The biggest heat loss hot spots in YOUR home revealed and how to fix them for free or cheap
ENERGY bills can be crippling during the winter months.
But many households could save £760 a year by tackling heat loss hotspots around their homes.
The five most common heat loss areas are your walls, roof, windows, doors and floors.
Poor insulation forces your heating to work harder to keep your home warm, driving up your energy bills.
“Heat loss occurs when warm indoor air escapes to the outside environment, which in turn requires more energy to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature and leads to higher heating bills,” explained James Elston, founder of energy-saving firm Eco Happy.
We look at how small energy-saving improvements could cut your costs and the cheapest ways to do it.
LOFTS
Lofts and roofs are a huge heat loss hotspot as they tend to cover the whole home.
Around a quarter of heat is lost through uninsulated lofts, according to the Energy Saving Trust (EST).
Yet, loft insulation is one of the most cost-effective ways to make your home more energy efficient.
It costs around £900 to insulate a semi-detached home with 270mm of loft insulation, the EST says.
But it could save you around £230 a year, meaning you would make the cost back in around three years.
The easiest way is to use a layer of mineral wool or sheep wool.
The EST says you can probably DIY with rolls of wool if you don’t have damp problems in your loft, but otherwise, consult a professional.
Avoid getting spray foam insulation installed, as this could actually damage your home and make it difficult to sell.
DOORS AND WINDOWS
Draughts coming in through doors and windows is another huge heat-sapper, with around 21% of heat lost this way, according to the EST.
If you have old or single-glazed windows, it may be worth investing in double glazing.
This can have a high up-front cost, with a typical semi-detached home costing around £15,000 to double glaze, the EST says.
But if you receive income-related benefits, you could get double glazing for free through the government’s ECO scheme. You can check your eligibility at: eco4.org.uk.
Making the switch could save you up to £140 a year.
“While the initial cost might seem high, consider the long-term benefits of energy savings, increased comfort and the advantage of using government heating schemes to offset installation costs,” Mr Elston says.
You can also draught-proof your windows and doors yourself on the cheap to prevent heat escaping to save around £40 a year.
A roll of draught insulation tape costs around £5, or you can get a professional in for around £250.
WALLS
A third of all heat escapes through poorly insulated walls, the EST says.
Houses built from the 1990s tend to have insulated walls, but older homes often have no insulation at all.
Homes built between 1920 and the 1990s tend to have cavity walls.
The cost of insulating these is around £2,700 for a semi-detached home, but doing so could save around £240 a year and it should last forever.
You may be able to get a government grant to cover up to 100 per cent of the cost of cavity wall insulation if you claim certain benefits.
Older homes tend to have “solid walls”, which are more expensive to insulate. A three-bed semi detached home typically costs £7,500 to insulate internally, saving around £320 a year.
FLOORS
You can also get insulation put under your floorboards to save yourself an average of £70 a year.
Most modern homes have concrete floors, so you can simply lay insulation over the top.
Older homes tend to have timber floors, which can be insulated by lifting the floorboards and laying down mineral wool insulation supported by netting.
This typically costs around £800 in total, or £18-25 per metre squared for sheep wool insulation, according to Checkatrade.
BOILERS
An inefficient boiler can also be a huge heat loss hotspot.
Older boilers tend to come with water tanks, which are less efficient than modern combi boilers as they lose heat through the tank.
Thankfully this is a cheap and quick fix that could save you a lot of money in the long run.
You can buy an insulation jacket for the tank for as little as £18, according to the EST, and it could save you around £40 a year.
How to get help with your energy bills
Several energy suppliers including British Gas, Ovo,E.On, EDF, Scottish Power, Octopus Energy, SSE and Utilita offer grants to low-income households.
You may also be able to get help through the Household Support Fund. Ask your local council what help is on offer. You can find your local authority by visiting gov.uk/find-local-council.
Households claiming benefits including Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Carer’s Allowance, among others, may be able to apply for government grants to fund energy-saving upgrades.
If you are a private tenant and claim certain benefits, you may be able to get an ECO4 grant, but your landlord needs to apply on your behalf.
Visit gov.uk/government/collections/find-energy-grants-for-you-home-help-to-heat to see what grants are on offer and how to apply.
4 ways to keep your energy bills low
Laura Court-Jones, Small Business Editor at Bionic shared her tips.
1. Turn your heating down by one degree
You probably won’t even notice this tiny temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your energy bills as a result. Just taking your thermostat down a notch is a quick way to start saving fast. This one small action only takes seconds to carry out and could potentially slash your heating bills by £171.70.
2. Switch appliances and lights off
It sounds simple, but fully turning off appliances and lights that are not in use can reduce your energy bills, especially in winter. Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use, can save you up to £20 a year on your energy bills
3. Install a smart meter
Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your energy use, largely because they allow you to see where and when your gas and electricity is being used.
4. Consider switching energy supplier
No matter how happy you are with your current energy supplier, they may not be providing you with the best deals, especially if you’ve let a fixed-rate contract expire without arranging a new one. If you haven’t browsed any alternative tariffs lately, then you may not be aware that there are better options out there.