Reduce your heating bills this winter by checking whether your home is properly insulated. This does not only keep the heat in, but it will also keep the heat out in the hot summer months.

Constant rising fuel and energy costs have made it imperative that we do our best to conserve where we can. The last thing we need in our lives is to be over spending on gas or electricity by allowing the heat we generate in our homes to escape and be wasted. Preserving this heat often means an initial capital layout, but it will save the homeowner a lot of money in the future.

Heat is essentially a motion of atoms and molecules, and cold is the absence of heat. Heat flows from warm things to cooler things. There are two primary ways that heat escapes buildings. Heat transfer directly through building materials is one way, while the other is heat loss from air infiltration. In most homes 50% of its heat is lost from cold air infiltration. This is cold air coming into your home from the outside through places such as the unused fireplace, leaky windows, and gaps under doors. Light fittings that are sunken into an un-insulated sealing also act as a sieve for the cold air to pour into the home.

Imagine leaving a window open all winter long – an unused fireplace is just that. Many houses these days are built with beautiful fireplaces that are meant to keep you warm in the winter. However, when it is not in use, the fireplace is a massive energy loser. Researchers have studied this to determine the amount of heat loss through a fireplace, and the results are amazing. One study showed that an open, unused fireplace in a well-insulated house can raise overall heating energy consumption by 30%.

Why does a home with a fireplace have higher heating bills? Because hot air rises! As the heated air leaks out to any exit it can find the cold outside air is drawn in to make up for it. The fireplace is like a giant straw – sucking heat from your house. An easy low cost solution to this is to get a blow-up pillow and to jam it in the chimney above the fireplace when it is not in use and just remove it when you want to light a fire. Putting something over the top of the chimney if it is easily accessible is also an option.

Up to 20% to 30% of all heat generated in the home is lost through poorly insulated ceilings. Insulating your roof space is a cost effective way of counteracting this loss and will noticeably cut your electricity or gas bills. Although insulation against heat loss or gain is now considered an essential requirement for all homes, most houses are not as well insulated as they should be for maximum economy and comfort. Also remember insulation helps keep the house cool in summer. Because of the fast-rising fuel costs, in the long run you will save money whatever the actual cost of the insulation. When installing the insulation in the roof, ensure that when the job is done, the contractor does not forget to insulate the trap door, as this can behave like an unused chimney and let all the warm air out. For maximum effect, install a door seal around the trapdoor as well.

Both geyser and pipe insulation keeps your water hotter for longer by reducing the amount of heat that escapes. This way the geyser doesn’t have to keep running the whole time to keep the water at the correct temperature.

On very cold nights remember simple tips like rolling up a towel and putting them down in front of the gaps under the doors leading to the outside. If you have sash windows in your home, there is a gap between the upper and lower sashes. This gap can let a lot of cold air in. Once again roll up a towel and place it over the gap between the two windows. Although it does not look pretty, it will keep the cold air out and the warm air in. The ultimate solution for windows and glass doors is to install double glazing. Although this can be a relatively expensive option, it cuts heat loss by half, and can save a lot of money on heating bills. Double glazing works by trapping air between two panes of glass, creating an insulating barrier that reduces heat loss, noise and condensation.

If you are heating the downstairs area of your home it is very helpful to keep the doors to the upstairs closed. This will keep the warm air downstairs. Once you are ready to go to bed the doors can be opened and the warm air will rush upstairs to the bedrooms. Another good energy saving tip is to keep all the unused rooms in the house closed off to the areas that are being heated as it is just a waste to keep them open.

By making use of these simple, relatively inexpensive tips you can have a very warm cosy winter in your home without having a very large bill. - Antonella Desi

Pictures courtesy of:

Jetmaster: www.jetmaster.co.za.

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