Most of us will be aware that the majority of heat loss takes place through the loft, the walls, and through the windows.
That being the case those are the key places to fit proper insulation.
Once that`s done, however, where should you turn to eliminate other sources of heat loss?
We will start with the hot water cylinder, which is one of the simplest and easiest ways to save energy and money. Fitting a British Standard 'jacket' around your cylinder will cut heat loss by over 75 percent. If you already have a jacket fitted, check its thickness, as ideally it needs to be at least 75mm thick.
Remember that heat will escape through metal into a colder environment.
By having tank and pipe insulation it will keep your water hotter for longer by reducing the amount of heat that escapes.
A new, thick hot water cylinder jacket will cost around 14, and the savings in a year would be 45. Pipe insulation costs 12, and energy savings are around 12 a year. This means a cylinder jacket more than Spray Foam Insulation Equipment for itself within 6 months, and pipe insulation will pay for itself after a full year.
These figures assume you do the work yourself. If you have to pay someone to do it for you then the costs will increase, and the time for the insulation to pay for itself increases.
Next, consider floor insulation.
If your floors are timber they can be insulated by lifting the floorboards and laying mineral wool insulation supported by netting between the joists.
Fill gaps between floorboards and skirting boards with a regular tube sealant, such as silicon to stop draughts. Never block under-floor airbricks in your outside walls. Without adequate ventilation your floorboards will rot, creating expense for you sometime in the future.
Insulating underneath the floorboards on the ground floor will cost you about 90, and energy savings are around 55 a year. Thus it will have paid for itself after 2 years. Filling gaps will save you around 30 a year on your heating bills. The cost of doing it yourself is around 25 so in one year it has paid for itself.
Finally, draught proofing can save up to 20 percent of the heat which is lost in your home.
Draught proofing is Foam Seals easy, cost effective way to reduce heating bills. Most materials such as brushes, sealants, foams etc, are available from stores. Check the quality of the products, that they conform to the standard BS 7386. Inferior Air Seal don`t do the job as well, and your energy savings will be lower.
The energy savings amount to 32 a year. The cost of draught proofing is around 95 so it takes 3 years to recover the cost.
Most of the sealant strips are self-adhesive and fitting brushes to doors or letterboxes is not too difficult.
Don`t go crazy though on sealing everything in sight!
If you have solid fuel fires, gas fires or a boiler with an open flue you must have adequate ventilation.
In kitchens and bathrooms consider fitting an extractor fan in these areas if condensation is a problem.
If necessary open windows to release condensation or steam if cooking, or drying clothes.
Getting the balance between insulation and ventilation is not always easy, but is essential to living in a comfortable home, helping take care of the environment, and saving money on fuel bills.
Geoff Cummings runs a DIY tools site and is also involved with other sites. For a full range of home insulation products and tools visit http://www.ourhometools.com where most items are at discount prices.
