How to better insulate your home
The savings figures and information on this page are based on the April 2022 energy price cap. These are being reviewed and will be updated shortly in line with the government’s September decision to freeze average energy bills at £2,500 for two years from October 2022.
If you're interested in reducing your carbon footprint and saving money, there are many things you can do. Installing insulation or draught-proofing will reduce heat loss.
There are also many easy yet impactful things homeowners can do themselves to insulate their homes and cut heating costs without breaking the bank. For example, fitting your hot water tank with an insulating jacket saves £35 a year on energy bills and 115 kgs of CO2 emissions annually.
How to insulate your home
Whether it's quick fixes around the house or hiring someone else to handle it for you - these tips are great reminders of what we need to do when it comes to making our homes warm and efficient all year round!
About one-third of all the heat lost in an uninsulated home is released through its walls. By properly insulating its two external surfaces, you can generate savings both financially and environmentally when it comes to heating bills.
Older homes built before the twentieth century do not need this kind of help because they had naturally porous bricks which were better at retaining body temperature than newer concrete blocks or bricks. But post-modern construction models make up for this issue by defaulting to insulated panels instead of traditional paints alone – significantly reducing heating bills while simultaneously guaranteeing thermal efficiency!
A quarter of heat is lost through the roof in an uninsulated home. Installing loft insulation could cut back on this enormous percentage, reducing your heating bill and helping to save money down the line.
Loft insulation should last at least 40 years—meaning that if you install it properly, it will pay for itself many times over during this time frame. It may sound daunting to tackle a project such as installing loft insulation all by yourself, but there are plenty of resources available online and even some stores where trained professionals will come out and do it for you!
Draught-proofing is one of the most cost-effective and efficient methods to save energy in any type of building.
Controlled ventilation helps reduce condensation and dampness by allowing fresh air in when necessary. But draughts are uncontrolled; they allow cold air inside which wastes warmth.
To draught-proof, your home, block all openings that allow for this exchange between hot and cold air outside where it doesn't belong. Saving warm air saves time heating homes as well as money spent on fuel costs, giving you a comfy environment without high utility bills.
How much could you save by draught-proofing?
Draught-blocking windows and doors will set you back £45 per year* while sealing up your chimney during winter months can save £65* per annum*. Warm homes come at a lower cost - allowing people to turn down their thermostats, reducing costs even further!
*Savings dependant on a common gas fuelled semi-detached property in England or Wales
Insulating your water tanks, pipes and radiators is a quick and easy way to save on energy costs. By lagging water tanks and pipes and insulating behind radiators, we can reduce the amount of heat lost which means spending less money heating up water or having your house get too cold.
Pipe insulation consists of one long foam tube that wraps around the exposed pipes between your hot water cylinder and boiler - this helps reduce some lost heat and thus keeps your house warm or room temperature at all times.
Choose the right size and slip it around those pesky pipes - you'll be glad when you see how much warmer things stay!
How does insulation work for comfort?
Insulating areas in a building where there could be potential air leaks helps to prevent uncontrolled condensation, and it is also a cost-effective way to cut heating and cooling costs. Air leakage contributes to moisture problems and condensation can develop into mould, spores, mildew or microbial organic compounds that can affect occupants’ health and the structure’s durability. According to the NHS, this can lead to respiratory problems, such as asthma, or even affect your immune system.
Therefore, a well-insulated, airtight building improves comfort and creates a healthier indoor environment, providing the insulation is installed correctly and is combined with a controlled ventilation system to maintain air quality.
Where should I insulate my home?
It is important to insulate all elements of a building’s external fabric to prevent air leaks and condensation from occurring. Download our Insulation Solutions Guide to learn more about different solutions for walls, roofs and floors.
Insulating internal walls and floors is also a great way to prevent noise pollution and create a more comfortable internal environment.
Which insulation should I use?
We believe that insulation should be as comfortable as possible to install. Our Knauf Mineral Wool insulation solutions provide all of the above benefits, but more importantly, thanks to our unique bio-based binder, ECOSE® Technology, our insulation is softer to touch and easier to handle when compared to insulation made with a chemical-based binder. It also generates low levels of dust, increasing the comfort of those handling it.
Products manufactured with ECOSE® Technology contribute to high levels of indoor air quality, as they contain no added formaldehyde or phenol, which means they generate low VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) too.
And to back this all up, our Mineral Wool insulation solutions made with ECOSE® Technology have been awarded the Eurofins Gold Certificate for Indoor Air Comfort.
How to insulate a loft?
A Step by Step Guide
- Start by lining your cold-water tank with the jacket, following the manufacturer's instructions.
- Insulate pipes, using a snap-off knife to cut the pipe insulation to size and secure the pipe insulation with duct tape.
- Insulation shouldn't be laid over any electric cables. Where possible, clip them to the roof joists or gently lift them out of the way whilst you install, before laying over the insulation when it’s in position.
- If you have recessed lights, now’s the time to install downlight protectors, being sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Once the insulation roll is in position, measure the width of the roll you need to fit between the joists; this tends to be either 400mm or 600mm. Then, cut the roll to size using a panel saw or a large bladed kitchen knife.
- Position the crawling boards in the furthest corner of the loft. You’ll need to start laying with a minimum gap of 25mm between the eaves and the insulation to ensure a suitable air gap. Maintain this gap along two opposite sides of the loft.
- Make sure that the wall plate is covered, then roll out the insulation, moving backwards so you are working towards the centre of the loft to avoid putting your weight directly onto the insulation. Gently push the insulation so it fits snuggly between the joists, but don't compress it as that will reduce its efficiency.
- When you reach a cross beam, use a straight edge or metal ruler and a snap-off knife to cut the insulation to fit. To join two lengths of insulation, simply butt them up tightly.
- Continue to lay until the first layer is in position, cutting the insulation as required to fit any awkward spaces.
- To reach the recommended loft insulation depth of between 270-300mm, a second layer can be added. Simply unwrap the insulation and lay it at 90 degrees to the first layer and ceiling joists. As before, when joining two lengths, make sure the butt joint is a snug fit. Stagger the joints to avoid them all meeting in the same place.
- Continue to lay until the entire loft is covered.
- Measure the loft hatch and cut the insulation to size. You will probably need two layers to achieve the recommended depth. Attach the insulation to the loft hatch using a staple gun or large-headed tacks.
