Improve energy-efficiency rating with loft insulation

Whether you are a fan of saving money or just want to stop the excessive cooling process from happening in your house, you should consider your loft insulation options. The thermal protection will allow you to keep up to a quarter of energy more than by having your home protected from the bad weather and elements only by the walls of your home. Thanks to this simple, yet effective method you can quickly reduce your heating bills and stop the heat from escaping through the roof.

Costs and the benefits of loft insulation

Considering, that loft insulation can work effectively for over 40 years, it surely is an investment that will pay itself over many times. It is well shown in the estimation of insulation costs below that is based on a 2 bedroom semi-detached house with the recommended 270mm thickness of the mineral wool.

Approx cost	£200-£300
Approx DIY cost	£150-£250
Annual savings	£180
Payback period	2 years

Using the loft as a storage

Insulating your loft doesn’t mean that you cant use it as a storage. It will exclude the ability to store your items directly by resting them on the joists, as the additional weight will compromise the effectiveness of the insulating material. Putting boards onto the joists is also strongly advised against, as it weakens the insulation.

Warm loft or cold loft

If you own a house with a sloping roof, you’re one of the lucky ones that are able to choose if you prefer a cold or a warm loft.

• a cold loft means insulating above the ceiling of the top storey, so the warmth from your home never escapes into the loft
• a warm loft means insulating immediately under the roof and keeping your loft thermo-protected as well.

Choosing the warm loft option is usually more expensive, but it provides more benefits and energy-efficiency overall. The heat retention works better and allows the owner to store heat-sensitive items at any time of the year. A cold loft isn’t also protected from the weather and can get very hot over the summer time.

What else can reduce the bills

To reduce the energy bills even further, look for a perfect loft window options. You can find the most accurate examples in a dedicated loft conversion blog post or in an official page of a supplier, like for example Sunlux. It doesn’t matter if your roof is flat and you prefer skylights, pitched roof windows for your slopping roof – choosing the contemporary windows with the highest standards will prevent any additional heat from escaping your loft.