BILL BAST
Five home heat loss hotspots adding £1,000’s to energy bills and the cheap tools to fix them
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HOUSEHOLDS are well and truly in the throes of winter and that can only mean one thing - cranking up the thermostat.
But did you know that some areas of your home are more prone to losing heat than others?
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To make matters worse leaving them untouched could add thousands to your electricity bill.
The Sun crunched the numbers and found not addressing the draught in these areas of your home could add a whopping £1,074 to your bills.
This comes as energy bills have risen from £1,717 a year to £1,738 following Ofgem's latest price cap - meaning households are feeling the strain more than ever.
Here are the five biggest draught hotspots to look out for in your home - and how to block them up.
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Boilers - £16 wasted per year
You might be losing heat right from the source if your boiler is running inefficiently.
The Sun spoke to Nicholas Auckland, heating and energy expert at Trade Radiators who said this is a common problem in houses with older boilers.
He explained: "Older boilers also release heat from the boiler casing instead of using it all to heat the water inside the boiler.
"While this might warm up the area in very close proximity to the boiler, it'll mainly just heat up the casing and mean that you need to spend more on energy to get the desired temperature you want."
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Another big issue could be that the area where you store your boiler is not as well insulated as other parts of your home.
Nicholas said heat loss caused by uninsulated pipes and walls around a boiler could waste around 2% of energy, which works out at around £16 wasted per year.
Any easy way to fix this is to pick up some pipe-lagging at your nearest hardware store.
Watch how clever contraption helps cut my energy bills by £130 a year
The wrap is made out of many different materials including polyethene foam, wool or fibreglass.
The Sun found one metre of pipe-lagging wrap for £1.97 on the B&Q website.
Chimneys - £78 loss per year
Chimneys are a source of ventilation in that they let cold air in and warm air out.
Nicholas said this can account for up to 10% of heat loss per year, which works out at roughly £78 lost per year.
If you don't use the fireplace in your home, blocking the chimney permanently is likely the best option to stop heat loss.
However, this can be a costly process so a cheaper alternative may be to buy a chimney cap or a balloon.
How to draught-proof your home
Senior consumer reporter Adele Cooke explains how to draught-proof your home and save money too.
Around 21% of the heat lost in your home is from doors and windows.
By draught-proofing your house you can help to prevent heat from escaping.
This means that it can take less energy to heat your home.
You can buy a roll of draught insulation tape for about £5 but once installed it can save you around £45 a year.
To apply it, simply cut the strips of insulation tape to size, peel back the plastic backing and stick it to the inside of your door frame.
Another option is to install door brush draught excluders.
These are attached to the bottom of your door to prevent cold air from getting in.
Prices start from around £6.
A chimney draught excluder can also prevent heat from leaving your home.
A removable chimney balloon blocks the airflow, which stops warm air from escaping.
To install it, push the bag inside your chimney and blow it up using the long plastic tube.
A chimney cap sits on the top of a chimney, while the balloon sits inside it.
Nicholas said the balloon keeps the warm air from your home further inside your home, while a cap will "still let the warm air travel up the chimney".
Chimney balloons are roughly £20, while chimney caps are usually a bit more at around £30.
However, Nicholas said they can save you roughly £50 a year thanks to their ability to keep heat inside the home.
Doors and windows - £195 loss per year
Rooms with poorly insulated doors and windows, or doors and windows that are open frequently, can allow up to 25% of heat to escape from within the home.
According to Nicholas, if a household uses 12,000 kWh of gas annually, and loses 25% through windows and doors, this would equal roughly £195 per year lost.
To prevent this much energy loss, the energy expert recommends draught excluders, which are weighted devices you can place along your door or window to keep heat out.
Dunelm is currently selling a Chenille Draught Excluder for £5.60 and is also available for home delivery or click-and-collect in-store.
Nicholas also said to help with window draught households should invest in thermal curtains or blinds.
These are designed to act as an insulating barrier between cold outside air and warm inside air.
Dunelm is also selling a pair of Thermal Eyelet Curtain Linings for £27.50 marked down from £34.
Lofts - £745 loss per year
Lofts are great for extra storage but if yours is poorly insulated it can cost you hundreds in heating costs.
Figures from Trade Radiators say that if a loft is very poorly insulated, it can cause 25% of total heat loss in a home, which works out at roughly £195 a year in gas heating costs.
This rises to £745 per year for electrically heated homes.
Draughts can occur in lofts if there are gaps in the hatch as well as poorly sealed loft access points.
Nicholas said these errors can also allow draughts to "enter the loft and cool air from the loft to escape into the rest of the house".
"This can encourage heating systems to work harder, which will increase energy bills," he added.
One way of fixing this is by getting loft insulation installed, which can cost up to £400.
Nicholas added: "Proper loft insulation can cut heat loss by up to 80%, which is a saving of up to £200 per year.
"However, it can be expensive to remove and restore effective loft insulation, but worth it in the long run."
But did you know there are certain government grants which can cover insulation costs worth up to £50,000?
Low-income and vulnerable families can get help improving the energy-efficiency of their homes through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme.
Under the ECO scheme, suppliers have a legal obligation to implement energy-saving measures in your home if you're experiencing fuel poverty.
The Sun recently shared details about how households can apply, which you can read here.
Airing cupboard - £40 loss per year
Airing cupboards are a great place to store towels or even your heating tank, but they can be a common heat loss area within your home.
Nicholas said these cupboards tend to lose heat due to uninsulated or poorly insulated components such as a water tank.
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"These can cause 5% heat loss, which is roughly £40 per year," he shared.
Again, the expert recommended pipe lagging and tank insulation in order to prevent this.
What energy bill help is available?
There's a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you're struggling to get by.
If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.
This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don't think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy firms have schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.
But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000.
British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You don't need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill.
Some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you're struggling.
Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
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