Top tips for insulating your home

Your home ranks highly in your life as probably the biggest investment you will ever make and a heartfelt representation of the inner you. Whether you inhabit a lowly terrace or the grandest of mansions one of your largest expenses is going to be maintenance and heating of your property.

Heating accounts for a large percentage of household bills and with ever rising energy costs predicted this is one outlay that looks to increase year on year for at least the next decade.

The energy consumed in heating your home is also most likely your largest contribution to your CO2 footprint, with UK homes accounting for 25% of the nation’s carbon emissions.

So, to minimise your outgoings and  to take better care of the environment, it’s always worth reconsidering your options for reducing your energy usage.

Improving the quality of the insulation in your house is the quickest and most efficient way to trim your energy bills.

Heat rises, so a vital area to consider is your roof and loft insulation as up to a quarter of your heat can be lost in this way. For the greatest benefit install mineral wool to a depth of 270mm. Even if you have insulation already, upgrading to this depth can result in considerable improvements. If every UK home adhered to this standard 2.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide could be saved from entering the atmosphere ever year.

If you live in an older property, cavity wall insulation can be employed to fill the gaps between the brickwork of your external walls. This reduces heat loss through the walls and can result in an annual saving of £135.

If your home is prone to drafts it may be time to look at replacing your windows. A typical home loses 18% of its heat through its windows and this can be cut by 10-12% with the installation of quality double glazing. Double glazing works by trapping a layer of gas between two parallel sheets of glass. This gas may be air, argon, or another inert gas trapped in a 20mm gap to minimise the heat loss.

Double glazing has the added benefit of reducing dampness in the home as the inner sheet of glass is no longer exposed to the outside world and therefore does not become cold enough for the water in the atmosphere to condense upon it.

Double glazing units are available in wood, aluminium and UPVC allowing for a variety of finishes to match your home. Each of these has their own advantages ranging from low-cost and ease of maintenance. For a total transformation of your home why not fit UPVC front doors at the same time - no more need to repaint every 3 years.

Implement some of the above ideas and you will be on your way towards having a warmer, more energy-efficient home with the bonus of extra cash in your pocket.