Keeping your home warm requires keeping the heat where you need it – inside! Loft insulation is a simple and effective measure to help you do just that. Insulating your loft space will help you reduce heat loss, reduce your bills and lower your carbon footprint.
You should have around 270mm of loft insulation in your home. If you have none, or less than this you may want to consider having new insulation installed.
Top tip! – If you’re not sure how much insulation you have, an A4 sheet of paper is roughly 270mm (length).
Benefits of loft insulation
Around 25% of heat lost in an uninsulated home is through the roof. As heat rises, insulating your loft is one of the best places to start.
By insulating your loft, you could see a decrease in your energy bills. The energy savings will more than pay for the upfront cost of the work too.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, installing loft insulation in a typical semi-detached home could save around £355 a year. If you already have some insulation, and just need a top-up, it could still save around £35 a year for the same type of home.
Is it suitable for my home?
Standard loft insulation will be suitable for most homes. If you have an accessible loft space where roles of insulation can be laid between the joists, chances are you can have your loft insulated.
If you have a flat roof, you will be unlikely to have a loft space, but you can still have your roof insulated. Usually, this will be done where rigid insulation boards are installed ontop of the roof, or sometimes these boards can be installed between the roof and the ceiling.
Things to consider
Condensation and dampness – If your loft space already has issues with dampness or condensation you may need to increase ventilation when installing loft insulation.
Room in roof – If your loft is part of your living space, standard loft insulation may not be suitable as you will likely have walls, sloped ceilings, and areas around dormer windows that need to be insulated too.
Using the loft for storage – If you want to lay boards over joists to create storage space in your home, standard loft insulation may not be suitable and you may want to seek further advice before going ahead.
Loft hatch – By insulating your loft, the air inside will become cooler. This may increase draughts from around the loft hatch. You may want to consider insulating the hatch and installing some draught proofing around it too.
Help with the cost of insulating the loft
You may be eligible for support with the cost of insulating your loft if you live in Scotland.
You can contact Home Energy Scotland (HES) on 0808 808 2282 to enquire as to what support is available. You can also contact our advisors who can provide free and impartial advice and make referrals to HES on your behalf.
Support from Cosy Kingdom
Do you need more advice on insulation? Our energy advisors are always happy to help.
Our energy advisors can be contacted by:
Calling 01592 807930
Texting COSY then YOUR NAME to 88440
Emailing info@cosykingdom.org.uk
Through our website