INSULATE BEFORE WINTER TO KEEP BILLS DOWN
With winter rapidly approaching and energy bills remaining high, B&ES, the Building & Engineering Services Association, say too few households take sufficient measures to fully insulate their homes. And that means money down the drain. Here they issue some sensible energy saving tips to improve insulation in the home and get energy bills down.
05 November 2015 – With winter rapidly approaching and energy bills remaining high, B&ES, the Building & Engineering Services Association, say too few households take sufficient measures to fully insulate their homes. And that means money down the drain. Yet, as they point out, there are some simple steps you can take, some costing very little, that can help keep the warmth in so there is much less need to crank up the thermostat when the weather turns cold.
Here are their top insulation tips:
- 25% of heat is lost through the loft or roof space; this can come down dramatically with loft insulation but many homes still have less than 10cm of insulation in the loft and that means you are simply letting money go through the roof. Top the insulation up to 27cm and you could save around £150 a year. And you might even be able to get this done for free - check out: http://bit.ly/1NSk96e
- One-third of heat is lost through un-insulated walls and since the 1930s most houses have been built with an air cavity between two outer walls. Get this gap filled with insulating foam and it will act like a blanket to help stop heat escaping through the walls and could reduce bills by around £135 a year.
- Floorboards lose a lot of heat – insulation seal between the gaps can save you about £25 per year.
- Insulate your hot water cylinder – fitting a British Standard jacket around your cylinder will cut heat loss by over 75% and save you around £40 a year – more than the cost of the jacket.
- Lagging all your hot water pipes could also save you over £25 a year.
- As much as 33% of heat can be lost through windows and doors. Draught proofing them by sealing gaps will help save energy. Similarly, a curtain at the front door and heavy, well-fitted curtains at the windows provide insulation and reduce draughts. To track down the source of draughts take a lit candle and see where it flickers.
- Keep your doors and windows closed when the heating is on and save £15 a year.
- Thermal blinds, which stay flush to the window frame using magnets, are a good alternative to heavy lined curtains. They cost about £145 per sq m.
- Draw your curtains at dusk to help keep the heat generated inside your rooms.
- Unused fireplaces are one of the biggest causes of lost heat – if you’re not using your chimney but don’t want to board it up try a chimney balloon – they’re easy to inflate and last for years.
For more energy saving advice why not talk to your local registered heating engineer - visit www.trustmark.org.uk to find your nearest reputable firms.
Ends
Issued on behalf of the Building & Engineering Services Association (B&ES) by Next Step Marketing Ltd
Media enquiries to: Rhian Kelly. Tel: 44(0)1256 472020;
Fax: 44(0)1256 471010; E-mail: rhian@nextstepmarketing.co.uk
Notes to editors
Since its formation in 1904, B&ES, the Building & Engineering Services Association (formerly the HVCA) has represented the interests of companies engaged in a wide range of building and engineering services including domestic heating and renewable technologies.
B&ES members are subject to regular, third-party inspection and assessment of their technical competence and commercial capability, carried out by an independent certification body at least every three years.
B&ES members who undertake gas installations are registered with Gas Safe – the gas safety watchdog body – and are also members of TrustMark, the Government-endorsed scheme designed to direct customers towards reliable tradespeople.
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