Loft insulation
Half of heat lost in a typical home is through the loft so it’s worth checking whether yours are insulated properly! Insulating your loft alone could save you around £145 per year on your energy bills if you don’t have any insulation there at the moment. If everyone in the UK topped up their loft insulation to 270mm, around £520m would be saved each year. The idea of insulating a loft is to keep your home warmer not to create problems, so avoid the pitfalls by reading my following tips:
- Air vents must be left clear to avoid problems with condensation or damp.
- To prevent overheating keep electric cables, wiring and light fittings uncovered.
- If your loft has better insulation, your water pipes are at more risk of becoming frozen so ensure that they are well lagged.
- Install a board walkway to the water tank to avoid damage caused by walking on the insulation.
- Protect insulation between joists if anything is to stand on it – boards beneath the item prevents the insulation from becoming squashed and less efficient.
- Check that the loft hatch is insulated and draught-proofed as well.
Loft insulation
It’s never been more important to think about insulating your loft. Without proper insulation a lot of the valuable, expensive energy you use to heat your home will be lost through the loft. The recommended depth for mineral wool insulation is 270mm however there are other materials which require different depths. In an un-insulated home, a quarter of heat is lost through the roof. Insulating your loft is a simple and effective way to reduce your heating bills and you can even do it yourself, costing on average between £50 – £350, or around £250 for a professional installation. The better insulated your home, the less energy you need to keep it warm – so the more money you’ll save in the long run. By saving energy, your household will also produce less CO2, with a saving of around 730kg per year. So, adding or topping up your loft insulation is a great way to do your bit for the environment. The figures here are estimations based on insulating a gas-heated, semi-detached home with three bedrooms.
Why insulate your loft?
Loft insulation is an effective way to save energy and money at home. A well-insulated house keeps warmth exactly where you need it – indoors. So, insulating your loft – or topping up any insulation you have already – will help to heat your home more efficiently. Using less energy reduces carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), one of the biggest causes of climate change and you will also save money on your bills too.
How does loft insulation work?
Heat will always flow from a warm area to a cold one. The colder it is outside, the faster heat from your home will escape into the surrounding air. Insulation makes it much more difficult for heat to pass up through your roof by providing a layer of material which has lots of air pockets in it. These pockets trap heat, cutting what is known as the U value of the loft. The U value measures how quickly it loses heat so the lower the U value, the less energy you need to keep your home warm. Loft insulation will reduce your home’s heat loss by around 95% and overall could save you around 25% on your annual heating bills.
Benefits of loft insulation:
- Keeps your home temperature comfortable all year round.
- Cuts your carbon footprint & greenhouse gases by preventing heat loss.
- Increases the value and saleability of your home.
- Reduces traffic noise and other disturbance.
- Prevents the effects of condensation and mould.
- Lowers your household emissions.
Grants are awarded on a first come first served basis and funds are limited so if you don’t apply now, you could miss out. For more ways to reduce your carbon footprint, visit our Eco Page here. If you’re interested in making your home more energy efficient (and saving money at the same time!) visit Ace’s Tips for all you need to know about boiler efficiency, loft and cavity wall insulation, double glazing, solar electricity installations and general energy saving tips.
