The increase in utility bills is the talking point of most pubs, dining room tables and breakfast bars as families fight the rising costs of energy and water. Not content with this only today one of the Big Six was pontificating on the radio about how much they were doing to reduce their costs, whilst berating the home owners about not doing enough to reduce their consumption.
The fact is that there is a huge amount that can be done and when inspecting the houses we manage we are amazed at the difference between houses. Some people wandering around in shorts with temperatures outside about 3°C completely oblivious of the cost of energy and then we have some houses where there is no heat and the walls and windows are running with condensation.
Careful management of temperatures is all about education how to manage a house but the starting point has got to be the basics of insulation and draught reduction. UPVC windows and doors are an obvious choice but even where single pane windows are almost obligatory in conservation areas the simple use of the old fashioned plastic sheeting bought for £5 at Wickes or Dunelm can make a huge difference. If you have wooden doors the simple remedy of square foam insulation or “P”, “E” profile and Velcro draught excluder strips around the edges can make an amazing difference. Once again a pack costing £5 can do a couple of doors and are very effective in keeping the cold wind out, especially on a north facing door or window.
Finally, increasing the loft insulation from the old standard of 100mm to the new standard of 250 mm can make a big difference so even if you did it a few years ago. When you do make sure you buy one of those handy face masks when you getting the rolls. They are a little uncomfortable to wear but certainly save the lungs from the dust. Do this and you’ll be really snug and you’ll cut your energy bills.
