Which insulation is best for my home?

When it’s cold outside, how warm do you feel in your home? Well, if you’re not as cosy as you think you should be or your bills seem unusually high, heat may be escaping your home.

There are two ways you can stop losing the heat in your home: 

• insulation
• draught proofing

Insulation is a material that can slow the transfer of heat, usually by trapping air, to keep a stable temperature. In your home, insulation can stop heat loss in winter and it getting too hot inside in summer. Good insulation is a highly effective and affordable way of reducing energy use and lowering your energy bills.

Before you do anything, the first thing you should do is check what insulation you already have by looking at your home’s Energy Performance Certificate for information on what needs improving. Use our free and easy online home checker to get started.

Here are the six main ways in which you can insulate your home, and an idea of the costs and savings you can expect:

This involves filling the gap between the external and internal faces of your walls with insulating material to reduce heat loss. This is done by a professional installer who drills small holes in the wall and injects insulation into the cavity.

• Typical cost: between £1,500 to £4,600 depending on the size of your home.  
• Typical saving: around £240 per year.

This involves adding insulation to either the inside or outside of solid walls to reduce heat loss. Installation does require a professional assessment and careful planning to make sure there’s proper ventilation.

• Typical cost: around £7,500 for internal wall insulation and around £11,000 for external wall insulation.

Adding insulation to floors is another great way to reduce heat loss and draughts. It usually needs to be done professionally, but you may be able to do it yourself by sealing gaps in floorboards. It’s important not to block up air bricks for suspended floors, as this can cause serious building damage. If in doubt, get a trusted professional installer.

• Typical cost: depends on the type of floor and insulation.
• Typical saving: around £70 per year.

A lot of heat can be lost through an uninsulated loft or roof, so insulating here can make a huge difference. You may be able to install loft insulation yourself or you may want to have it done by professionals. Insulating pipes, water tanks and loft hatches can save you even more money, and reduce the risk of burst pipes in very cold weather.

• Typical cost: £1,000 installed professionally, less if you do it yourself.
• Typical saving: £20 to £230 per year depending on how much insulation you already had.

Draught proofing is quite easy to do yourself. Simply seal up any unwanted gaps with draught proofing strips or sealant to prevent cold air entering and warm air escaping. It’s still one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to save energy. After making the improvements, you’ll feel noticeably warmer. It’s important not to block air vents though as this can lead to poor air quality and damage to your home.

• Typical cost: approximately £275 to fully draught proof your home.
• Typical saving: around £135 per year.

Replacing old ineffective single glazing with double or triple glazed window units can really reduce heat loss. It also cuts noise pollution as well as your energy bills. Secondary glazing and heavy curtains can also help and are much cheaper improvements you can make.

• Typical cost: up to £15,000 for a typical home.
• Typical saving: around £140 per year.

Home Energy West Yorkshire has a low interest loan of between £5,000 to £25,000 to carry out home energy upgrades, including insulation.

Some insulation, such as draught proofing and loft insulation are improvements you can make yourself. For the other types of insulation, or if you simply prefer a professional to do it, we recommend you find a trusted installation specialist. We can point you in the right direction of certified and trustworthy installers.