Practical ways to make your home more efficient - Village Green: North Yorkshire’s Community Climate Project

🌱 Practical ways to make your home more efficient

Help your home work better, with less wasted energy

A more efficient home does not have to mean a major project. It can start with small changes that help rooms feel warmer, reduce wasted energy and make everyday life a little easier.

Across North Yorkshire, many homes are older, rural or exposed to changing weather. Making them work better can help protect the landscapes, villages, farms, market towns and coastlines that make this place special.

Try the home efficiency check Energy Saving Trust guide

Did you know?

Homes can waste energy even when everything seems normal

Small fixes can help rooms feel warmer for longer

Efficient homes put less pressure on local resources

Every household change adds up across North Yorkshire

Home efficiency helps protect the places we care about

Using energy more efficiently at home is one small way to care for the wider place around us. When less energy is wasted, homes can feel better to live in and have a lighter impact on the environment.

That matters in North Yorkshire, where countryside, coast, farming, wildlife and village life are all closely connected. Simple household choices can support a healthier local future without asking people to change everything overnight.

Rural homes are different, so start with what is realistic

No two homes are the same. A village cottage, a terrace, a farmhouse, a bungalow or a newer home will all have different challenges. Some may lose heat quickly, some may be harder to insulate, and some may rely on older systems.

The best place to begin is with what you can see and feel. Cold corners, draughty doors, blocked radiators and unused rooms can all show where small improvements might help.

Simple ways to make your home more efficient

Notice cold spots

Check where rooms feel colder, especially near doors, windows and floors.

Keep heat moving

Move furniture or curtains away from radiators so warmth reaches the room.

Use rooms wisely

Focus heat and light on the spaces you use most often.

Make appliances count

Run full loads where possible and choose lower temperature settings.

Close up at night

Use curtains, blinds and internal doors to keep warmth where needed.

Try a quick home efficiency check

A simple home efficiency check can help you look at your home with fresh eyes. It is not about finding faults or starting a big renovation.

It is a way to notice where energy might be wasted and choose one practical step to try. You could check one room, one habit or one appliance, then build from there when it feels manageable.

I know which rooms feel colder than others
I have checked doors, windows and floors for draughts
Radiators are clear enough for heat to move around
I use heat and light mainly in the spaces I need
I can choose one small improvement to make this week

Home efficiency self-check

Start with one simple change

Choose one room this week and look for one thing that could work better. It might be moving furniture from a radiator, closing curtains earlier or spotting a draught.

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