If your home is not insulated you can lose 40 per cent of its heat through the windows, doors and floors – and another 25 per cent through the roof. Luckily it’s a problem that can be resolved easily and fairly cheaply. So what are you waiting for?

Don’t let your energy bills go through the roof

We all know that heat rises, so it makes sense that any warmth in your home will try to escape through the roof. So maybe your first step should be to consider making your loft draught proof.

As long as your loft has no underlying problems such as dampness or condensation, you can install layers of mineral wool insulation yourself. And don’t forget the loft hatch; just some simple insulation strips around the opening should do the trick.

Just another hole in the wall

Your next priority could be insulating the walls of your home. How you go about this very much depends on the age of your property. As a rule, homes built before the 1920s have solid walls. Those built between the 1920s and 1990 usually have uninsulated cavity walls. Anything built from the 1990s onwards is likely to have cavity walls that have already been insulated.

Having your solid walls insulated means installing panels of insulation material either around the inside or outside of your home. With cavity walls, small holes are drilled through the brickwork and the wall cavities are filled with insulation material. Both of these procedures will need to be carried out by professionals.

Baby, it’s cold outside

It’s at this time of year that we notice chilly draughts, and we do all we can to preserve the warmth in our homes and keep the family cosy. The Energy Saving Trust has a selection of useful tips, and here are some ideas to get you started:  

• Windows: If you don’t have double glazing, install draught-proofing strips. Adhesive strips are a cheaper solution but metal or plastic ones with brushes are better.
• Doors: Cover your keyhole and have a letterbox with a draught-excluding brush. Install draught-proofing strips around the door.
• Chimneys: If you do not use your chimney, have a cap fitted over the chimney pot, or fit a chimney draught excluder.
• Floorboards, skirting and pipes: Use a silicone filler to block any holes. For larger gaps you can buy expanding polyurethane foam.
• Cracks in walls: These will need cement or hard-setting fillers.
• Close the door: Keep the doors to any unheated, seldom-used rooms firmly shut!

Keep the air flowing

Of course there are some things that should not be blocked such as working extractor fans, underfloor grilles, airbricks, wall vents and trickle vents in modern windows. Also, be careful to leave ventilation in areas with open fires or flues, and rooms which attract condensation such as bathrooms and kitchens.

Government grants to help with draught-proofing

You can get substantial help with home energy improvements through the government’s Green Homes Grant. This usually covers two-thirds of the cost of improvements, up to a total of £5,000. People receiving certain qualifying benefits will often get more than this. To find out more, see the Simple Energy Advice website.

Declutter to make home maintenance simpler

It is often easier to keep on top of household maintenance tasks like draught-proofing in an uncluttered home. Perhaps putting your surfboard or some of your books into storage until you actually need them would make it easier to keep your home as you would like it. The cost of renting a storage unit varies depending on how much you have to store and where in the country you are located – but you can definitely save money by shopping around for your storage insurance: it’s quick and easy to get a quote from Store and Insure.

We hope these simple tips will help you to keep your home comfortable, healthy and cosy this winter.