There are several types of materials available from brushes,
foams and sealants to strips and shaped rubber or plastic. Draught
proofing is an easy, cost effective way to reduce heating bills.
Most materials are available from DIY stores and should conform to
the standard BS 7386.
Floor insulation
Heat loss through floors is relatively slow compared to the
other areas of an average house. Timber floors can be insulated by
lifting the floorboards and laying mineral wool insulation
supported by netting between the joists.
You can also use a regular tube sealant, such as silicon to fill
gaps between floorboards and skirting boards to stop draughts.
However, make sure that you don't block under-floor airbricks in
your outside walls as floorboards will rot without adequate
ventilation.
Double glazing
Double glazing systems tend to fall into two main
categories:
- Ready made double glazed window units or replacement
windows
- Secondary glazing where an extra pane is fitted to an existing
window
The addition of a second glass pane leads to trapped air which
slows down the rate at which heat escapes outside whilst increasing
the temperature of the internal pane. Double glazing saves you
around £120 per year and also reduces noise levels and condensation
levels of your house.
Tank and pipe insulation
Insulating your hot water cylinder is one of the simplest and
easiest ways to save energy and money saving you around £330 per
year. Fitting a British Standard 'jacket' around your cylinder will
cut heat loss by over 75%. If you already have a jacket fitted,
check that it is at least 75mm thick.
More information can be found on the energy
saving trust website.