses are not kept in the best condition, where only simple locks are used on the backdoors, and back gates are not kept in good condition.

Some people have also been posing as BT engineers or fire safety officers and calling on houses. They have not yet been officially linked to the burglaries.

Letting agents Beech Properties are coming under scrutiny due to the state of their properties. Though they state that vulnerable windows use security grills, and that all windows are double glazed, the reality shows that this is not true.

Back gates have been easy to break into, kitchen windows are not secure, and many windows are not secured with grills.

Chief Inspector of Greater Manchester’s Metropolitan Division, John Egerton, stated that offences do usually peak at this time of year, but extra measures are being taken to help prevent the targeting of the student population.

Noise Abatement Order Issued to London Church

A London church has been shocked to receive a noise abatement order, restricting them to only use music for 20 minutes on a Sunday morning.

There had been a number of complaints, prompting the council to inspect the church. It is thought the complaints came from a neighbour next door, living in the building that was formerly a vicarage.

A trustee of the church, Mr Ade Ajike, stated that when the Church first moved to the road in 2007, the building was renovated including installing double glazing in all of the windows, which is widely regarded as one of the very best ways to reduce sound entering and leaving any building. Only one stained glass window was left in place.

Environmental Officers then visited and gave them the OK. However, a complaint was since made in August 2008.

Despite efforts from the church to reduce noise, the local council have stated that the church must not offend local Muslims living nearby.

This has led to the church reducing the noise and worship time to just 20 minutes of music on a Sunday. However, the neighbour continues to complain, even throughout the sermon.

Barrister of the Christian Legal Centre, Andrea Minichiello Williams, stated that ‘worship in a church is to be expected.’ And that this worship is a fundamental expression of faith for the local Afro-Caribbean community.

Village Hall Gets Grant of £25,000 for Refurbishments

Rillington Village Hall has recently been awarded grants amounting to around £25,000 for refurbishments.

The committee of the village hall, as well as Rillington Pre-school Playgroup, are using the grant to improve the kitchen and to build new disabled toilets. They are also developing an outdoor play area for the children, and helping to make the hall more insulated by installing double glazing in the windows.

Heather Drabble from Rillington Pre-school Playgroup stated that it is ‘fantastic’ and that there have been many positive comments about the work. In particular, double glazing now means that the hall is now a much more comfortable place to be.

The work is hoped to be completed by the end of the month, and should bring in new groups who will use the hall for a variety of activities.

The money was provided from a number of different sources, including the North Yorkshire County Council who gave the playgroup almost £10,000 for the outdoor play area.

The National Lottery Awards for All scheme provided an added £10,000 to help add the toilets and build a cloakroom. £5,000 was given from Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trist to upgrade the kitchens, as well as double glazing which will help to improve insulation in the building.

The hall is currently used by the Yorkshire County Women’s Associated, a toddler group, the brownies and others.

Now that the hall is a more comfortable place to be, Heather added that she hopes it will become a place for both young and old to enjoy.

Keeping Warm Without Breaking the Bank – Tips From the Energy Saving Trust

Now that the clocks have gone back, it’s really starting to feel like winter. The good news is that the Energy Saving Trust has come out with a list of ways to help you stay warmer without breaking the bank.

Avoid Draughts

Draughts are one of the things that can really make our home colder than it needs to be. By draught proofing your home, you can help to save £25 every year on your energy bills, and reduce carbon emissions by 130kg each year. There are many DIY options for draught proofing, but looking at the sources is important. Draughts typically come in through floorboards, pipes, letterboxes, chimneys and others. Your windows may also be draughty, and if so, double glazing can help to save a huge amount on your annual fuel bills.

Energy Saving Bulbs

Now that the clocks have gone back, it’s going to be getting darker a lot earlier in the day. Making the switch to energy saving light bulbs now means you will use 80% less electricity for your lighting, and could save about £2.50 per year for each energy saving light bulb you use.

Look At Your Boiler

Making sure that your boiler is serviced is also extremely important. Check that your radiators are effective, that your water pipes are insulated, as well as your tank. This can help you to save around £35 each year.

Criticisms of the Government Over MoD Homes

The government has recently faced much criticism over the ‘disgraceful’ conditions of the homes given to military families.

Reports show that over 10,000 houses are in a worse condition than they were a year ago, and 9,000 of these homes lack proper showers. These results come after a report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee.

