How Does Insulation Help Cut Energy Bills?

Like most people in the UK, you’ve probably seen your energy bills increasing recently, with more steep rises still to come.

This harsh reality will affect almost every – but not necessarily equally.

A shocking new statistic from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit has shown that those in poorly insulated homes could end up seeing rises of £968 more on their annual gas bills than those who live in homes with a high level of insulation.

So why is this? Why aren’t more homes insulated? and what can you do to cut your bills?

What is insulation and how can it cut bills?

Home insulation is by far one of the most effective ways of making your home more comfortable and reducing your energy costs.

There are a wide range of different types of insulation available, but generally speaking insulation works by trapping heat into the right areas of your property, and keeping the cold out.

The more common areas for this to be done are the areas where heat is most likely to escape – such as roofs, floors and walls.

Without insulation, indoor temperatures can be hard to maintain, with homes losing up to 45% of their heat, according to the Energy Savings Trust. This means that 45% of the heat you pay to generate through central heating or storage heaters, actually ends up just leaking outside.

A tell-tale sign that a home isn’t properly insulated, is the temperature dropping very quickly as soon as the heat source is turned off. Read more: How to tell if your home has enough insulation.

Another way to gauge how efficient your home is at retaining heat is to view the Energy Performance Certificate that comes with the sale or renting of a property. Read more: How to improve your EPC rating.

What type of insulation is needed?
The main types, depending on the property you live in, are:

• Loft/roof insulation
• Cavity wall insulation
• Solid wall insulation
• floor insulation
• draught-proofing