If you already live in a park home, you’ll probably already know that they are pretty cost efficient in comparison to many traditional bricks and mortar homes, and that’s one of the main reasons many move to them.
SECOND HAND HOMES
It’s easy to generalise though, and, just like a brick-built home, exactly how cost-effective your home is may depend on its age, condition, and when it was built. A second hand home may have been built to the latest standards at the time, but latest standards required might have taken quite a leap forward, improving elements such as glazing and insulation.
If you’re finding your home a little draughty, it’s worth having a survey to check out the condition on the underside of your home, and you might be surprised at the difference a modest bit of localized work can make.
If you are buying new and want to live in your park home, you’ll want to ensure it’s built to BS3632 residential standards for use at any time of year. The most recently updated version is BS3632:2015, and one of the main changes that made was in relation to improving energy efficiency, taking into account improvements in technology that had taken place since the previous version in 2005 and including a grading system based on heat loss parameters.
The NCC (National Caravan Council) has also implemented an Energy Rating Scheme for Residential Park Homes built to BS3632 and another scheme called the Structural Thermal Rating Scheme for Caravan Holiday Homes built to BS EN1647, giving those buying new models a good indication of how their homes will perform from an energy consumption perspective and what the carbon dioxide emissions levels will be if built by an NCC member manufacturer. So, this is not just relevant from a cost perspective; those keen to ensure their homes have been built in an environmentally friendly way will also find this well worth looking at.
The NCC Product Approval teams examine a diverse range of factors to ensure the relevant standards are met and homes approved under this scheme are licensed to display an NCC Approved Badge and each home has an NCC approval certificate. Basically, homes built today to BS3632:2015 specification are better built and better insulated than ever before.
SUPPORT FOR ALL
Before taking a look at some of the energy saving features park homes can have, it’s worth mentioning that there is financial support available, launched in February 2023, for those living in park homes through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. You may have seen that this hit the news as those without a direct relationship with a domestic energy supplier nearly missed out, but this was eventually corrected, so they could claim a £400 discount on fuel bills. We’ve included the link below for anyone who may not have claimed and have not been paid automatically if they deal directly with a supplier, and there is a dedicated helpline for those who don’t have online access.
ABOVE AND BEYOND
Many manufacturers build above and beyond the required standards as the norm, with a view to a potential incoming further change in standards, or offer additional energy efficient elements at build point. With rising energy costs and sustainability moving further up the agenda, we are seeing more and more of these elements incorporated into homes and lodges.
SMART THINKING TO SAVE ENERGY COSTS
The increased use of Smart technology has also been a huge leap forward in helping residents to save costs, with Smart thermostats, lighting and power often now installed in new models, or available as an option, although there are also retro-fit options available if you’ve missed the boat at build point. Many parks also have car charging points for EV vehicles, or provision for them to be added to your drive, so that’s another way of saving costs, although vehicle costs are obviously relevant here.
SMALL CHANGES MAKING A LONG-TERM DIFFERENCE
Another simple way to cut your energy consumption is to make sure your appliances, light bulbs and gadgets are energy efficient – if you have something nearing the end of its useful life, then it might be worth changing it before it breaks from an energy consumption perspective. You could switch to low flow taps and shower heads to avoid using excess hot water unnecessarily, and installing a hot water dispenser might save you time as well as energy, so there’s a good argument for investing in one and they are not that expensive in standalone gadget form. The same goes for the cooking process and that’s why slow cookers, air fryers and all-in-one gadgets have been hot property over the past year as they are often more energy efficient than conventional ovens. Those who regularly batch cook will be ahead of the game on this one though, as this will bring down energy consumption and help offset inflationary rises on food ingredients.
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR, WITHOUT THE HEAT LOSS!
Quite a bit of heat loss happens when you open windows and doors to let fresh air in, but mechanical ventilation systems reduce the need to do that, drawing warm, damp air from the home through a heat exchanger and warming the incoming fresh air. Wastewater heat recovery systems work in a similar way, helping to warm the incoming mains water, reducing the strain on your boiler and the energy required to heat your water to the desired temperature.
Air source heat pumps are an alternative way of heating your home, and these usually sit just outside the home, sending heat to your radiators, underfloor heating or hot water cylinder. The pump uses electricity to run, but it should use less electrical energy than the heat it produces, making them energy efficient. We can also now see a future where parks have district heating systems, where the heat comes from a centralized location and linked to a network of homes. This lends itself to park home communities really well, so it’s something we may see more of in the next few years from truly forward-thinking parks where the landscape works in favour of them.
Ground source heat pumps take energy from the ground to heat your home, and solar photovoltaic powers absorb energy from sunlight converting it into energy, so there are quite a few options available to draw energy from.
If you’re having a home built from scratch, ask your manufacturer about which of these energy-saving measures they can build in. While it may increase the cost initially, if you plan to live in your home for many years to come, they could pay for themselves in the mid-longer term, and you’ll immediately feel the impact of the lower energy bills. It obviously depends on whether you have the money to spare at purchase point, but they will also add significant appeal if you ever need to sell your home.
Advances in energy efficiency are constantly being made in the park home arena, and having spoken to several manufacturers we know that this is a hot topic for them and the industry is definitely ahead of the curve generally. They are also working toward homes that are completely off-grid, and that could open up the possibility of living in some very interesting spots around the UK.
While some of these tweaks may be more possible than others, it pays to know what’s available and could make a real difference to your bills, either individually, collectively or cumulatively. The figures may well add up to more than you think!
Useful resources:
www.gov.uk/apply-energy-bill-support-if-not-automatic
Helpline number: 0808 175 3287
