Making Your Home or Conservatory More Energy Efficient

Gas and electricity prices are constantly rising, so it is no surprise that many people are turning to long-term solutions to make their conservatory more energy efficient. Just a few home improvements can make a big difference in the overall efficiency of your conservatory, and save you money over time.

How to Make your Home or Conservatory Energy Efficient

Install Solar Panels

You just need to have a south facing conservatory roof which is out of the shade between 10 am and 4 pm each day. Solar panels can even make you money if you sign up for a ‘feed-in tariff’ with your local energy provider.

Insulate, Insulate, Insulate

Heat wants to escape, and it will find every crack, gap and opening in your conservatory, every time. Insulating your room is vital if you want to make it thermally efficient and prevent your heating costs from skyrocketing.

An Ultraframe conservatory roof will keep you warm. Combining the benefits of a solid and glazed roof, our Livinroof and Ultraroof will prevent warm air from escaping but without the need to sacrifice space-creating light.

The Livinroof and Ultraroof include an internal ceiling pelmet infilled with mineral wool insulation. An added benefit of this feature is that it helps contribute toward a real room feel that will make your conservatory feel comfortable.

The Importance of U-Values

When designing your new conservatory, you’ll need to think carefully about the materials you want to include. Depending on the choices you make, the U-value of your conservatory will increase or decrease.

In its simplest form, a U-value measures how effective a material is at preventing heat loss. The lower the score, the more thermally efficient the product is. A number of factors can affect a material’s heat retention capacity.

Double glazing has evolved a lot over the years. Conservaglass – the glazing used in all our installations – is a case in point. It can block out as much as 83% of solar rays, which means your conservatory won’t overheat.

Ventilate Your Conservatory

It's easy to concentrate on the importance of warmth when thinking of ways to optimise the performance of your conservatory. But it’s just as important to think about ventilation if you want to avoid condensation.

You can ventilate your conservatory by:

• adding trickle vents to encourage the uplift of warm moist air, so that it escapes outside;
• including manual or automatic roof vents, the latter of which reacts to rain and temperature;
• installing Ultraframe decorative fans to ensure the continual movement of cool air;
• choosing bi-fold or sliding patio doors that will create a wide space for air to enter through;
• installing tilt and turn windows that will catch side breezes other windows might miss.

The good news is that all Ultraframe conservatory roofs are fitted with trickle vents as standard, so you’ll notice an immediate benefit once it has been installed.

Make the most of the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund

Homeowners in England and Wales have access to this new government fund which offers up to £7600 cashback to anyone who is taking action to make their home more energy efficient. This includes:

• Up to £1000 to install two energy-saving measures from an approved list;
• Up to £6000 to install wall insulation;
• Up to £100 for having a Green Deal Assessment carried out on your property;
• Up to £500 in cashback for anyone new homeowners who have carried out energy efficiency improvements.

Switch to Energy Saving Lightbulbs

There is a huge range of energy efficient light bulbs on the market today, including the award-winning Plumen design. Yes, they cost a bit more than regular halogen bulbs, and yes, they take a bit longer to light up properly, but they last longer, use less electricity and will 100% reduce the cost of running your home, including your conservatory.

Create a Sun Trap

Conservatories and glass roofs create a natural sun trap, grabbing heat and holding on to it even after the sun goes down. Make the most of this free heat by turning your conservatory into a dining area, or growing your favourite tropical plants (but don’t overpopulate your room with foliage, as this can contribute toward the build-up of condensation).

It’s Time to Find Your Nearest Ultra Installer

Our team of Ultra Installers can advise on a host of conservatory-related issues, including thermal efficiency. For free and impartial guidance, use our free search tool to find an Ultra Installer in your local area.

You can use the enquiry form presented during the search process to ask Ultraframe for information about its products. We can provide information about our conservatories, orangeries or anything else of interest.