Insulate and save

What if you could save more than £100 every year with very little effort? The Energy Saving Trust has worked out that insulating your loft could save you at least £140 if you live in a mid-terrace house and up to £250 if you live in a detached house - as well as significantly reducing your carbon footprint.

In an uninsulated home, about 25% of the heat is lost through the roof, so installing loft insulation could change your life and reduce your bills dramatically. And it's not just a matter of staying warm in winter. In summer, more heat comes in through an uninsulated roof, making your home uncomfortably hot - or adding to your air conditioning bills.

You can add insulation in different ways:

Insulation blankets
Loft insulation blankets, often referred to as 'quilts', can be straightforward to fit. Lay the quilts over the entire area, but make sure there are no gaps or holes in the layering.

Blown insulation
Blown insulation must be installed by a professional. It will typically take just a few hours and may use specialist equipment that blows loose, fire-retardant insulation material into the loft.

Roof insulation
If you want to use your loft for living space, you could look at insulating the roof instead. This is usually done by insulating between the roof rafters using rigid insulation boards.

Flat roof insulation
Flat roofs must be insulated from above, to avoid condensation problems. The job involves laying boarding backed with insulation material either on top of or under the waterproof layer, so it's best done when you are renewing your roof 's waterproof covering.

Click here to see if you are eligible for free loft or cavity wall insulation

For more energy saving ideas visit British Gas

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