A report by Thisismoney.co.uk at the beginning of the year suggested that homeowners could cut their energy costs by hundreds of pounds by 2020, just by installing insulation to their loft and walls.
A policy research unit says that homeowners could save hundreds on their annual dual fuel bill in less than five years’ time. This is a huge saving, and this Save Energy Week saving energy as well as money should be at the top of your priorities.
Biggest savings with insulation
The report suggests that the biggest savings can be made if people look to install a new boiler or insulation, and this is in terms of money and carbon.
A semi-detached house with cavity wall insulation could save £155 and 660kg of carbon dioxide a year! If you have solid walls, you could save a huge £260 and 1,100kg of carbon dioxide by insulating them.
Pair this with loft insulation at the thickest level and your total carbon savings could be between 1,305kg and 1,745kg per year, and your energy bill savings between £310 and £415 a year.
This is a saving not to be grumbled at. Now that we are more aware of the damage that carbon emissions are doing to the environment everyone is a lot more careful with their appliances and lighting. What’s more, electricity and gas prices continue to rise and as the cost of living goes up we’re all looking to save wherever we can.
But what should you know about insulation? And where should you start?
Cavity wall insulation
A cavity wall is made up of two walls with a gap in between. The outer wall is usually made of brick, and the inner wall is usually brick or concrete block.
How is it installed?
- An installer drills small holes around 22mm in size at intervals of 1m into the outside walls of your property
- They blow insulation into the holes and into the cavity
- The installer fills the holes to make them hardly noticeable
Always hire a registered installer to complete cavity wall insulation – never try to do it yourself.
Insulating solid walls
Solid walls don’t have a cavity so let more heat through. You’re likely to have solid walls if your house was built before 1919.
You can choose to have internal or external insulation installed.
Which type should I choose?
Internal wall insulation:
- Is usually cheaper to install than external
- Can be a bother, but it can be done room by room
- Will reduce the floor area of the rooms where it is fitted by about 100mm
External wall insulation:
- Can be applied without any mess in the household
- Won’t reduce the floor area of rooms
- Improves weatherproofing and sound resistance
- Renews the appearance of your exterior walls
It’s best to insulate your external walls at a time when you’re having other work done to the outside of your home to keep your costs down.
The best way to find out which energy saving measures will save you the most money and the most carbon is to get quotes from installers. Use our service to get comparative quotes from reliable and qualified contractors.