How to reduce heat loss in your home

Want to reduce heat loss in your home, your carbon emissions and your energy bills? Draft-proofing or installing insulation are a great way to do just that.

There are so many simple but effective ways you can insulate your home which will reduce heat loss in your home whilst also reducing your heating bills.

Lots of little fixes around the home can result in big savings on your energy bills. As an example, by fitting your hot water cylinder what an insulation jacket – you’ll save around £18 per year in heating costs and 110kg of carbon dioxide emissions!

If you’re looking for quick wins to reduce heat loss in your home you can do it yourself or for a professional to install your insulation, the suggestions below will all help to maintain a constant temperature in your home.

Cavity wall insulation

Did you know that approximately a third of all heat is lost in an uninsulated home through its walls? By getting your cavity walls properly insulated, you will save tons of energy and dramatically reduce the cost of heating your home = saving money on your energy bills.
It tends to be that houses built from the 1990s onwards have wall insulation to keep the heat in, but if your houses that are built before that, might not have any wall insulation.

Homes built after the 1920s are likely to have cavity walls. A cavity wall is made up of two walls with a gap in between, known as ‘the cavity’ – the outer leaf is usually made of brick and the inner layer of brick or concrete block.

Pre-1920 older houses are more likely to have solid walls. A solid wall has no cavity; each wall is a single solid wall, usually made of brick or stone.

Floor insulation is a great way to reduce home heat loss

Insulating your floors above unheated spaces such as garages will help to keep your house warm and the heat in your home. Newly built homes usually have ground floors that are made of solid.

Benefits of floor insulation:
– You’ll save around £50 a year
– decrease draughts
– Your home will be warmer

A great way to keep your house warm is by insulating your ground floor.

Roof and loft insulation will reduce heat loss

Did you know a quarter of heat is lost through the roof in an uninsulated home? It, therefore, makes sense to insulate your loft to reduce heat loss and your heating bills.

If it’s installed properly your loft insulation will pay for itself many times over in its lifetime (usually 40 years).

In many cases, it’s possible to do it yourself if you can easily access your loft and it has no condensation or damp problems and if your joists are regular, you can use rolls of wool insulation. Watch this helpful video on how to do it.

Draught proofing your home

This is one of the most effective and cheapest ways to save both money and energy in any type of building.

In order to draught-proof your home, you should block up any unwanted gaps which let in cold air and warm air out. Keeping warm air in your home means you will use less energy to heat your home, so you’ll also save a good chunk of money whilst making your home nice and warm.

Draught-proofing around doors and windows could save you about £30 a year.

If your home is draught free, you’ll be able to lower your thermostat which will help save you even more money on your energy bills.

Doors & windows

Making your doors and windows more energy efficient will help reduce your energy bills and also reduce your carbon footprint.
You can improve the energy efficiency of your home by installing double or triple glazed windows, or even by installing heavy curtains.

Benefits of energy-efficient windows include:
– A warmer home
– Reduced heat loss and fewer draughts and cold spots
– Reduces external noise
– Reduced condensation
– Reduces condensation build-up on the inside of windows

Insulating radiators, tanks, and pipes

All of the above lose heat quickly, therefore insulating them will help to keep them warmer for longer = saving you money & reducing your energy usage.

Insulating your hot water cylinder is one of the easiest ways to save energy and, therefore, money.

If you already have a jacket fitted around your tank, check the thickness. It should be at least 80mm thick; if it isn’t, consider buying a new one.

Topping up your hot water tank insulation from 25mm to 80mm thick, using a British Standard jacket, could save you around £20 a year, which is more than the cost of the jacket.

By slipping pipe insulation around your exposed hot water pipes, you’ll keep your hot water hotter for longer
Fitting insulation to pipes is easy if the pipes are accessible; if your pipes are hard to reach, you may need to engage a professional.

About Thermatic Homes

Thermatic Homes is a national M&E contractor based in Greater Manchester that provides a one-stop solution for housing associations, from mechanical and electrical services, to building services, renewable energy installations and training.