Pad your wallet and your walls

Electricity bills, oil bills, gas bills--all homeowners pay for one or more of these utilities, and wish they paid less. Often many of us do not really know how to control or reduce our utility bills. We resign ourselves to high bills because we think that is the price we have to pay for a comfortable home. We encourage our children to turn off the lights and appliances, but may not recognize the benefits of insulating the attic.

In certain climates, massive building envelopes-such as masonry, concrete, earth, and insulating concrete forms (ICFs)-can be utilized as one of the simplest ways of reducing building heating and cooling loads. Very often such savings can be achieved in the design stage of the building and on a relatively low-cost basis. Such reductions in building envelope heat losses combined with optimized material configuration and the proper amount of thermal insulation in the building envelope help to reduce the building cooling and heating energy demands and building related CO2 emission into the atmosphere. Thermal mass effects occur in buildings containing walls, floors, and ceilings made of logs, heavy masonry, and concrete

Around 50% of heat loss in the average home is through loft space and walls. The amount of heat lost annually through roofs and walls is enough to heat three million homes for a year. The cost of cavity wall insulation can be recovered in under two years and the ongoing savings can be as much as £130 -£160 each year.

The average house could reduce heating costs by over a third. In fact, between 2002 and 2005 around 800,000 households installed cavity wall insulation. It is estimated that this will have saved nearly 400,000 tonnes of CO2, enough to fill the new Wembley Stadium 47 times.

Unless your home was constructed with special attention to energy efficiency, adding insulation will probably reduce your utility bills. Much of the existing housing stock in the UK is not insulated to the best level. Older homes are likely to use more energy than newer homes, leading to very high heating and air-conditioning bills. Even if you own a new home, adding insulation may save enough money in reduced utility bills to pay for itself within a few years, continue to save you money for as long as you own the home, and increase the resale value of your house.

Cavity wall insulation is quick, clean and relatively inexpensive to install. It's injected into the cavity from the outside, taking between two and three hours in a three bedroom semi-detached house. It typically costs less than £500, and with the savings you make on your heating bills, it can pay for itself in around three years.

Simply by insulating your loft to the recommended depth of 270mm, you can save wasted energy and money. You can even do it yourself! Talk to your local DIY store or builders' merchants for details. There could even be grants and offers available to help you pay for loft insulation

Draught proofing is an easy, cost-effective way to reduce heating bills. Most materials are available from DIY stores. Check the quality of the products. It will affect their performance and durability. They should conform to the standard BS 7386. There are several types of materials available - from brushes, foams and sealants to strips and shaped rubber or plastic.

Inadequate insulation and air leakage are leading causes of energy waste in most homes. Insulation saves money and our nation's limited energy resources. It can also make your house more comfortable by helping to maintain a uniform temperature throughout the house. Walls, ceilings, and floors will be warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Insulation can also act as a sound absorber or barrier, keeping noise levels down.

The amount of energy you conserve will depend on several factors: your local climate; the size, shape, and construction of your house; the living habits of your family; the type and efficiency of the heating and cooling systems; and the fuel you use. Once the energy savings have paid for the installation cost, energy conserved is money saved--and the annual savings will increase if utility rates go up.

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