The problem with heat loss
If heat is not retained in the home, heating sources must work harder and run for longer, to ensure
that the property stays at the right temperature. As these heat sources require fuel to operate,
energy payments will be higher, due to more fuel being used. Therefore, retaining heat in the home
helps to save substantial amounts of money.
Common causes
Causes of heat loss are generally due to a lack of insulation.
1/3 of heat in a property is lost through the roof. This is because the heat can easily transfer through
the thin material of the roof and escape, when a barrier of insulation is not present. This applies to
all roof types, including room in the roof conversions.
Heat also escapes through uninsulated walls of the property. Even properties with solid stone walls
experience this kind of heat loss.
It is also possible that heat can escape through the floor of your property, however it is not as
substantial as the roof and walls.
How to protect against heat loss
Protecting against heat loss simply comes down to insulation.
Heat loss from the roof can be prevented by installing adequate insulation in your loft. Many homes
don’t have enough insulation in the loft and some are even completely absent of insulation. Building
regulations outline that lofts should be insulated to 270mm in depth, any less than this and the
insulation will not work to the standard required.
To prevent heat loss from the walls, the solution varies depending on your wall type.
If you have cavity walls then cavity wall insulation could be installed. This involves injecting small
insulation beads into the cavity, through a small hole on the external wall.
If you have solid walls such as solid brick or solid stone, you could install either internal or external
wall insulation. Internal insulation involves fixing insulation boards to the inside walls and re-
surfacing with plaster. They are normally 100mm thick, therefore minimal space is lost as a result.
External wall insulation involves fixing insulation blocks to the exterior walls of the property and
rendering the walls on top of the new insulation for a clean finish.
Room in the roof insulation can be installed if your property has a room in the roof. This involves
either installing insulation boards under existing plasterboards, or a new layer of plasterboard is
installed with a layer of insulation placed over the top of sloping ceilings.
How can I get help?
Privately, insulation measures can be very costly.
However, The ECO scheme provides funding for these measures to be installed, to those who are
eligible. Visit our website section on Eco funding to find out more!
If you have any questions that you do not feel are covered on our website, please get in touch with
one of our team.
Email – Info@theecoscheme.co.uk
Landline – 0333 577 3263
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