Heat Loss
Ridiculous as it may seem we lose much of our heat in domestic homes by leaving essential areas uninsulated, allowing heat to escape into the atmosphere. Can you imagine anyone going out into a cold winter's day in a T-shirt and shorts!! Yet many homes in Cumbria still haven't got basic insulation in their homes. We lose 25% of our heat through the roof and 35% of our heat through the walls.
Does it Matter if we Lose Heat?
The problem affects not only those of us who feel the cold and want to stay warm. Energy generated by burning fossil fuels not only reduces the reserves for future generations (there is an estimated 40 years of fossil fuels left) but also produces an unnecessary increase in the amount of Carbon Dioxide emissions.
Loft Insulation
Whether or not your loft is used as a room it is still essential to make sure you have it adequately insulated. In a conventional loft your insulation should be at least 270mm (10.5"). Next time you're up in the loft storing something that you simply can't bear to be parted with but haven't actually got a use for - check out the depth of your insulation and make sure it's the required depth.
If you've converted the loft into a room you can still insulate the pitch of the roof and don't forget the storage spaces that don't get used in the living space in the 
conversion. It all makes a difference!
Again, the most frequent material used for loft insulation is glass or mineral fibre, simply because they are the least expensive. Other materials include recycled newspaper and sheep's wool insulation from the local firm Thermofleece.
Book your free loft and cavity wall insulation survey online now. Click here.
Cavity Wall Insulation
By having a contractor install cavity wall insulation using a similar material to that used to insulate lofts (mineral wool, glass fibre, polystyrene or very occasionally recycled paper) you can reduce the heat loss through your walls by up to 30%.
If your home was built after 1920 the chances are your walls will look something like the one illustrated on this page and have a cavity between the inner and outer leaf that is held with a wall tie. By filling this cavity with insulation it will reduce the heat loss from the house by about 20 - 25% every year making annual savings of between £130 - £160. 
Cavity wall insulation is easy to install taking 2 -3 hours for an average 3-bed semi detached house and at a discounted cost varying between nothing (for those on benefits) to £249 for 4 bed detached house it's clear that it will take no more than 18 months at the most to pay for itself.
In Cumbria most installers use glass or mineral wool and occasionally polystyrene beads are used. For information about the different types of material visit http://www.bre.co.uk/. There are more environmentally friendly products available to fill cavities with - for example recycled newspaper. Unfortunately the cost is too expensive compared to other materials to be included in large bulk discount schemes. However, this doesn't mean this isn't an excellent product and if you're happy to pay a bit extra to use recycled materials that's great. To put it into perspective the embodied energy in glass or mineral wool usually pays for itself in energy savings within 2 years of installation.
Book your free loft and cavity wall insulation survey online now. Click here.
Solid Wall Insulation
If your walls look like this the chances are that your home was built before 1920 and won't have an unobstructed cavity that can be insulated. This doesn't mean 
there's nothing that you can do about it. There are 3 main methods of insulating this type of wall:
- External cladding where a plaster based insulating material is used to render the external walls significantly improving the insulation of the walls. This type of material often includes polystyrene in the plaster mix.
- Dry lining an external wall when refurbishing a room can make a huge difference. Using a timber or metal framework to hold polystrene slabs behind new plasterboard and then skimming the plaster can be very messy and is usually only recommended when a room needs decorated.
- Finally, again when a room needs decorated, but slightly less messy is the use of a thick wallpaper type application that insulates the wall without re-plastering. This is quite expensive but as with all wall insulation will eventually pay for itself with the fuel savings made.
Floor Insulation
This is relatively easy to install if you're replacing carpets. If you have a wooden floor you can use conventional insulating material used for lofts but held between the joists with a net. Sealing the skirting boards can make a huge difference too.
Concrete floors are just as easy to insulate. Laying special insulating layer of foam under the carpet before the underlay will stop the concrete drawing out the warmth from the room in the winter.
Draught Proofing
Draughts can cause untold misery just because of the discomfort they cause, let alone the impact on your fuel bill. Next time you're at the DIY store pick up some draft proofing and make sure you remember to put a brush round the letterbox and the keyhole. If you can't manage to install draught-proofing yourself all insulation installers will be happy to install it for you but there will be a charge for the service.
Cylinder jackets
Don't forget the humble cylinder jacket! For less than £15 you can keep the heat from the hot water tank in the cylinder where it should be and save yourself £10 - £15 each year into the bargain. Don't worry there will still be enough heat coming off the cylinder to air the clothes!