If you’re looking at ways to reduce your heating bills, you may have already considered some of the standard tips getting around. Keeping your thermostat set at a slightly lower temperature still keeps your home warm, but won’t cost you as much to heat it overall. Ensuring your heating system is working efficiently may also be a good way to save a few extra pounds.
There are also plenty of simple measures you might want to think about that could help cut those bills even further. As an example, closing the curtains can be a very easy way to stop so much heat from escaping your home. Placing rugs on the floors can also help to keep warmth in rooms and ensure your feet feel warmer.
Likewise, reducing draughts around doors and windows can help keep the heat in as well. You won’t need to use so much energy to keep rooms at a comfortable temperature if you can find ways to stop heat from escaping.
Floor Insulation Boards
What many people overlook is how much heat may be escaping through your floors. Floor insulation boards can offer an excellent way to keep heat within rooms that are located above any unheated spaces. As an example, a room above an unheated garage may lose a lot of heat through an uninsulated floor.
You may also want to consider floor insulation boards if your ground floor is constructed of solid concrete. Rigid insulation can be installed on top of concrete and your chosen floor coverings can be laid right on top of the insulation. The type of insulation you’ll need for your own home will be heavily dependent on the style and structure of the property, but it’s worth checking what type of insulation will best suit your needs.
The same principle is true if you have an unheated cellar or basement below your living areas. If your basement’s ceiling shows you the underside of your living room floorboards, chances are you’re losing a lot of heat you’re paying good money to generate. You may want to consider installing a plasterboard ceiling fitted to your cellar or basement, which can be used to support installation of insulation between the plasterboard and the floorboards above.
Insulating Tiled Floors
Installing floor insulation beneath boards or onto concrete isn’t so challenging. It’s also relatively easy to arrange for floor insulation during construction of a new home where tiles will be laid. However, if you already have tiled floors in your home you’ll know how cold they can get. Tiles can conduct heat and cold, so even if your heater is running you’ll still feel cold emanating up from those tiles through your feet.
You do have the option of laying rugs over the tiles to help reduce the amount of heat lost in cold tiled areas. You should also check for any leaks or cracks in the grout that can allow heat to escape from the room.
Loft Insulation
It’s often not necessary to think about floor insulation for upstairs rooms that are directly above heated living areas. Heated air rises, so heating the downstairs areas can often generate a warmer ambient temperature upstairs. The problem comes when heat continues to rise and escapes through uninsulated loft areas.
By adding insulation into the loft, you’re able to keep heat within the upstairs rooms more efficiently. As there’s less heat escaping, your heating system won’t be required to work so hard to keep rooms at a comfortable temperature, which results in cheaper heating bills for you.
Skirting Boards and Doors
Even if you insulate the floors, walls and ceilings of your home, you may still experience heat loss through various draughts you may never have considered. The gaps between your floor and skirting boards can be responsible for allowing heat to escape, as can the tiny gaps around your window frames and doors. Small gaps can be filled easily at a very cheap cost with a tube of sealant. In some instances, you may want to get a weather-seal installed to help reduce the amount of heat that can escape from beneath doors.
If you’re keen to reduce your heating bills, maybe it’s time to consider the benefits of insulating your home. Working on simple DIY tips can be an excellent start, but if you need a little more assistance it may be time to call a professional to see what they recommend for your home’s needs.
Sam Jones recommends that people consider floor insulation boards as another weapon in the arsenal against rising energy prices
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