HOW GREEN IS YOUR HOME?
If you are living in a semi-detached home, how can you cut energy bills this winter by improving your home’s ability to hold heat, and even generate your own energy?
We continue this insulating series with a look at early-20th-century semi-detached houses with gas boilers. Four experts share their suggestions on what you can do to insulate your home on a variety of budgets: Paul Ciniglio, a refurbishment lead with the National Energy Foundation; Tim Pullen, an expert in sustainable building methods and energy efficiency; David Hilton, an expert in sustainable buildings and energy efficiency; and architect Paul Testa, who has carried out extensive energy efficiency improvements in his own home.
FIRST STEPS
“The overall approach with an early-20th-century house
“You also need to make sure that any remedial action is compatible with the building. Many properties of this period are solid brick, so the materials you use need to be breathable.”
BUDGET: £200
For £200, the first task, say all four experts, is to insulate the loft (you’ll need to more than double this budget if you’re paying for professional installers).
“Loft insulation is generally the easiest type of insulation to deal with, and one of the measures that makes the most difference in terms of warmth, comfort, energy bill savings and reducing carbon emissions,” says Paul Ciniglio.
Adds David Hilton: “The first thing to do is to go to a builders’ merchant to buy loft insulation and to roll it out yourself. If you already have insulation in the loft, take a look and see if the insulation is compacted. If it is, add more to make sure the insulation is still efficient, and covering all areas.
“And if you’re using mineral wool insulation don’t block all the air going into the loft, as you don’t want to suffocate the space. If in doubt, get advice.”
Expect to save £480 a year after insulating an uninsulated loft (based on October 2022 fuel prices),in a semi-detached home.
Draughtproofing is next on the list. David Hilton explains: “Look at door seals and window seals to check there are no draughts. If there are, put in draught excluders, seals and draughtproofing tape.” Most competent DIYers will be able to tackle this, says Tim Pullen. “Draughtproofing is generally considered to be DIY work — if you can handle a screwdriver and a silicone gun you should be fine. If you choose to employ peop
