Month: June 2022

Recent events have seen more and more commercial properties in the UK left lying empty for a prolonged period of time.

If you are responsible for a property or multiple properties, it is inevitable that at some point it will be vacant at least for a short period, whilst you look for a new tenant.

If you are not careful an empty property can be a major financial liability, not only costing you money in lost rent but also being much more likely to be the target of break-ins and other criminal activity.

Not only can criminal activity lead to you potentially having to pay for costly repairs to your property, but if an incident does occur whilst the building is unoccupied, it is likely that your existing insurance will be invalid.

Most property insurance only applies whilst the building is in use and if you expect to have to leave it vacant for a sustained period you will have to secure Unoccupied Property Compliance Insurance which is much harder to obtain and may require you to install additional security measures.

Some of the most effective security measures that you could consider putting in place if you are the owner of a vacant property include:

1. Installing Security Screens

Windows are one of the most vulnerable parts of any property and are commonly used as entry points by burglars and vandals.

Installing tamper proof steel metal sheets over the windows of your vacant property will add an additional layer of security to your windows and make it much harder to gain unauthorised access.

When installing security screens, you should ensure that they cover the entire frame of the external windows and are fastened and secured in place using bolts.

This fixing mechanism will not do any damage to the window frames themselves but will prevent trespassers from easily removing them.

Zinc-coated or perforated steel sheets are by far the most effective security screens and are far superior to traditional wooden panels that can easily be removed by an experienced criminal.

2. Install Security Doors

An even more obvious potential entry point than your windows, the doors of a vacant property are almost always the first point of entry attempted by an intruder.

Many opportunist burglars will simply roam through an area, trying the doors of buildings which appear unoccupied in the hope of getting lucky, so ensuring all your doors are locked before leaving is vital.

However, to maximise the security for vacant property it is worth installing some reinforced security doors that will take much more force to break through than traditional doors.

Ideally, you should look to install security doors that come with a keyless lock with millions of unique combinations and not one with a traditional lock that could be picked by an experienced criminal.

Other features to look for in a security door include a multi-point locking system and cut proof hinges.

To ensure that your security doors are installed properly and do not have any weaknesses you should approach a speciality company to handle the process.

3. Install Alarms

Property alarms are one of the most popular and effective security measures for any commercial property.

They are particularly useful for temporary use as they can be installed without a mains connection or access to WiFi, instead alerting you to an incident via the mobile network.

This makes them perfect for use on a vacant property and will typically operate using motion detection technology.

A monitored alarm system is particularly effective as an active deterrent as if triggered your alarm will notify a local security firm who will respond accordingly, alerting the emergency services and deploying a team of security experts to the site.

4. Install CCTV

Monitored CCTV offers all the same deterrent effects as an alarm system, indicating to intruders that they are likely to be detected and identified if they attempt to target your property.

Video cameras will capture all movement that takes place on your site and transmit the footage live to you and your security staff remotely.

This will allow you to keep an eye on your site whilst it is unoccupied via any mobile device and should an incident take place will give the police more of a chance of tracking down those responsible.

5. Concrete Barriers

If you are looking to prevent vehicles from being able to access driveways or carparks whilst your property is vacant, renting concrete blocks is a highly effective option.

Fly tipping is a common offence on plots that appear unoccupied, and these barriers will prevent trucks and lorries being able to use your outdoor space for this purpose without having to fork out for an entire perimeter fence.

By renting barriers rather than buying, you won’t even have the hassle of installing and removing the concrete blocks which will simply be removed once the area is back in use.

Solar panels are a fantastic way to harness the natural energy of the sun to produce clean, free energy for use around your home.

Unfortunately, however, the energy produced by your solar panels needs to be used right away, or it will be wasted.

Certainly not ideal, especially when you consider that a significant amount of the energy used in UK homes is consumed at night and other periods when solar panels are not as effective.

On average, a household with solar panels but no storage capabilities in place, will only save around half of what they could, due to this loss of energy.

The Answer? A Solar Battery

By purchasing a solar battery to store the energy produced by your solar panels until it is required in your home, you could save as much as £200 every year on your electric bills compared to having solar panels alone, not to mention reducing your output of greenhouse gases by almost a tonne.

This guide will tell you all you need to know about installing a solar battery and give you a better idea of whether such an installation would be beneficial to your home.

What is a Solar Battery?

Solar batteries allow you to store the excess electricity that you generate in your home through solar panels or any other means.

This energy can then be used at any time of the day or night or sold back into the national grid.

Typically, around 50% of generated energy by solar panels goas unused so a battery is essential if you are looking to get the most out of your renewable energy system.

The are several different types of solar battery, all of which have their pros and cons but the two most popular are the lead acid model, and the more efficient lithium-ion battery.

How do they work?

Solar batteries work by creating an overflow for solar panel generated energy.

Solar panels convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity, which is then converted into alternating current (AC) that can be used around your home.

Once the energy requirements of your home have been met at that current time the rest of the electrical energy will be transferred into the battery storage where it will remain until required.

For obvious reasons, solar panels are less effective at night, meaning that for a large portion of the time sent at home, owners must instead rely upon expensive grid electricity to meet their needs.

With a solar battery in place, your system will thrive at night, providing completely free, clean energy 24 hours a day.

Even better, your battery and panels will work together automatically, with your battery kicking in the moment it is required without the need for manual switching.

How much do they cost?

On average a solar battery will typically cost around £4,500 depending on the type and capacity of the battery in question

Once you have installed your battery however, maintenance costs will be minimal to none, and you will more than make your money back over the systems lifespan.

For a solar battery that can hold enough energy to ensure you do not require to use any grid electricity at all, you should expect to pay around 10-20% more than average, at around £5,000.

If you are looking to meet the energy requirements of your home through renewable energy alone and take the property off-grid, this may be the approach that is best suited to your needs.

On average you will make back around £200 per year in the form of reduced electricity bills when using a solar battery and panels and to maximise the returns you may also wish to sell unused energy back into the national grid through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) scheme.

AC or DC?

Solar batteries come in two different types, those that store electricity directly from the solar panels in direct current (DC) and alternation current (AC) batteries that contains an additional inverter.

If you already have solar panels in place, you will require an AC battery that is much easier to fit into an existing system but if you are instead installing both your panels and battery at the same time a DC battery is the better option.

How long do they last?

Solar batteries Scotland tend to last for around 15 years with many manufacturers offering a 10-year guarantee on their products.

The capacity may slightly decline in the final 5 years of usage, so this is something worth considering when working out which model to go for.

Contact Greener Energy Group

For more information on solar batteries or solar PV panels call Greener Energy Group today on 03335 77 66 99 or fill out our home suitability survey today.