A third of all the families questioned stated that their accommodation was in ‘poor’ condition. Only half stated that their homes were ‘good’. Of those questioned, a third said the homes were in a filthy state when they first moved in.

Many other problems exist with the homes, including the fact that they have broken locks, no double glazing, and don’t have modern facilities in the kitchens and bathrooms.

Homes are rated in categories of condition one (the top rating), condition two (satisfactory) and condition three or four. As it stands, almost 2,000 homes are in the third condition and 353 were put into condition four.

The homes have been criticised, saying that it is unfair that members of the Armed Forces have to worry about the condition of their home and whether they are being taken care of.

Defence minister Kevan Jones stated that 90 percent of homes are now rated within the top two categories. All of those properties in the bottom to categories will be improved with around £3billion set aside for upgrades, such as double glazed windows and doors.

Energy Performance Assessors Helping to Save Money

The non profit company, Severnside Housing, has stated that it saves around £20,000 every year after implementing measures to train staff as Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) assessors.

Rules have been in place since 2008 where all landlords, both in social housing and the private rental sector, have been required to provide an EPC to all new tenants. These certificates include a range of information about how energy efficient the property is, including how much it costs to run and its carbon emissions.

These certificates are put together after a survey has been carried out by a qualified assessor. It takes account of various features of any property, including how it is constructed, whether it has loft insulation, what kind of heating it uses, if it has energy saving light bulbs, and whether double glazing is used in the windows and doors.

Homes are then rated on a scale from A to G – a rating system which is also used on items such as fridges and washing machines. They include suggestions as to how energy bills can be cut down further.

Now that Severnside Housing can perform these EPC assessments themselves, they are making a saving of around £50 per property. With 400 homes, this equates to £20,000 a year.

Not only are the company helping to save money, but they are also providing valuable information on what landlords can do to cut down the energy use in their property.

Five Unusual Buildings from around the World

After finding a collection of unusal business and recreational building from around the World, we thought it would be nice to share them with you. Here’s our top five…

The Frank Gehry Building in Prague, Czech Republic.

An Oval Shaped Business Building

An Unusually Shaped Glass Building

The Moscow House of Music

The Michell Domes Conservatory in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

If you’ve got an unusual house and need double glazing in Scotland ask us for a free quote!

Londoners Are the Most Worried About Global Warming

When it comes to those in the UK who are the most concerned about climate change, those living in London are the ones that worry about it the most.

People living in the capital are more likely to be concerned about the impact that global warming is going to have on future generations, according to new research.

A survey was carried out by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and it showed that almost 40 percent of those living in London believe that climate change will have a ‘significant’ impact on their lives.

When it comes to those looking to rent or buy properties, those that are most attractive in London and elsewhere are the ones that already have energy saving measures installed. This includes more modern boilers and energy efficient double glazing in the windows and doors.

The energy and climate change minister, John Ruddock, commented on the results of the survey, stating that it shows that many people don’t realise that ‘climate change is already underway’ and that it could have ‘severe’ consequences for the lives of their children.

There are a number of simple measures that can be taken to improve the energy efficiency of homes, including insulation, energy saving light bulbs, double glazing, reflective sheets behind radiators, draught proofing and more. If everyone took up these measures, householders in the UK would save hundreds of millions of pounds, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

Saving Water for an Eco Friendly Home

When it comes to saving energy in your home, it isn’t all about our electricity and gas bills. Our water takes a lot of processing to get to us, which is why it’s important to consider how much you use if you want an eco friendly home.

Curator of the Eco Home Exhibition, Alex Goddard, recently spoke up about the importance of implementing a number of water saving measures in our homes. This would include rainwater collectors on the roof, that can then be used in the washing machine and to flush the toilet.

Alex stated that the current trends to make properties more eco friendly should look at water saving measures in these areas.

The Eco Home Exhibition is currently looking into a number of gadgets that work to specifically limit the flow of water through our taps and shower heads, to work at reducing water consumption without even trying.

However, this doesn’t mean that saving water is the only thing you should do.

Goddard has stated that insulating the home is paramount in reducing carbon emissions. This includes the walls and loft, but also means insulating your windows with double glazing. By doing so, you’ll dramatically reduce the amount of heat that escapes the home, meaning your house will be warmer and you can turn down your thermostat.

Goddard’s comments have come after the Energy Saving Trust recently announced plans to give out loans of £500 to £10,000 to Scottish homeowners to help cut carbon emissions.