⇒ What is the best way to save your house from losing so much energy? This is what this section is about

⇒ Although insulating your house costs money, it will save you money in the long run as it should help to cut the money you spend on your energy bills

⇒ The payback time is the amount of time it takes to save the same amount of money on your energy bills as you did in spending money to insulate your house

Loft Insulation

⇒ Fibreglass 'wool' could be placed in the roof of your house to prevent conduction leaving through the ceiling

• Initial cost: £200
• Annual saving: £100
• Payback time: 2 years

Hot water tank jacket

⇒ Placing an insulated jacked around a hot water tank prevents heat being lost through conduction

• Initial cost: £60
• Annual saving: £15
• Payback time: 4 years

Cavity Walls and Insulation

⇒ Sometimes houses have two walls to prevent heat loss by conduction. In addition, this gap is filled with insulating foam to prevent convection

• Initial cost: £150
• Annual saving: £100
• Payback time: 18 months

Draught Proofing

⇒ Placing plastic on the outside of doors, windows, and anywhere else where hot air could escape helps to reduce convection

• Initial cost: £100
• Annual saving: £15
• Payback time: 7 years

Double glazed windows

⇒ You can have windows with two layers of glass, which reduces the amount of heat lost by conduction

• Initial cost: £2400
• Annual saving: £80
• Payback time: 30 years

Thick curtains

⇒ Conduction is reduced and radiation through the window is also reduced

• Initial cost: £180
• Annual saving: £20
• Payback time: 9 years

⇒ A thermogram can be used to show where your house is losing heat

• Essentially, objects with different temperatures emit infrared rays of various wavelengths
• The thermogram detects the infrared rays being emitted, allowing you to see what you should insulate
• This same technology is also used in night vision equipment

⇒ Also see our notes on:

• Moving and Storing Heat
• Melting and Boiling
• Conduction and Convection
• Heat Energy
• Energy Transfer
• Energy Transformation Diagrams
• Efficiency
• Energy Sources
• Nuclear and Geothermal Energy
• Wind and Solar Energy
• Biomass and Wave Energy
• Hydroelectric and Pumped Storage