Landlords - how to make your rental homes more energy-saving

Making some minor upgrades in your rental home won’t only save you some money, but being more energy efficient does a great deal of good for the environment, too. Tenants are more eco-conscious than ever, which means you could potentially secure a higher rental income as well. 

Additionally, when the time comes to sell the property, prospective buyers are likely to find a home that is equipped with energy-saving measures more appealing than one without, which makes implementing these tips even more invaluable. 

Boiler installation and water heater settings

Installing a new, more energy-efficient boiler can make a significant difference to your energy-saving goals. Many modern boilers work by drawing hot air from outside the house to heat the inside, which reduces heating costs dramatically.

You are also advised to make sure your water heater is set at the lowest comfortable setting. If you’ve ever experienced scalding hot water, it’s possible it’s set too high and is wasting energy. If the tank is old, it’s probably an uninsulated unit, which can be easily remedied by covering it with an insulating jacket.

Power strips

Electronics left plugged in can be wasteful to your rental property’s energy consumption.

You can stop this from happening by using one of a number of great, smart energy strips which will turn off any vampire energy when the electronics are not being used.

Programable thermostats and smart meters

Smart thermostats have become a must-have in any home which aims to save energy. These programmable thermostats take control of your heat and cooling levels, which will in turn, reduce your energy use and lower your bills.

A smart meter is an estimated billing system which automatically sends your readings to your energy supplier, generally once a month, and allows your tenants to see how much is being spent on energy usage.

Work with your tenants

All the above is great, but it also requires buy-in from your tenants – who, as an increasingly eco-conscious bunch, are likely to be eager to embrace anything that improves their green credentials and, more crucially, lowers their energy bills at a time when they are soaring for many households.

Work closely with your tenants to ensure your home is being as energy-efficient as possible – you could even provide a quick guide on how to use the heating system and how they could go about saving on energy in the home.

Tenants are likely to be receptive to this and may even have their own ideas about how to improve the energy efficiency of your home. If this is the case, and it works for both parties, you may want to give them the freedom to install measures – as long as they’re not too drastic – to help save energy. It’s a win-win all round.

There may also be eco-grants or energy efficiency grants on offer to help you make the necessary home improvements to enhance your home’s energy efficiency – it’s worth researching this, or asking your letting agent to look into this for you.

Here at Farrell Heyworth, we operate in the busy North West towns and villages of Garstang, Lancaster, Morecambe, Preston, Cleveleys, Barrow and Chorley.  To find out how we can assist you on your lettings journey, please get in touch with us today.

We encourage all our customers to register with our My FH portal, which will give you access to the most up-to-date information; remotely and at your convenience.

You can also find out how much you could be charging on the local rental market by requesting a free and instant online valuation today.