Coldest December Ever Increases Number of Loft Insulations

Copyright (c) 2011 Paul Sherrington

If households forget by April how cold it was, one look at the Spring energy bills will be a stark reminder, and hopefully make householders think about the measures they can take to reduce their energy bills next Winter.

However, by August the cold Winter and increased energy bills will seem like a distant memory. In fact, energy bills go up so often that we have almost taken the rises for granted.

That is why the National Insulation Association (NIA) are warning the public about being too complacent, and urging them to improve their home's energy efficiency by insulating the loft as a bare minimum.

Neil Marshall, Chief Executive of the NIA advised: "Home insulation is the single most effective method of saving money on domestic energy bills".

So what are the first steps to keeping the heat in your house rather than letting it out through the roof? First of all, find out how much loft insulation you have and what condition it is in.

Too many people when asked about the contents of their loft know exactly where their Xmas tree is but will openly admit to having no idea what condition their loft insulation is in or how deep it is.

Any less than 4" and you should apply for Government grants to help towards the cost. Government grants are generous and available to everyone. In fact, it is because the Government provides such generous grants, that over 3 million loft insulations have been carried out since 2008.

Remember that loft insulations heat retaining capacity is greater, the deeper the insulation installed. Even if you insulated the loft yourself 20 years ago, it is unlikely that you have enough. Current building regulations for new houses are 30cm (12") of loft insulation and for older properties the standard is 27cm (11"). If you don't have that amount, you are wasting energy.

Roughly 15 million houses in the UK are in need of loft insulation. If there is currently less than 10cm (4") of insulation your loft - roughly the height of the loft floor joist - then you will be entitled a minimum 40% grant contribution towards the cost of topping up your loft insulation.

If you are eligible for a partial grant, you would normally expect to pay only around £149 for your loft to insulation. The £149 also includes the lagging of your cold water tanks and pipes, insulating and draught proofing the hatch, and installing a walkway from the loft hatch to the tank.

The Energy Saving Trust estimates that a family heating their home with gas central heating will save between £40 and £145 per year from loft insulations alone.

But remember, even though loft insulations effectiveness is, pound for pound in cost and savings, comparable with that of Cavity Wall Insulation, it makes sense to insulate the whole house i.e. the loft and the walls.

With average household bills likely to rise from £1,150 today to between £1,725 and £2,300 by 2020, take advantage of loft insulation grants while they are still available.

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