With energy bills rising almost daily, it is time to consider why household insulation is so important.
Home insulation is cheap to install and often has government grants to help with the costs through the "Help to Heat" scheme. Rather than spend more money on energy to heat your home, re-direct your financial resources to use your energy more efficiently. Good insulation has many benefits to a homeowner that are not just financial but include improved well-being and reducing our carbon footprints.
So lets' investigate why household insulation is so important.
Keep your home comfortable.
Simply put, the most crucial reason to insulate your home is to ensure that your heating systems are as effective and efficient as possible. Without insulation, heat can move much more freely into and out of the home through any small gaps in the home's exterior. These small gaps can be in lofts, window surrounds, door closings and anywhere the services, electric cables, or water pipes exit the house. As a result, summers will be hotter, and winters will be colder. Insulation effectively creates a barrier around heat, preventing it from freely moving throughout the home.
Keep your home environmentally friendly.
Like many homeowners, you are concerned about how much energy you use in your home and how much of a carbon footprint you have. We're all trying to do our part to keep from wasting energy. However, only some people are willing to sit in the bitter cold of winter. Insulation makes your heating system more efficient, so you won't need to use it as frequently or can lower the thermostat temperature. Thermal efficiency means using less energy and having a smaller overall environmental impact.
Reduce your energy costs.
Reduced reliance on your heating systems also positively impacts your home's budget. Energy bills are frequently one of the most expensive recurring expenses in the house. Over 62% of household energy in the EU was used for space heating, a staggering figure. Almost as unsettling is the 15% of the energy consumed for water heating. You can undoubtedly reduce water heating costs with the simple addition of self-installed quality pipe lagging, which is cheap and quick to fit. A quick check on your hot water tank to see if it is fully jacketed would take a couple of minutes and can be easily remedied if it does not have one.
As you can see, if left unchecked, energy bills can quickly spiral out of control. Insulation reduces your reliance on the heating system because it makes the home's climate easier to control.
It is easier to achieve and maintain the desired temperature in the home. Less time spent with the heating on means less money spent on energy.
Reduce noise pollution.
Insulation is a protective barrier around the home, preventing more than just hot air from escaping. It's also helpful in keeping noise inside the house and preventing noise from outside. It's not completely soundproof, but if the sounds of the neighbourhood keep you awake at night, it can provide some relief. Similarly, it provides a barrier against sound travelling out of the house, allowing you to enjoy your home life without worrying about what your neighbours will think.
Increase the value of your home
Because insulation benefits the home so much, it's only natural that it affects the value. A home with insulation is more cost-effective, comfortable, and environmentally friendly. These factors are highly valued in the housing market, especially as homes are now rated for energy efficiency. Installing insulation in your home is beneficial not only to you and your family but also to the investment that is your property. Even if your home already has insulation, it's worth checking to ensure it's still resilient and effective.
Keeping your home and family safe
Insulation is not only beneficial to your comfort; it is also helpful to your health. When combined with good roof and wall ventilation, it helps to improve the air quality of the home, ensuring that you get fresh air without allergens from outside. These allergens are not only harmful to people who suffer from hay fever, but they can also aggravate or cause respiratory problems such as asthma.
Furthermore, insulation prevents cold, damp corners in the home from becoming a breeding ground for various potentially dangerous issues. It aids in preventing mould growth, which is one of the primary causes of sick homes. People with proper insulation have been observed to have fewer doctor visits and fewer complaints about their overall well-being.
Insulation in older homes is minimal to non-existent.
Hopefully, the advantages of good insulation throughout the home are becoming apparent. However, it would be best if you considered investing in it because your current home may need more. Insulation is now required in newly built homes due to current regulations.
However, this is different for older homes. Yours could have little or no insulation. Lack of house insulation translates to a colder, unhealthier, and a more expensive home.
Modern insulation techniques such as loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and Rockwool for walls can significantly benefit even older properties. An uninsulated roof space will lose around 25% of the heat you generate. The savings by insulating correctly can be huge. According to the Energy Saving Trust, a typical loft insulation installation for a semi-detached house would cost £480. But they estimate an annual saving on your heating costs of £355. So payback is quick, and the savings will last for many years.
Conclusion
As we all reel from the constant pressure on our household budgets due to rising energy costs, it is time we hit back. Insulation is a quick, inexpensive and reliable way to reduce home and water heating costs. With grants available from the government and local authorities, you can be fully insulated for minimal cost and enjoy maximum benefits. Time to insulate, NOW!
