As winter quickly approaches, you’re probably starting to consider how warm your home is. Well, did you know that an uninsulated home will lose 35% of heat through the walls, while 25% is lost through the roof? These figures are pretty damning if we consider how much the average British person will spend on energy in a year – around £1,289 on average.
Luckily for you guys, we’ve compiled a checklist of 5 possible ways your home could be wasting energy. Get ahead and plug those gaps in your home before it gets any colder!
No loft insulation
These fitted sheets go between joists and are essential to providing a barrier that keeps heat trapped and prevents it from escaping via the roof. You should note that the recommended depth for loft insulation is 270mm – if it’s any less, it needs a top-up.
No cavity wall insulation
Quite simply put, cavity wall insulation involves filling the cavities of your walls with insulation that inhibits heat transfer. It immobilizes any air in the cavity, which prevents convection and ultimately aids against heat escaping.
How can you tell if you have cavity walls? Well, most homes built after the 1920s should have them – but the easiest way to check is to look at:
1. The thickness of the wall – the wall should measure around 260mm or 10.25 inches.
2. The brick pattern – the bricks will be lengthways, as normal walls follow a pattern of lengthways, sideways, lengthways, sideways.
No double glazing (inefficient windows)
Nowadays, most modern homes have double glazing, which is essentially putting two pieces of glass together with a small gap in-between for air or gas. The reason behind reinforcing the glass with an air bubble is that around 10% of household heat is lost through single-glazed windows.
No loft boarding
Did you know that getting loft boarding installed can not only retain heat but also increase the value of your property? Consider that Instaloft provides a great loft boarding service for many people in the UK looking to keep warm this winter!
Chimney heat loss
Beautiful and often ornate, fireplaces are common in British homes. Although a roaring fire is comforting, it’s also rather environmentally damaging. Still, are you really clued up on how much heat you’re losing through yours? It’s estimated that around 80-90% of the heat produced on a wood-burning fire goes straight up and out of your chimney.
Thankfully, there is a way to mitigate this! Simply install a temporary plastic chimney balloon to halt any cold air entering or any warm air escaping. Keep in mind that you can easily uninstall this equipment to use your fireplace at a later date.
It doesn’t stop there…
While the above suggestions may take some time and thought to implement, there are many little (but powerful!) habits that you should change in the meantime:
- Leaving the lights on when you’re not in the room
- Using incandescent bulbs
- Running the dishwasher half-full
- Leaving electronics plugged in when they aren’t in use
