Heating Crisis Hits

Households across the UK are hoping to slash their energy bills and millions are seeking for more ways than ever to save money and stay warm this winter, as the energy crisis worsens and living costs increase.

New research from LoftZone reveals that two thirds of Brits are concerned about heating their homes this winter, with a worried over two in five (44 per cent) planning to not turn the heat on at all in fear of high energy bills.

Households across the UK have already resorted to new measures to save on household energy this winter, including keeping the heating off until it is much colder (44 per cent), turning off all plugs at the switch to avoid wasting electricity (41 per cent) and buying small cooking appliances to help save on costs (25 per cent).

As the weather gets colder, 44 per cent will wear more layers around the house, 38 per cent say they need multiple blankets in order to sleep well at night, a quarter (27 per cent) are only heating the necessary rooms in their house and one in ten (16 per cent) will not have any hot water baths in order to save water.

The average British home takes 26 minutes to warm up once the heating is turned on, with 1 in 4 Brits rating their home as having a low level of heat retention and a bleak 6 per cent saying their home does not retain any heat at all.

92 per cent of Brits consider loft insulation important to maintain a warm home, however nearly 60 per cent are not aware that compressing insultation reduces its effectiveness by at least 50 per cent. Loftzone’s raised loft boarding StoreFloor is an ideal solution to help you prepare for the energy crisis and save money.

LoftZone’s Dave Raval says “Loft insulation is vital for helping homeowners save hundreds of pounds in heating bills every year whilst also helping save the planet. Insulation stops this by acting as the woolly hat for your home, trapping the heat inside so you need less energy to heat it constantly. However, it doesn’t stop at simply adding insulation to your loft. What people may not know is typical loft boarding squashes insulation, making it 50% less efficient. Raised loft boarding is the best at preventing this. A raised loft system works by creating a raised platform for boarding to rest on above the insulation while allowing it to retain its full depth to help with your energy savings.”

Here are Dave’s top five tips on how best to keep energy bills low and house temperatures high this winter:

1. Invest in loft insulation
   Loft insulation acts as an effective barrier against temperature extremes, making it a helpful method to keep the cold out and the heat in during the winter.

2. Draught-proofing
   Don’t let the money you’ve spent on heating your house seep through the gaps. Older houses typically lose more heat through gaps in doors, floorboards, and windows, so it’s vital to plug the gaps – curtains and rugs are great for this. Also, worth checking windows and doors seal properly, buy some cheap adhesive foam strips to block cold air.

3. Heating up large rooms can often feel like an impossible task
   As heat rises, the ceiling gets warm first, then only afterwards does the lower part of the room start to warm up. To tackle this, why not consider a radiator fan, which you can put on top of a radiator. It simply blows the heat on to you, rather than let it drift upwards, so you feel warmer, sooner.

    

4. Save hot water
   There are obvious things to save water, such as taking quicker showers and having fewer baths, but often people forget the water used whilst washing up. Use a bowl, or plug the sink, to avoid washing every item under the hot water tap, that is just heated water you’ve paid for that is going down the plughole! You can rinse cleaned crockery etc with cold water, too.

5. Thermostatic Radiator Valves can make a big difference
   If you have radiators, make sure each one has a TRV – a thermostatic radiator valve. Most homes have one single thermostat controlling your temperature, but many rooms need less heat. Ask yourself – does your bedroom need to be hot at midday? Does your hall need to be as warm as your lounge? TRVs can be fitted without needing to do any plumbing; they just screw on and allow you to turn down or up individual radiators – easy!