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One way to reduce a home’s energy usage and save on bills is by getting insulation installed. This can also improve a home’s EPC (energy performance certificate) rating, increasing the value of the property.
Experts at Aluminium Windows and Doors suggested installing insulation in a list of ‘spend now save later’ measures for Britons to consider.
They encouraged Britons to get insulation fitted as up to a third of heat within a home can escape, wasting money for consumers.
The experts said: “Insulating cavity walls requires a registered professional and usually takes two to three hours to complete.
“The average cost of insulating cavity walls is £1,800 for a detached house. However, it can save over £600 per year in energy bills and hence save money in the long term.
“In addition to cavity wall insulation is loft insulation, where up to a third of heat can be lost. Again, this is a job for the professionals, with the average detached house costing £900 to insulate. However, it could save up to £600 per year in energy bills.
“Improving your insulation will also improve your home’s EPC rating, attracting a slight price premium when you come to sell it.”
With the two £600 savings from insulating cavity walls and loft insulation, a household could save a total of £1,200 in energy bills over the course of a year.
A recent report found 25 percent of Britons do not believe their home is well insulated with common issues including a property not retaining heat, or occupants often feeling a draught.
The survey, commissioned by British Wool, found 70 percent of millennials wouldn’t ask what kind of insulation a property they were purchasing has.
Lisa Conway, carpet expert at Brintons, said: “If there’s anything this winter has taught us it’s the importance of keeping warm, whilst not spending too much on our heating bills.
“By simply having wool carpet in your home, you’re taking the first step to keep the warmth in, with wool carpets providing as much as 13 percent more insulation than hard surface floors.
“Just as with duvets, carpets have tog ratings. A tog is a measurement of thermal resistance and therefore the higher the tog rating, the more heat your carpet will retain, and the better it will be as an insulating material.”
Mark Lynn, Wool Insulation Specialist at Thermafleece, pointed to the fact British houses are some of the worst insulated in Europe.
He said: “Although the last thing many of us will want to do in the current climate is to spend money on insulating our homes, it could be the best way to save thousands for years to come.
“When purchasing a home, it’s easy to want to spend on the aesthetics, but if you wouldn’t ignore a leaky roof – don’t ignore poor insulation.
“There’s no denying it’s an investment, so that’s why it’s essential to research the most appropriate form of insulation for you and your home.”
The cap set by the Energy Price Guarantee is increasing in April, when average energy bills for a typical home in England, Scotland and Wales will go up from £2,500 a year to £3,000.
The bills increase will be made worse for many households by the fact the £400 energy bills discount scheme ending next month, when the final £67 instalment will be applied.
People in England, Scotland and Wales have received the funds in monthly instalments since October last year.
People in Northern Ireland received the £400 as part of a wider one-off £600 payment with those on prepayment meters receiving a voucher in the post to redeem at the Post Office.
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