Millions of people across the UK are feeling the pinch of rising energy costs.
There are multiple contributing factors behind this, but one unfortunate fact that is making all of it worse is this – homes in the UK are amongst the least energy efficient in Europe.
This is mainly due to a lack of insulation.
A study of 80,000 homes in Europe showed that the average UK home leaks 3 degrees of its heat out of the walls and roof. This is over 3 times more heat wasted than in countries like Germany (1-degree leak) and Norway (0.9-degree leak).
Heat leaking from a home means 2 things:
- Your home is getting colder
- The heating you’re paying for is being wasted
A part of this is due to age – the UK has some of the oldest housing in all of Europe.
Around 38% of homes in the UK were built pre-1946, compared to 24% in Germany, and just 11% in Spain.
These older homes are often lacking in insulation and built using materials that do not retain heat very well.
On average, families in these older homes will pay £1,000 per year more on energy bills than those living in newer, well-insulated properties.
All of this is much worse for the planet too, increasing energy usage and carbon emissions.
That’s not to say newer homes are perfect though, as the government themselves have admitted that even some new build homes don’t meet the required standards for home insulation and energy efficiency.
All in all, a huge retrofitting operation is required across the country to insulate the estimated 27 million homes which need improvement.
Luckily, there is some help available. Right now if you live in Mansfield or the surrounding areas of Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire, and earn less than £30,000 per year, you could be eligible for FREE loft insulation and cavity wall insulation.
These measures will help keep your home warmer in the winter months and could cut hundreds of pounds per year off of your energy bill – whilst making your property greener and more eco-friendly too. See here for more information.
Even if you do not live in a home with cavity walls, help may be available – read more about external wall insulation services.
For more information regarding insulation and cutting your energy bills, please feel free to contact us today either by email (click here), or on 0800 1583605, and our friendly team will be happy to advise you any way they can.