Of the total house heat lost to the ether, 26% escapes through the loft and a whopping 33% shimmies nonchalantly through the walls. Add in the fact that another 8% disappears through the floor, 20% floats out of the windows and the rest makes a break for it through any tiny gaps it can find, and you’re left living in what is effectively a concrete colander. Getting your home properly insulated, installing double-glazing or filling in those breezy gaps, is like putting a big, warm overcoat round your home and buttoning it up nice and tight.
Things to help you keep that house heat where it belongs:
- Before you get going, do this here online energy check – it’ll show you exactly where you can save energy in your home.
- You can insulate almost anywhere – cavity walls, solid walls, floors, the loft, water pipes and so on. This insulation guide is great if you’re a keen DIYer – but if you’d rather leave it to the professionals, the National Insulation Association will point you in the right direction.
- Check to see whether the Government, your local authorities, or even some utility companies will give you money to insulate your home. And if you’re over 70, you could be entitled to get your insulation absolutely free.
- Installing double-glazing can cut the heat lost through your windows by half, saving nearly ¾ tonne of CO2 per year. The Energy Saving Trust or this directory will help you find a good double-glazing company in the UK. If you can’t afford to double-glaze all your windows, just do those in the rooms you use the most.
- Draughts – to some a fun game that’s less complicated than chess, to others a source of misery and coldness. Draught-proofing your doors, windows, cat-flaps and letterboxes is easy, and the materials can be bought at all DIY stores. If you’re not sure what to do, try the Draught Proofing Association. And whilst you’re at it, brighten up your room with these eco friendly, psychedelic draught excluders filled with biodegradable buckwheat husks.
More info from the Green Thing wiki >>
Here’s a thing…..in the UK, we waste an eye-watering £7.5 billion of energy a year just in our homes – £1.4 billion of that just from inadequate insulation. To put things in perspective, that’s more than both the GDP of Malta and the transfer value of the Chelsea subs’ bench. Crikey.
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