Wondering how home insulation can cut your energy bills? It’s a question many of us will have pondered this year in particular as our energy prices have soared. Research from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit suggests that households with poor insulation could be spending almost £250 more a year on their gas bills - and that’s before the price cap is set to rise again later this year. And a small improvement in a home’s energy efficiency can make a big difference. The same research states that homes with an EPC band D pay 20% more each year than a home rated in band C. Head of Analysis at the ECIU, Dr Simon Cran-McGreehin, commented that: “During a gas crisis brought about by the UK’s addiction to geopolitically volatile fossil fuels, benefits of limiting energy waste have never been clearer. While we’re busy importing expensive gas, our leaky homes are allowing a significant proportion to be wasted. “A series of home improvements can limit this, cancel out these price rises and help to guard against future price spikes while making homes warmer and healthier to live in.” So what are the home improvements that Cran-McGreehin mentions, and what home insulation will help cut your energy bills the most?
The different types of home insulation
First, we need to understand the main types of home insulation available. They are:
- Floor insulation
- Solid-wall insulation
- Cavity-wall insulation
- Loft and roof insulation
- Draught-proofing
- Conservatory roof insulation
The majority of a home’s heat is lost through the roof, especially from a conservatory roof if your home has one. And one in three homes in the UK has no roof insulation whatsoever. In fact, with over 10 million of the UK’s housing stock being built before WW2, the UK has some of the least energy-efficient housing in the whole of Europe. With bills rising so quickly, and so many homes being poorly insulated, to begin with, we’ve arrived at a point where the cost-benefit of investing in home insulation has never been more attractive.
Does your home need better insulation to cut energy bills?
There are a couple of easy ways to establish whether or not your home would benefit from increasing the amount of insulation it has. First is to look at your EPC band. If it’s not already an A or a B, then there’s room for improvement. The second is to assess how quickly your house cools down. Whilst we may like that we can cool our homes during the summer months, constantly having to have the heating on during the winter if that warmth can easily escape is a sure sign that that heat is too easily leaking out of your home - and having to constantly have the heating on all winter is going to put pressure on family budgets. And the last little test is whether or not you notice any draughts. Only one in four new build homes includes draught protection, and you may notice it most in your hallway!
How we can help improve home insulation and cut energy bills
Remember we mentioned conservatory roof insulation earlier on? This is what we at Sagars specialise in, and it’s one of the fastest ways for homeowners to quickly improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Whilst homeowners may love their conservatories for the extra living space they offer and great views of the garden, they tend to be the worst insulated parts of our homes. And this is easy to notice as they can become too hot in the summer, and far too cold to enjoy in the winter! Conservatory roof insulation can help reduce heating bills by more than 25%, and also help to make a space that you can truly enjoy all year round - even on the hottest summer days, and the depths of winter. Have a look at some of our delighted customer’s conservatory roof insulation transformations and our tried and tested process right here. If you’d like to discuss your requirements, contact our friendly team today.
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