Do you know your thermostat from your programmer? Your TRVs from your immersion heater?
Here at My Home Made Better, we keep things simple. We use everyday, relatable language to help you get to grips with the different pieces of the puzzle.
If technical jargon is something you’re worried about, have a browse through our My Home Made Better glossary to get a head start. We can always talk things through in a little more detail when we discuss your home.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
EPCs were introduced in England in 2007 to help people understand the energy efficiency of a property before buying or moving in.
If your home has one, it’ll be a valuable source of information and recommendations! Search your address on the Government’s Find your EPC tool.
In the context of My Home Made Better, retrofit refers to improving the energy efficiency of an existing home.
Draught-proofing tape
An inexpensive tape that can be placed around windows to block out cold draughts.
High performance doors/windows
Doors/windows that are manufactured with features and materials that guarantee energy efficiency.
Single/double/triple glazing
Windows that use either one, two or three panes of glass, with air gaps between panes to trap heat in and reduce heat loss.
Walls (cavity)
Formed with two parallel walls with a gap in between them, cavity walls are more common in homes built after the 1920s and can be filled with insulation to trap warmth inside.
Walls (solid)
Typically found in older homes, these will usually benefit from insulation which can be added either inside or outside the property.
Air source heat pump (ASHP)
Heats your home using heat extracted from the air. See heating systems for more information.
Flow temperature
The temperature of the water when it leaves your boiler or heat pump and enters your heating system.
Immersion heater
A component that uses electricity to heat water inside a hot water tank. See our examples of different scenarios that use an immersion heater.
Programmer/timer/control panel
This allows you to set when your heating goes on and off, at different times of day. You may also be able to vary this by day of the week. If you have a hot water tank, you should have the option to set the timer for when your hot water is heated as well.
Reflective radiator foil/panel
An insert that goes behind your radiator and bounces the heat back into the room. These are widely available and inexpensive to buy.
Thermostat
This regulates the temperature of your home. If the air temperature drops to lower than the temperature you’ve programmed it to be (while the heating is on), the thermostat will trigger your heating system to kick in. When the desired temperature is reached, the thermostat will trigger the heating system to turn off. You don’t need to turn your thermostat up when it’s colder outside, and turning your thermostat up higher won’t make your home heat up faster.
Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs)
These are the radiator controls that allow you to change the temperature in each room. You could lower the setting in rooms you don't spend as much time in.
Optimiser
A component that enables your solar panel system to work efficiently if one or more of the panels are in shade.
Photovoltaic panels
The technical term for panels that convert sunlight into electricity. Installers often use this technical term as a way to distinguish them from solar thermal panels, which convert sunlight into heat.
Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)
This enables you to sell electricity. You’ll need to sign up with an electricity provider that offers this type of tariff, but this can be a different provider to the one that supplies your electricity. You’ll likely come across the term ‘SEG payments’ which refers to the payments made to you.
Solar diverter
Uses surplus solar electricity to heat your hot water tank. When the tank is hot, surplus is automatically exported to the grid instead.
Have we missed an unfamiliar term? Email us at myhome@environmentcentre.com if there’s a word or phrase you think we should add to our glossary.
