Top five ways to make your tenement more efficient

Stone tenement flats built before the early 20th century are common in Scottish cities like Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. They’re often colder, draughtier, and more expensive to heat than newer homes. However, there are simple steps you can take to make your flat more energy efficient to help you save money and make your home more sustainable too. Here’s our top five tips.

1. Keep the cold out

Tenements are often draughtier than newer homes, which can increase heating costs as well as making your home feel chilly. Although you do need some ventilation, sealing draughts around windows, under doors, between floorboards, and in unused chimneys can make a big difference. Draught-proofing gaps can save you around £85 a year* and will make your tenement home feel much warmer.

2. Stop heat going out the window 

Lots of heat can escape through your windows in a tenement, as windows are often single glazed. Depending on your budget, there are a few things you can do to tackle this, starting with simple things like getting thick, lined curtains to keep the heat in at night or using your shutters.

Double or secondary glazing could make a big difference but can be quite costly. There may also be planning restrictions on what you can install depending on where you live, so get some advice from your local council. There are options like ultra-thin double glazing that could suit your home. 

3. Insulate your home

Making sure your tenement home is well insulated can cut unnecessary heat loss. There are several options depending on your property and budget. If you’re struggling with the costs of installation, you may be eligible for funding through the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme. 

If you’re on the bottom floor and you have a wooden floor, these are usually suspended, which means you can insulate it to make your home warmer. This could save you £60 a year*. Even just laying down a thick rug over wooden floorboards, or a carpet with thick underlay, can make your home a lot warmer. For top floor flats, loft insulation can keep your home warm. It can also save you £190 a year*. You’ll need to find out who owns the loft – it may be communal, or it might belong to the owners of the top floor flat.

Finally, you should think about solid wall insulation if you’re serious about improving comfort or if your building is undergoing wider renovations. Internal wall insulation will probably be the most suitable option and there are a few ways of doing this – it’s important to use a breathable material to stop damp building up, especially in a traditional older home. 

4. Take control of your heating

Installing and correctly using a full set of heating controls could save you money. They can control the temperature in each room and when the heating goes on and off. When used properly, they can give you a better understanding of your heating and help prevent you from wasting energy and money whilst keeping your home warm and comfortable. Installing a programmer and thermostat could save you £65 a year*. 

If you’ve got an old heating system, upgrading it could have a big impact on your energy bills. Contact us for advice. 

5. Don’t forget the communal areas

It’s easy to overlook communal areas like stairwells, but making improvements like draught proofing or even replacing your front door can help reduce heat loss in your building. You will need to team up with your neighbours to organise getting the work done, along with your landlord if you rent your home.
If you’d like to see personalised recommendations on which home improvements are best for you, use our Home Energy Check to get personalised recommendations that could help you save money.

*Savings based on a typical three-bedroom semi-detached gas heated home, using an average gas price of 5.5p/kWh and an average electricity price of 22.4p/kWh. Correct as of July 2024.