Why insulate?
It’s a well-known fact that nearly half of our body heat escapes via the tops of our heads – hence the importance of wearing a hat in cold weather. The same logic applies with buildings because heat rises. So applying generous layers of insulation at roof level can pay big dividends. The greatest benefit can generally be gained by tackling those parts of the building that leak the most heat; the biggest culprits when it comes to heat loss are actually the walls of your home:-
- Walls 35%
- Roof 25%
- Floor 15%
- Doors and Draughts 15%
- Windows 10%
How much money will I save?
A typical semi-detached house of around 1000sq ft floor area with an average amount of insulation and gas-fired central heating uses approximately 28,000 kWh of energy per year for heating, hot water, cooking, lighting and appliances. This equates to around £1500 a year (and rising). So even if you can cut this by 10 – 20% it will result in substantial savings.
Of course every house is different across Northern Ireland, depending on age and building materials, but a Thermal Imaging Survey can high-light where the insulation is needed the most.
