As the cost of living continues to batter households up and down the country, and with winter just around the corner, it's important that you try to keep any heat used inside the home to avoid bumping already spiralling energy bills up further.
The warmth is able to escape via a number of different avenues, inclusive of poor insulation and low-quality flooring, so it's good to know how you can fix any drafting issues around the house.
Heating experts at the The Underfloor Heating Store have shared the top five 'common snags' around your house which could be allowing precious heat to escape - as reported in The Daily Express.
Read more: Quick and easy ways to save money on your energy bills
1. Poor wall insulation
The experts explained: “Low-quality wall insulation can cause a whopping 35 to 40 percent of heat loss in homes, making it the biggest source of heat loss, so it’s worth checking if your wall insulation is of high quality. UK homes built before 1930 will have solid walls and any homes built after 1930 will have cavity walls.
“Fortunately, cavity wall insulation is an easy and relatively pocket-friendly process that injects the cavities of your walls with insulating material, slowing the movement of heat within your walls, and keeping your home warmer for longer. Solid wall insulation is a lot more complicated and costly to properly insulate.
"Therefore, ensure you seek professional advice on how to add further insulation to your home if your property was built pre-1930.”
2. Incorrect boiler temperature
One of the most important appliances to keep on top of is the humble boiler, as incorrect use could substantially impact the price of your energy bills, as well as quality of heating around the house.
The experts recommend getting boilers to a temperature sweet spot of around 60C to allow water to be condensed and run more efficiently.
They explained: “At 60C, your boiler is more readily able to condense water vapour and recover latent heat from this vaporisation, which would otherwise have been lost up the flue. Altering your boiler temperature to 60C will help your boiler achieve higher efficiency by utilising its whole functions, resulting in cheaper heating bills.”
3. Low-quality flooring
The Underfloor Heating Store experts continued: “Similar to low-quality windows, homes can also lose around 10 percent of their heat through the floor. Well-insulated underfloor heating is a great alternative. Underfloor heating is an added heat source that comes from the floor rather than usual radiators, meaning less energy could be required to warm your home.”
However, underfloor heating can be expensive to install and run. Plumb Nation said dry underfloor heating is the most expensive type of underfloor system to run, sometimes up to four times the price of a wet underfloor system. For around six hours of usage, households could expect each metre squared to add 10p to their energy bills.
Wet underfloor heating systems are more cost-effective to run but are still expensive to install and may not be the best option for households.
The Underfloor Heating Store experts added: “Similar to your home’s walls, there are two main types of flooring, solid and suspended timber, so it’s worth checking that your underfloor ventilators are clear and unblocked. If they are clear with no blockages, you can use a thick underlay to prevent any air from coming through the floorboards allowing colder air to seep through.”
4. Poorly positioned thermostat
According to the experts, it is important that the thermostat is installed in an appropriate location so it can accurately read the temperature of the atmosphere surrounding it. If located in the wrong location, such as a hallway or entryway to the home, it could be detecting lower temperatures due to a number of factors.
This includes cold draughts around a doorway.
The experts noted: “Thermostats are best positioned in the main areas of the home, ideally a living room or landing, but never above a radiator or near a draughty door. Remember that increasing the temperature of your thermostat does not provide instant heating either, instead, it consumes more energy over a longer period of time.
“Your thermostat has a specific temperature comfort level and is designed to pause heating after reaching a certain degree. To warm your home faster, you should instead turn up the radiator valve in rooms that are in use and turn them off completely for rooms that are not.
"This way, heat is sent directly to the rooms needed, while you don’t waste energy on heating rooms that are mostly empty or not in use.”
5. Poor window insulation
Windows with poor insulation can cause heat loss due to radiation through glazing or air leakage, according to the experts. They explained how a property could lose around 10 percent of its heat through windows. Unfortunately, repairing window glazing or getting new windows fitted isn’t the easiest or cheapest.
The experts said: “Incorrectly fitted windows can cost as much as £200 per window to repair. As a temporary solution, you can use caulk to seal any noticeable cracks near your windows and use a gap filler to easily conceal any tiny gaps that may run along your windows and let the cold air in.
“Keeping your windows locked pulls the seals together, blocking up any space that air can possibly leak through too. If you have large windows, consider installing more locks a few inches from the outside edges rather than just one in the centre, to ensure the gap is closed all the way around the seal.”
If your windows do need an update, it is best to replace them with secondary glazing to prevent cold draughts and save on bills over time. They can also help to improve the soundproofing throughout the home.
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