How to make your home more energy efficient
From quick, low-cost fixes to long-term upgrades, discover practical ways to cut your bills, stay comfortable in every season, and help build a cleaner energy future for Oxfordshire.
Why energy efficiency matters now
Across the UK, around half of our 29 million homes still fall below modern energy-efficiency standards. Many are cold, damp, and draughty in winter, yet uncomfortably warm in summer. Older properties often have single-brick walls and little or no insulation. Gaps and cracks let valuable heat escape, wasting energy and driving up bills.
Making your home more energy efficient is one of the most practical ways to change that. It means using less energy to stay warm, cutting costs, reducing carbon emissions, and creating a healthier, more comfortable space to live in – now and for years to come.
At Low Carbon Hub, we’re helping people across Oxfordshire take action on their homes and energy use. Whether you’re just starting out or ready to take the next step, we share trusted local advice, community support, and real examples to help you make changes that work for you.
Start simple: low or no-cost ways to save energy
If you’re just getting started on improving your home’s energy efficiency, there are lots of quick, affordable actions that can make an immediate difference.
Our Low-cost, no-cost energy saving guide lists practical measures like turning down your boiler’s flow temperature, adding radiator reflectors, and switching to LED lighting.
Our Checklist for Warmer Winter page offers draught-proofing tips and advice on where to go for more support.
And don’t forget that efficiency isn’t just about staying warm. Our Tips to Beat the Heat section explains how better insulation, blinds, and ventilation can also keep your home cooler in summer.
These small steps are often inexpensive, easy to do yourself, and can quickly start saving you money.
Tap into local help: advice and community support
You don’t have to go it alone. Our Energy Champions network provides trusted information and resources to help communities support one another.
If you’re curious about where your home is losing heat, many groups can borrow one of our Thermal Imaging Cameras to identify draughts and heat loss points.
Energy efficiency isn’t just about technology – it’s about people helping each other to live more comfortably and sustainably.
Step up: explore smarter energy technologies
Once you’ve tackled the basics, it’s worth looking at bigger opportunities to save and generate energy.
Energy suppliers and independent installers now offer a range of smart, efficient technologies, including:
- Solar panels and home batteries to generate and store your own electricity
- Heat pumps as a clean, efficient alternative to gas boilers
- Smart meters, EVs, and smart charging systems to help you shift energy use to cheaper, off-peak times
The energy market is evolving quickly, with new tariffs that reward households for using energy smartly.
Used in the right way, these technologies can work together to save even more. For example, a home battery can store electricity when it’s cheapest overnight. You can then use that energy during the day to power your heat pump or appliances. Add solar panels, and you can generate your own clean energy and rely even less on the grid.
While these upgrades can involve higher upfront costs, many pay for themselves over time through lower running costs and reduced reliance on the grid. They also make sense if you’re thinking long-term – whether this is your forever home, or you plan to sell in future.
Energy-efficient homes are increasingly sought after by buyers who value comfort, lower bills, and future-ready technology. Not only that, you’ll be helping to tackle climate change right in your home.
Go further: retrofit your home for best results
To make a real and lasting difference, it helps to look at your home as a whole.
Retrofit means bringing your home up to modern energy standards – improving how it keeps and uses energy through better insulation, ventilation, and heating systems that work together. The result is a home that’s warmer, healthier, and cheaper to run.
Taking a whole-house approach ensures that improvements are planned in the right order. Each measure supports the next, so nothing needs redoing later.
For tailored, independent advice, Cosy Homes Oxfordshire can help you understand what your home needs, what to do first, and how to get it done properly.
Get inspired: see what’s possible
If you’re wondering what’s achievable for your type of home, take a look at A House Like Mine – a series of case studies from Oxfordshire homeowners who’ve had a Whole House Plan through Cosy Homes Oxfordshire.
It’s designed to help you explore what’s possible, showing what improvements were recommended, why, and what difference they could make to comfort, carbon, and running costs.
You can filter by property age and location to find homes like yours. You’ll see how measures such as insulation, glazing, or solar panels can transform performance.
Improving your home’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating can make it more comfortable to live in, cheaper to run, and more attractive to future buyers.
The big question: how can I afford it?
Affordability is one of the biggest barriers to home energy improvements, but help is available.
This Grants and financial support page lists current funding options, from government schemes to local offers and green finance.
If you’re part of a community group or run a local building, Energy advice for community buildings and Support for organisations explain how to access advice and grants for collective projects.
While some upgrades require an investment, many measures – particularly solar panels and insulation – pay for themselves over time. Lower energy bills and improved comfort make a real difference.
Take the next step today
Making your home more energy efficient doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Start small, learn what works for your home, and build from there.
If you’re ready to take the next step, have a free chat with the team at Cosy Homes Oxfordshire for independent, expert guidance.
Every step towards a more energy efficient home helps build a cleaner, fairer energy future for Oxfordshire – one household at a time.