Kevin Burke has written about energy efficiency and sustainability for one of the UK's biggest energy companies and a leading thermal insulation supplier. He now writes for a boiler breakdown cover provider.
Insulation is one of the most effective energy efficiency measures available nowadays. Uninsulated walls can lose up to 60% of a household's heat in the winter, and let out cold air-conditioned air in the summer. Without insulation, you may find yourself leaving your gas central heating almost 24/7 throughout the winter, and blasting your air conditioner relentlessly in the summertime, but a relatively simple home improvement will see you controlling the temperature of your home far more effectively and far more efficiently.
Heating and cooling represents around half of the average household's energy use, and with the average energy bill in Texas surpassing $164 a month, improving domestic energy efficiency through household insulation can easily lead to savings of almost $1,000 a year - money that is otherwise getting thrown out of the window and escaping through the roof, and that would surely be better spent on boiler breakdown cover or something else.
What is insulation?
Heat naturally flows from warmer places to cooler places. If it is cold outside your house but warm inside, the heat will naturally dissipate out of your property, while if your air conditioning is on and the weather is warm, the heat from outside will counteract the effect of your air conditioner and warm up your property.
Insulation creates an effective barrier to prevent these heat transfers. As heat travels upwards, the most effective place for insulation is your attic; loft insulation could reduce your energy bills by up to 25%. Plenty of heat also escapes through the walls - fully insulating cavity walls can see energy bills decline by another 25%. And you won't have to live in a building site to enjoy these energy efficient home improvements - loft and cavity wall insulation can be installed in just a few hours, but will save you money for decades.
Most insulation products are made from polyurethane, which is completely safe to use inside houses. Installers either spray a foam in the wall cavities and loft, which expands to completely fill the void, or lay and fit insulation rolls to create a tight thermal seal.
But insulation isn't just used in lofts and walls - pipework can also be insulated, improving the efficiency of your home even further. You will want to have all hot water pipes and air conditioning pipes insulated so your heating and cooling systems can work to their full potential.
Installing insulation
If you'd like to benefit from the massive money saving potential of insulation, get in touch with a local contractor. Some contractors will be able to offer finance options to help you cover the cost of the insulation.
The contractor will visit your property and examine it for any problems that may impact or negate the effectiveness of insulation. If you have a broken window or a big hole in your wall, you will certainly want to get this repaired before you have insulation installed.
When the insulation work has been completed, you can sit back and enjoy your home in comfort, knowing it will be easy to keep it cool in the winter and warm in the summer.
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