An energy efficient home is not only good for the planet, it can also lower your bills and save you money. From small everyday changes to major renovations, more and more homeowners - and potential buyers - are making energy efficient homes a priority.
Making your home more energy efficient can bring a number of benefits, such as:
There are many methods you can try to save energy at home. These can include simple lifestyle changes, such as washing your clothes at a lower temperature or running your air conditioning only at specific times of the day when you need it most.
But there are also more significant changes you can make, many of which have the added advantage of providing money-saving opportunities or adding value to your home.
From kettles and juicers to washing machines and dishwashers, more and more of the household appliances that we use every day are becoming energy efficient. Sometimes these appliances are a little costlier at first, but the small everyday saving you will make on this can really add up over time. They are often designed to last longer than their competitors as well, making it less likely that you'll have to replace them in a few years.
A significant amount of the average person's energy bills will go towards air conditioning.
Investing in proper insulation for your walls and roof, or draught-proofing your windows and doors, will help to regulate the temperature of your home and prevent hot air from becoming trapped. This has the added benefit of making your home more attractive to future buyers if you ever decide to sell.
Renewable energy is generated from sources such as the sun, wind or water and reduces our reliance on fossil fuels. As well as choosing eco-friendly energy suppliers, you can also generate some of your own power by installing solar panels that use sunlight to generate electricity or provide hot water.
Making energy saving improvements to your home can be a great investment, but it does involve spending some money at the outset. Fortunately, there are a number of routes that you could explore to finance these improvements without breaking the bank.
If you have some spare cash available, using your savings can be a good option to fund home improvements, especially smaller projects such as draft-proofing. Paying up front helps you to avoid possible interest charges that come with borrowing. However, it's important to consider whether there are any charges for withdrawing your savings, and whether you'll have enough money left for a rainy-day fund.
We offer a number of loan options that might help you to finance energy-saving home improvements.
Construction loan - For new builds and renovations, make interest-only repayments for the first year while construction is underway.
An Energy Efficiency Loan - Energy Efficiency Loan must be wholly used for the purposes of installing energy efficiency, renewable energy and clean transportation equipment at home
Electric Vehicle Loan - An Electric Vehicle Loan refers to loan products that are solely for the purpose of financing customers to purchase Electric Vehicles or Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles. Electric Vehicles are vehicles that utilise rechargeable battery packs and electric motors. Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles are vehicles that combine a conventional internal combustion engine system with an electric propulsion system that utilises a rechargeable battery pack.
Home improvement loan - Take advantage of flexible terms and competitive interest rates when you take out a loan for common home improvements such as a new kitchen or updating your furniture.
You may also be able to borrow more money against your property to fund major renovation projects. These should be reserved for the kind of investments that are likely to add significant value in the long term. Our home equity loans can allow you to borrow up to 80% of the value of your home over a repayment term of up to 30 years.
