INSULATE THE HOME
Energy firms are hitting us with huge bills this spring that are as beastly as the recent bad weather. The Mail on Sunday helps you fight back with some brilliant ideas to cut your bills by hundreds of pounds a year.
THE most cost effective way you can cut your energy bill is to ensure the home is properly insulated. Up to two-thirds of energy used on heating disappears through walls or out through the roof.
The average annual household energy bill is £1,400 – with more than half of this spent on heating and hot water. As much as £500 a year is wasted due to poor insulation.
Nick Miles is director of energy advice firm The Green Age. He says: ‘The best practical measure is to insulate the fabric of your property. Up to a third of all heating can be lost through your roof space while another third seeps through walls.
‘Start by going into the loft. Even if you already have it insulated, now may be time to put down an extra layer or fill holes. It should be fluffed up and cover all corners.’
Quality fibreglass fleece costing £100 can be enough to line attic space but if you wish to demonstrate your eco-credentials consider £1,000 worth of sheep wool from suppliers such as Thermafleece. Miles says: ‘The added expense of wool might seem unnecessary but it can pay for itself in three years. Tests have shown sheep wool even purifies the air.’ Loft insulation should be at least 10 inches thick to provide maximum effect according to the independent body Energy Saving Trust. You should also look to install insulation boards on the underside of the roof.
Wall cavity insulation can also knock hundreds of pounds off the annual heating bill. Costs start from £300 and can involve spraying a plastic foam into the gap behind a brick outside wall.
Occasionally, grants are available to help pay for the measure. Contact your local council to see if they might be willing to help foot the bill – although it is unlikely in such straitened times for councils.
Double glazing is another consideration but it may cost more than £5,000, and will only stop about 10 per cent of heat loss from your home.
Miles says: ‘It is easy to be lured into getting new double glazing through slick adverts but often there is nothing wrong with what you already have – and the difference it can make is marginal.’ COST: From £100 SAVE: £300 a year THERE is no substitute for a natural fire if you wish to bring warmth to the home. It also offers an attractive focal point for the family.
But if fuel efficiency is what you are seeking then it is worth investing in a modern wood burner. It has the potential to knock a third off heating bills.
You can expect to pay between £500 and £2,000 for a modern stove. You might also spend a further £1,000 on lining an old chimney and providing a flue so that it complies with modern safety requirements.
With new particle emissions rules coming into force in 2022 you need to be careful when buying. Look for a Stove Industry Alliance Eco Design logo.
A cubic metre of wood will cost at least £60 and you might need at least three loads a year to keep the fire going so that it radiates warmth throughout the rest of the home.
Woodman Vincent Thurkettle says much wood can be found for free – and the challenge of hunting and chopping up logs adds to the pleasure.
He says: ‘With spring in the air and the daffodils out this is the ideal time to go foraging for wood to stock up for winter.’
He adds: ‘Wood has supplied heat since the dawn of mankind – it can be relied upon even if there is a power cut, an energy crisis or your utility firm wants more money.’
It is important to ask permission from a landowner before cutting up a fallen tree on private land. A £200