How to Maximise Energy Efficiency in Stairwells

Energy efficiency is at the top of everyone’s to-do list as Edinburgh moves towards becoming a Net Zero city by 2030.

But it’s not just the government and the city council making sustainable changes – building managers and property owners are doing their part too.

If you’re ready to improve your property, a good way to get started is to maximise energy efficiency in stairwells and communal areas. Upgrading these areas will bring environmental and cost-saving benefits for years to come.

Here are our top tips for making your building’s stairwells more energy-efficient.

Why maximise energy efficiency?

The Scottish Government plans to introduce new regulations in 2025 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heating non-domestic buildings.

Currently, landlords must acquire a new Energy Performance Certificate every ten years and provide new tenants with a valid EPC.

It’s always worth arranging an assessment of your property to better understand the improvements you can make.

Late afternoon sun through the steam from the cooling towers of a Power Station

Sensor-based lighting

We all know an easy way to save energy is by turning off the lights when we leave a room. But when lighting is essential for safety in communal buildings, how do you make yours more energy efficient?

Sensor- and timer-based lighting is a popular choice for outdoor lighting, but they’re also useful for communal areas like stairwells. Activated by motion, these lights are only on when they need to be. Motion sensor lighting in commercial buildings can reduce energy consumption by up to 30%.

It’s an energy- and cost-saving measure that doesn’t compromise stairwell safety.

Smart Meter

Installing a smart meter in your building will allow you to keep up to date with energy consumption and bring down your bills.

Understanding the energy usage within your building will encourage both property owners and users to be more conscious of their consumption and mindful of the positive changes they make.

These also remove the need for manual meter readings and ensure your energy provider gets a more accurate picture of your usage. This means you won’t be overcharged with bill estimates.

Smart meters are completely free from your energy provider and sometimes include an energy inspection of your building.

Close Up Of Woman Holding Smart Energy Meter In Kitchen Measuring Energy Efficiency

Designed in a minimalistic style staircase hall. Interior of luxury house stairs

Draught proofing

The Energy Saving Trust found that installing draught-proofing in a home can save up to £80 a year in the UK. You can apply these savings to buildings you own by draught-proofing your stairwells and communal areas.

There are many ways to reduce heat loss in your space, including:

Sealing window frames and doorframes
Blocking cracks in floorboards and skirting boards
Filling in gaps around pipework
Sealing cracks in the walls

Some property owners choose to undertake this work themselves. Professional draught-proofing comes with an upfront cost but will ensure you’re maximising the energy efficiency of a space.

the view from a window with condensation on the glass.

Upgrade doors and windows

To go a step further, completely upgrading your doors and windows can have a huge impact on making the communal areas of your building more energy efficient.

For example, upgrading to double or triple-glazed windows significantly reduces heat loss and makes the area more comfortable for building residents.

Many doors now have built-in insulation to prevent heat loss, so replacing your existing door can reduce your carbon footprint, too.

Upgrade to LED lighting

Switching to LED bulbs is a straightforward and effective way to make your stairwells more environmentally friendly.

LED bulbs convert around 95% of their energy into light, while traditional halogen bulbs convert almost all of their energy into heat.

Since LED bulbs require much less energy to light up your stairwell, you’ll notice your bills going down at the same time as your carbon footprint. Additionally, they don’t contain any toxic chemicals, making them much easier and safer to dispose of than other bulbs.

LED lighting lasts much longer than outdated fluorescent or incandescent bulbs. LED bulbs can work for up to 50,000 hours – roughly 10 years of continuous use. That means less money is spent on replacement and maintenance for building managers.

top view of tools, lightbulbs, plugs and energy saving information

Grants for property owners in Scotland

If you’re ready to take steps towards energy efficiency in your building, there are some funding and loan options to help you improve your property. Home Energy Scotland highlights the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan, which covers improvements such as:

Wall insulation
Improving single glazing
Insulated doors
Roof and floor insulation

Find out more about available funding here.

Upgrade to sustainable lighting with Lumen Electrical

We hope this blog has shed some light on how you can maximise energy efficiency in your building’s stairwells and other communal areas.

Whether it’s a quick fix or a more significant upgrade, every change will reduce the energy consumption of the property.

Our electricians are experienced in LED lighting solutions in Edinburgh, and we strive to help property owners in the city become more sustainable.

If you’d like to find out more and get advice on how to upgrade to more sustainable LED lighting, get in touch now.