Saving energy in your park home

We’re all conscious of the economic climate at the moment, so finding ways to save an extra few pounds each month can come in really handy.

Park home living is often much more cost effective than bricks and mortar property however, if you’re not being energy efficient, you may not be saving as much money as you potentially could.

Here are a few tips from the Coast team to reduce your energy consumption and possibly your monthly bills:

Insulate your external walls – it might seem a bit expensive initially, but wall insulation is designed to regulate the temperature of your park home, keeping it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Internal insulation is also effective, but professionally insulating your external walls will provide the greatest benefit. It may also help to prevent mould and condensation.  

Insulate your roof – around a quarter of all energy lost in a park home escapes through the roof. If your home has a pitched roof, ensure you install atleast 270mm of loft insulation. For homes will a flat roof you can either completely replace it with an insulated pitched roof or install a thermal internal lining. Bear in mind, however, that you must still have adequate ventilation to reduce the risk of condensation.

Change your flooring – heat is also lost through the floor so a good quality carpet with thick underlay underneath will reduce draughts. Make sure you also fill any gaps under the skirting boards where heat can escape.

Build a brick skirt – adding a brick skirt around the base of your park home can help to reduce heat loss at floor level. Don’t forget you’ll still need good access underneath the unit though, in case any maintenance needs to be carried out.

Draught proof your home – thoroughly check each room for any cracks in the window seals, door seals and windowsills, filling them as necessary. Simple measures such as putting a draught excluder under internal doors and a curtain across the front and back doors can also help to retain heat.

Give your hot water tank some TLC – did you know that you can reduce heat loss from your hot water tank by 75% just by fitting a British Standard jacket to it?

Get your timings right – you can also save pennies by ensuring the timer system is correctly programmed in your park home. Make sure it only comes on at essential times of the day and switches off again when you don’t need it. Turning your thermostat down by one degree could cut your heating bill by as much as 10 percent.

Add double glazing – like insulation, this might also seem like a big expense, but double glazing the windows on your home could have a massive effect on your heating bill. It also acts as an effective noise barrier; an added bonus!

Be aware in the kitchen – you could be wasting energy during cooking without even realising it. By not overfilling kettles and pans, putting a lid on a saucepan when boiling liquids, not leaving the hot water tap running and closing the fridge/freezer door as quickly as possible after use, you could save yourself money on both your electricity and water bills.

When you’re done, turn it off! – you’d be amazed how much electricity is used by appliances on standby, chargers left in the socket with the power turned on and such like. If you have finished using an electrical appliance, unplug it and turn the socket off at the wall.

Reducing wasted water – check taps and showerheads throughout your home to ensure they are not leaking. You can also reduce your water bill by only using your washing machine for full loads and cleaning clothes on a low temperature setting.

Let there be light – energy saving lightbulbs are another great way to reduce costs around the home. Keep curtains and blinds open during the day too; not only will your park home be naturally lit, any sunshine will help to heat the home.

From very simple changes to long-term solutions, we’re sure our ideas have given you plenty of food for though! Before installing any kind of insulation, however, we recommend that you consult a professional as it’s important to make sure your park home is still properly ventilated.

Coast is a specialist park home insurance provider with almost two decades’ experience offering comprehensive cover at a competitive price. For a quotation on your park home insurance, contact our friendly sales team on Freephone 0800 614 849.