With media warnings that our energy bills could rise by around £200 this year, insulation companies are urging homeowners to seek out any Government or local authority grants that they can use to insulate their homes.
They're warning that in the future, inefficient homes may even be penalised as the Government acts to meet it's CO2 reduction targets. Currently, british homes account for over 25% of total carbon emissions, due mostly to heating usage.
Even simple steps like fitting energy saving lightbulbs is a start. You'd have thought everyone had got the message about loft insulation but according to sources, many homes still lack this important energy saver, or at least the recommended level of insulation. Straightforward and easy to fit (typically in a single day), loft insulation cane save you around £145 a year off your heating bills.
The Governments "Green Deal' is pipped to be focusing heavily on loft and wall insulation. Whilst many properties are solid walled, they can still be insulated and the savings? Well, potential fuel savings are considerable. Cavity wall insulation can cut your energy bill by 15% a year and usually pay for itself inside 2 years.
With over 7 million homes currently not having any wall insulation, there's a very large area of emission and energy savings to be encouraged.
If you're considering exterior work to your home's walls - rendering or pointing, then it may be a great time to look into exterior wall insulation. Similarly, carrying our any major internal refurbishments? Getting a quote for internal wall insulation will save you undoing all your renovation and decorating afterwards.
Last but not least, insulation companies are encouraging even simpler energy saving steps like draught proofing. It's inexpensive but stopping heat escaping from your home should be a priority they say.
And that doesn't necessarily mean replacing windows and doors with energy efficient double glazed units (although this is the ultimate energy saver), try inexpensive sealing strips which you can fit yourself. Choosing heavier curtains and using curtains over doors in older properties will all help, as well as making your home 'feel' warmer, which will encourage you to turn down your heating a notch, saving even more energy.
If the draughts really are too much to bear but you're on a budget, why not think about just replacing the worst windows or doors and then completing the rest of the windows at a later date? Be sure to get comparison replacement window quotes from reputable companies.
This article first appeared in our weekly homeowner newsletter dated 20th June 2011 - click here to read our full homeowner newsletter.
photo credit: lululemon
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