A poorly insulated home literally leaks the warmth like a sieve. It is therefore vitally important that in these times of increasingly high energy prices that action is taken to reduce the losses to a minimum.

Failure to adequately insulate homes against heat loss is costing many homeowners needless amount of cash each year.
Follow some of the simple measures outlined below and you will be helping to reduce your energy consumption.
Garage Doors

For properties that have the garage attached to the main dwelling this can be a real problem. Generally the room that is above the garage is colder than the rest of the house. This is because the cold air enters through the garage doors and penetrates up through the floor. This means that in order to heat the room to the desired temperature the central heating system must work much harder than if the garage space was adequately insulated. Manufacturers of garage doors now realize this problem and offer a wide range of doors that provide great levels of insulation to stop the cold entering the garage in the first place. Two of the most popular types of door are insulated sectional garage doors that can be up to 45mm thick or for the more budget orientated homeowner insulated roller garage doors are the best solution. If the cost of a new door is out of your price range then why not consider simply installing some insulation board to the back of your existing garage door. This will have the same desired effect but at approx one thrid the cost.

Roof Space

Check the levels of insulation within your roof or loft space. To form a really effective insulating barrier there should be a minimum of 270mm of fiber-glass insulation. Remember that warm air rises so it is absolutely essential that if the insulation level that you do something to rectify it. Rolls of insulation are easily available from most DIY stores at very little expense. The cost of the insulation will soon be offset by the energy savings you will see. It is also important to remember to insulate the back of the loft hatch or your efforts will be in vain.

Chimney

Think about it. You go to the expense of installing energy efficient garage doors, loft insulation, double glazing, cavity wall insulation and the like then leave a hole in the buildings structure that is literally akin to leaving a window wide open 24hrs a day 7 days a week. If you do not use your fire on a regular basis, simply place some loft insulation up the flue. This will stop the heat going up the chimney. It is important to remember that the insulation is there before lighting a fire or you may discover the room filled with smoke or harmful gasses.

Central Heating

Install reflective panels to the back of all radiators. This way the heat that is produced is going into heating the room rather than the wall behind the radiator. This is a really simple method and will allow the thermostat to be turned down a few degrees as the room will heat up more efficiently.

To conclude, there are endless ways to save energy so there should no longer be an excuse not to save money and the environment.