A record-breaking winter

But for all the wrong reasons says Nick Roberts

When I hear the term ‘record -breaking’, connotations of achievement and success spring to mind. But unfortunately, this winter’s records are nothing to get excited about – soaring energy bills have been piling on the pressure to people already under strain. So, as we enter the final leg of winter, you’d be forgiven for feeling that summer can’t come soon enough.

However, regardless of a summer reprieve, the problems remains that no matter how many times we turn the lights off or how early in the year turn the heating off, our rising energy bills keep on rising.

The next phase of saving beyond prudent energy consumption comes in the form of insulation. Many of our homes simply aren’t equipped with modern insulation and energy efficient heating systems. The good news is that there are some anti-inflation measures you can take to try and offset those nasty bills.

Solutions range from cheap to expensive but all make a difference to your annual bill. Let’s start with a couple of cheap options - fitting your hot water cylinder with an insulating jacket will save you and draft-proofing your offending windows to reduce heat loss will also add up.

From there, value per option really depends on specific homes and where the most significant inefficiencies lie. But options include cavity wall insulation, solid wall insulation, floor insulation, roof and loft insulation and replacing windows and doors.

We often find customers addressing insulation issues during larger renovations and extensions but there are important factors to consider here. Some solutions are more cost effective to carry out during certain works and others are unaffected, meaning that the sooner you apply them the sooner you start saving. So, it might be worth reaching out to your local experts this year.

Nick Roberts is a director of Roberts Miller Redshaw. www.robertsmillerredshaw.com