We all know how important it is to be energy efficient, as not only does it benefit the environment but it also means that it will cost your tenants less in energy bills. As so many people these days are finding themselves short on cash, cheaper energy bills are greatly appreciated, and will also mean there is less likelihood of your tenants falling into rent arrears. So how can you improve the energy efficiency of your property?
Here we give you some tips:
Take part in a Government Scheme
The government’s Green Deal scheme was officially released earlier this week, which means that eligible landlords can have work done on their properties to make them more energy efficient for free. If you want to take part you firstly need to go online and find a Green Deal assessor to see if you are eligible, if you are then a Green Deal provider will come to your property and see what work needs to be done and agree a contract with you.
The best thing about this plan is that as a landlord you won’t pay a penny as the instalments are paid through your tenants’ energy bills. But don’t worry! This doesn’t mean that they will lose out – in fact the upgrades to your property will actually save them money in energy bills, meaning it’s a win-win situation!
Do some simple DIY
If you are not eligible for the government’s Green Deal scheme then you may have to make the improvements to your property yourself. Whilst you may think this will be difficult and time consuming, there are actually a lot of quick and easy things you can do to improve the energy efficiency of your houses. For instance, installing insulation materials in your loft will mean that less heat will escape from the property, therefore your tenants won’t have to have the heating on for so long.
You can also invest in draught excluders which will ensure that draughts don’t come into your property through the doors, meaning that it will also stay warmer. Furthermore, you can usually buy these in bulk for cheap, meaning that you don’t have to pay a fortune to improve the energy efficiency of your houses!
Making some small improvements to you house will not only benefit your tenants, but also make your properties more appealing to future tenants. Just don’t forget to invest in landlord insurance before any work is started to protect you against any accidental damages!
