Homeowners have been alerted about a costly error typically made while storing away Christmas decor, which could lead to an unwanted spike in heating bills. Loft insulations can be compromised if squashed by heavy boxes of decorations, like tinsels and baubles, ultimately reducing their effectiveness and causing you to crank up the heat.
Dave Raval from The National Warm Homes Council highlights the issue: “It’s estimated that the average detached home will pay up to £380 a year more in heating bills because their loft insulation has been crushed by boxes – over the years, this will quickly become thousands of pounds wasted.”
“Properly insulating your loft, with around 300mm of insulation, will save every household hundreds of pounds in their heating bills every year. But crushing it with boxes and boards halves its effectiveness, as it works by being fluffy and trapping air. There really is cash flying out of your attic if you get this wrong and real savings to be made if you protect your loft insulation.”
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A study involving 2,000 homes conducted on behalf of Loftzone reveals a significant number aren’t aware of the implications: 41% of the participants admitted to stacking items directly onto their loft insulation without realizing this practice diminishes its capacity to retain heat. It is crucial, according to government guidelines, to maintain loft insulation at a recommended thickness of 270mm; any compression of the material reduces this thickness, allowing for a decrease in its thermal resistance by as much as 60%.
The Government has estimated that less than half of the required loft insulation is present in eight million homes across the UK. Furthermore, millions more homes had sufficient insulation, but it has been compromised by being squashed with boxes, boards and items such as Christmas decorations, reports the Mirror.
The National Warm Homes Council, a consortium of British businesses offering energy-saving solutions, is now advocating for changes in building regulations to mandate property developers to install protective boards above insulation. They are also urging the government to safeguard loft insulation during the extensive planned refurbishment of housing nationwide, and to abolish VAT on products related to loft insulation protection.
Mr Raval commented: “This is such a quick and easy way for everyone to reduce the demand for energy, so we want to see the government make it a ‘must’ for new homes when they change building regulations. There are plans to build 1.5 million new homes in the UK by 2029 and by protecting loft insulation could make a massive difference to consumers and the planet.”
He added: “During the election The Labour Party committed to investing an extra £6.6 billion over the next parliament to improve energy efficiency by upgrading five million existing to cut bills for families. The Warm Homes Plan will offer grants and low interest loans to support investment in energy efficiency, and loft insulation protection must should be at the heart of that plan.”
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)