Insulate, insulate, insulate | Everybodys Talking

Insulate, Insulate, Insulate

Insulating your home, workplace, school or community building is one of the easiest ways to make a significant difference to your energy bills:

Most borough, district and city councils in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire operate schemes which allow residents in private housing (owner occupied or rented) to benefit from subsidised cavity wall and loft insulation. Some can also help with solid walls. Anyone is eligible for these schemes. If you are aged over 70 or in receipt of certain benefits then you could get your home insulated for free. Local schemes are listed here.
In a completely un-insulated home 33% of the energy loss is through the wall and 25% through the roof.
Insulating the walls and loft of a home can save about two tonnes of CO₂ and reduce annual heating bills by £160.
A lack of insulation contributes to fuel poverty (when a household spends more than 10% of its income on heating and power): 80% of households in fuel poverty are living in homes that are badly insulated.
The environmental impact of the home can be reduced still further by using an environmentally friendly insulation material as an alternative to the traditional fibre glass. These alternatives include sheep’s wool, shredded recycled newspaper, hemp and flax. These options, however, are typically more expensive than traditional products and aren’t included in subsidised schemes. They are most likely to be a financially-viable option if you are installing insulation yourself in your loft.

Insulating Walls

Most homes built since the 1920’s have cavity walls, with an air gap between two layers of brick. By insulating this space, heating bills (and CO₂ emissions) could be reduced by 15%. The picture on the right is of a typical cavity wall – the bricks are all facing the same way and are evenly spaced. You will need to get a professional to do this work for you.

Typical cost, £99; typical saving of £110 per year for up to 40 years.

Un-insulated homes with solid walls, such as Victorian terraced houses, lose even more heat through the walls than cavity-walled houses. They can be insulated using solid wall insulation. This comes in a variety of types; flexible thermal lining or rigid board for internal fitting, or cladding and render for external application. Solid wall insulation is more expensive to install than cavity wall insulation, but delivers greater savings.

Solid wall insulation costs from £5,000, grants may be available. Typical saving of £400 per year.

Most borough, district and city councils in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire operate schemes which allow residents in private housing (owner occupied or rented) to benefit from subsidised cavity wall insulation. Some can also help with solid walls. If you are aged over 70 or in receipt of certain benefits then you could get your home insulated for free. Local schemes are listed here.

Insulating Lofts

Although most people have some loft insualtion, the current recommended level is twelve inches (270mm), so it’s worth check your loft to see how much you have. You can install loft insulation yourself quite cheaply, or professionals can do it for you. A major barrier for many is that the loft is used as a storage space. If you want to continue using your loft like this you will need to use insulation that can be boarded over afterwards. If you have less than 50-60mm of existing loft insulation it is possible to get it professionally installed very cheaply.

Typical cost £100 (DIY) £49 - £200 (professional), typical saving £45-£150 per year for up to 40 years

Most borough, district and city councils in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire operate schemes which allow residents in private housing (owner occupied or rented) to benefit from subsidised loft insulation. If you are aged over 70 or in receipt of certain benefits then you could get your home insulated for free. Local schemes are listed here.

Insulating Floors

The next step is to install floor insulation, and fill any cracks between floorboards and round the skirting boards. For homes with suspended floors, insulation can be installed by taking up the floorboards and laying insulation which is supported by netting. Sometimes it is possible to gain access without taking up the floor if you have a cellar or a significant gap underneath your suspended floor.

Typical saving about 8% of your annual heating bill

Insulating Hot Water Systems

A simple but effective way to reduce waste heat is to insulate hot water pipes and fit a jacket to the hot water tank. The jacket should be at least 75mm thick. This will cut heat loss from the tank by 75%, and will typically pay for itself in reduced heating bills within six months. Pipe insulation is easy to install as a DIY job if the pipes are accessible. Professional help may be required to fit insulation where access to the pipes is awkward.

Tank Jacket typical cost £15 (DIY), typical saving £35 per year for up to 20 years

Windows and Doors

Single glazed windows are a significant cause of heat loss, and although it is fairly expensive to install double glazing, this can halve the amount of heat lost from windows, and save nearly £100 per year on heating bills. Costs can be reduced by only fitting double glazing in the rooms which are used and heated most regularly, such as the living room.

A more affordable option for reducing heat loss through windows (and doors) is to fit heavy, lined curtains. Hang curtains close to the window recess to increase effectiveness as a barrier to heat loss and close the curtains at dusk to achieve the maximum benefit.

Draught proofing is another way to reduce heat loss through doors and windows and it is an easy DIY job. There are a range of products available, from foams and sealants to brushes, rubber strips and shaped plastic.