Home Insulation

One of the most effective measures you can take to reduce heating costs and make your home more environmentally friendly is to improve your home insulation.

Insulation is the process of keeping heat within a property, usually by covering areas exposed to the outside, such as roofs, floors and walls.

Without it, indoor temperatures are difficult to maintain, and homes can lose up to 45% of their heat, according to the Energy Savings Trust. This means that heating needs to be left on for longer to maintain a comfortable temperature.

The UK has some of the least energy-efficient housing in Europe and even newer homes may not be properly insulated.

If the temperature drops quickly once the heating goes off, the home is unlikely to be properly insulated.

• Cavity wall insulation – A cavity wall is made up made up of two walls with a gap in between. Houses built after the 1920s are likely to have cavity walls. Many cavity walls can be insulated by injecting insulation material into the cavity from the outside. This could save the average detached home £690 and 1200kgC02 per year.
• Solid wall insulation – If you house was built before the 1920s then it is likely to have solid walls. Solid walls can be insulated either from the inside or the outside. Savings for the average detached home could be as high as £930 and 1600kgcC02 per year.
• Loft insulation - A quarter of heat is lost through the roof in an uninsulated home. Properly insulating the roof or loft space could save a detached household on average £590 and 1000kgC02 per year.
• Floor insulation – Generally speaking, you only need to insulate the ground floor. However, floors that are above unheated spaces such as garages, should also be considered. Floor insulation could save a detached house on average £180 and 310kgC02 per year.
• Replacing single glazed windows with double or triple glazing, where possible, can also significantly reduce the amount of heat your home loss.

Further information on insulating your home can be found on the Energy Savings Trust’s website.