Stay warm this Winter (and save money!)

Improving the insulation of your home is one of the simplest ways of saving energy and combating rising energy prices. And the good news is - getting it installed may not be as difficult or costly as you think!

Did your know you can get a free survey of your home by a qualified engineer? It only takes 45 minutes. They’ll tell you which insulation you need and the grants and discounts which are available. And they’ll arrange for a local company to come and do the work. It couldn’t be much simpler than that!Don’t

Wait To Insulate:
The last two winters were the coldest on record for 40 years. No wonder our fuel bills shot up, and that was before the recent 15% gas price rises. So don’t delay – insulation is the solution! Even if you’re partly insulated now, it makes sense to top up, and make your house really toasty. Why not pop a warm jumper on too to keep extra cosy!

Generous Grants Available:
Under the current government scheme, you can get a grant of £199 towards loft insulation, and an additional £199 towards cavity wall insulation. In each case that’s about half the cost of a typical installation.

And if you’re over 70 years old, or on disability allowance, income support, or a range of other benefits, the work will be done entirely free.

These figures assume you have little or no insulation at present. The surveyor can tell you all about it, and explain how you can make the most of the grants available.

Insulation Tips:
Adopting the following measures can significantly reduce your energy bills, and help you stay warm, whilst also reducing your carbon dioxide emissions.

Loft Insulation:
Insulating your loft could save you up to around £145 per year on your energy bills.

Cavity Wall Insulation:
Around a third of all the heat lost in an un-insulated home is lost through the walls. Cavity wall insulation is a fantastic way to significantly reduce the amount of energy you need to heat your home and could save you around £110 a year on your fuel bills.

Solid Wall Insulation:
If you have solid walls you can either insulate them with external or internal insulation, saving you around £375 a year.

Floor Insulation:
Insulating beneath floorboards will reduce heating bills by around £50 a year and improve the comfort of your home. Gaps and cracks around floors and skirting boards are easy to fill yourself using a tube of sealant - reducing heating bills by around a further £20 a year.

Draught Proofing:
Draught proofing saves you money, and makes your home snug and pleasant! Using strips and excluders to draught proof around leaky door and window frames can save around £25 a year on heating bills.

Tanks and Pipe Insulation:
Both tank and pipe insulation keep your water hotter for longer by reducing the amount of heat that escapes. If everyone in the UK fitted a hot water cylinder jacket that was at least 75mm thick, there would be enough carbon dioxide saved per year to fill 7 million Double Decker buses!

Glazing:
Double glazing cuts heat lost through windows by half and installing Energy Saving Trust Recommended double glazing could save around £130 a year on your heating bills.

Warm Clothing:
The easiest and cheapest way of staying warm is by topping up your own personal insulation by putting warm clothes on, and using a thick duvet or extra blanket – comfy and toasty!

How to find out more:
The free home insulation surveys are being provided by HCL Energy, through an arrangement with Horsham District Council. To book your survey call HCL now on 01273 390420.

The Energy Savings Trust has lots of useful information – visit their website www.energysavingtrust.org.uk or call on 0800 512012.

The Greening Campaign in Steyning, Bramber and Beeding is mounting a big insulation drive this autumn so check out the website for more information (www.1010steyning.org).

There will be a stall outside the Steyning Co-op every Saturday morning during October, where you’ll be able to meet a representative from HCL and find out more getting a survey done.

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