Around 30% of UK energy is used to heat and power our homes. This fact has driven action to decarbonise homes, reduce household bills and take steps towards Net Zero goals. The Future Homes Standard comes into force in 2025 and energy efficiency is high on the agenda. Despite this, new homes are being built with a huge gap in the front door. So, we want to encourage you to say no to though the door letterboxes!
Future Homes Standard for Energy Efficiency
Architects and house builders, the Future Homes Standard is still a year away, however, we know that you already have to comply with new Part L standards. This means you are putting considerable work into designing and constructing homes with air tightness, insulation and energy efficient appliances in mind.
As we are based in South East England, there is no shortage of new developments on our doorstep. What surprises, confuses and frustrates us, is that the vast majority of new homes have a through the door letterbox.
Why Are Homes Built With Through the Door Letterboxes?
Cutting a hole into a solid front door is a quick and easy way to enable draughts in and heat out. Surely, that’s a bad idea if you are working to improve air tightness and energy efficiency.
To reduce draughts, internal and external spring metal plates often have brushes fitted between them. These reduce, but don’t eliminate, the flow of air. In addition, the brushes reduce the gap, making it harder to push mail through the letterbox. As a result, mail can wedge the letter flaps open. That definitely reduces thermal efficiency!
We even found an article* by someone who has a thermal image of their letterbox. The metal letter flap was a cool 9 degrees when temperatures were zero outside. With mail jammed in the brushes, this dropped to match the outside temperatures. That isn’t keeping the house warm.
Time to Specify External Post Boxes
We could understand it if there were no other options, but there are!
Say no to through the door letterboxes and yes to external post boxes. Wall mounted, gate mounted or free standing, these offer installation flexibility. You can opt for a subtle design that blends in with the style of the property. Alternatively, the external post box can be a feature, adding personality and colour to a home exterior.
All European designed and manufactured outdoor post boxes have to comply with standards. For added reassurance, the ones we supply come with a guarantee. Made from rust resistant materials including powder coated galvanised steel and aluminium, they are suitable for use in the UK climate.
How Secure Are External Post Boxes for Homes?
Secure locking mechanisms, anti-theft features and good capacity hold ensure mail is kept safe and dry until unlocked. Each post box is supplied with two keys, so there’s a spare. In addition, an external post box means that burglars can’t reach through the letterbox to fish for car keys and other valuables.
Where Can You Buy Secure Post Boxes?
Check our range of post boxes for homes, made by specialists in Italy, Sweden and Poland. We also supply larger parcel boxes, suitable for packages and small parcel deliveries.
We keep a wide range of stock in our Buckinghamshire warehouse, ready for prompt packaging and delivery. Contact us to discuss availability, lead times and costs for larger volume orders for multi-property housing developments.
*https://great-home.co.uk/letter-boxes-and-thermal-imaging/