With the price of gas and electricity on a seemingly endless series of climbs, now is a good time to take a look around your home and see where you can make some energy savings.
Over 20% of the heat lost from your home goes straight out of the roof, so it’s important that you have the attic properly insulated. Even if your attic was insulated when the house was built or any time before the last couple of years, it may not have the right amount of insulation.
Recent government recommendations have almost doubled the suggested amount of insulation, and a minimum thickness of 200-250 mm (8 – 10 inches) is now suggested in temperate areas.
If you do need to top up your attic insulation, it’s easy to do it yourself in a few hours if you are reasonably good at DIY. You don’t need any special tools or skills and it can be much cheaper than paying someone else to do it – as long as you don’t put your foot through the ceiling!
But check before you start as grants may be available to help with part or all of the cost of insulation, especially for the elderly or those on a low income or benefit. If you do decide on the DIY route, remember that some types of insulation are irritants so wear suitable clothing, including gloves, goggles and a facemask when you are laying the insulating material.
Make sure you carefully follow the instructions that come with the insulation, and in particular ensure that you don’t block ventilators or air inlets. Leave a gap around the eaves as well to prevent condensation.
Don’t cover electrical cables and keep insulation away from items such as recessed light fittings that may require airflow to prevent overheating – check if you’re not sure.
The attic will be a lot colder once it’s insulated so make sure that pipes are lagged and water tanks are insulated. Don’t insulate under tanks though – leaving a clear area underneath will allow heat from below to rise and help stop them freezing. Finally don’t forget to insulate and draft proof the access hatch.
Now that the attic is snug, it’s time to look at some of the other areas that you can work on to cut down on the heating bills.
Double glazing your windows is most effective at retaining heat, but if you don’t want to replace your old sash windows just yet, you can save energy by stopping drafts. Seal or caulk any gaps around the frame using a sealant gun and cartridge – your local DIY or hardware store should be able to advise you on the best type for your needs. But whatever sealant you use, first ensure that all the surfaces are clean and dry and that there is no loose or flaking paint which could prevent the sealant adhering.
Fit weather strips to opening windows and doors – these come in many shapes and sizes ranging from cheap and easy to fit self-adhesive foam rubber strips to more expensive but durable plastic or metal weather stripping. Prevent drafts under doors by installing an adjustable threshold or brush type strip at the bottom of the door.
Once the frames are weatherproofed, you can look at reducing heat loss through the window glass itself. The cheapest way of doing this is to use a clear film plastic sheeting which is stuck to the window frame with tape and then warmed with a hairdryer. This causes the plastic film to shrink and tighten removing wrinkles and creases. This type of secondary glazing – while low priced – has to be renewed if you need to access the window, and so is unsuitable for windows which you want to open before spring!
More expensive are secondary glazing panels. These are made from rigid clear plastic and can either be fixed to the wooden frame with magnetic tape, or plastic channel which can be left in place. In both these cases, the panels can usually be removed for ventilation and cleaning.
Don’t forget that when you’re draft proofing your home that it’s vital to ensure that you have adequate ventilation in rooms where there is a heater, fire, boiler or any other appliance that needs air for combustion and make sure you never block up air bricks or vents.
Now that you’ve reduced the amount of energy that it takes to keep your home warm, you can turn down the heating. Even a small 1 or 2 degree C reduction on your thermostat can reduce your heating bill significantly. If you can also set your heating to fire up a little later and switch off a little earlier, you’ll find that even a difference of a few minutes a day can add up to a big saving over a year.
There’s only space here to give you a couple of ideas but there is a wealth of further information available both on and off-line on how you can economise on energy use.
Once you start to think about saving energy, you’ll be surprised how it soon becomes second nature and before you know it, you’ll have a greener and more energy efficient home with big benefits for your wallet and the planet.
Russ Grimble helps to run http://www.national-double-glazing.co.uk an online resource with hints and tips on saving energy, insulating your home and useful information on choosing Double glazing or replacement windows.