A simple guide to loft insulation

Loft insulation is often overlooked by many householders but is one of the main ways that we can avoid man made carbon emissions. The running and heating of homes is said to account for almost one third of all man made carbon emissions in the UK, according to The Energy Saving Trust.

This means having loft insulation will undoubtedly save you money. In fact the combined cost that can be saved from effective loft insulation can be up to £155 a year.

The British government has pledged that all new homes built by 2016 will be carbon neutral – but what about those of us that live in older homes? If you are planning on making improvements to your home in order to save energy then very often financial help will be available from the government in the forms of offers or free insulation grants so it is something worth looking into.

What is loft insulation?
Essentially loft insulation is just a piece of material that is laid into your roof or on the floor of it. This material can be made of lots of different things, including recycled material as long as it is comprised of long thick fibres. You can pay someone to install this material or you can do it yourself as a D.I.Y project. If you do decide do it yourself make sure that you take the proper safety measures.

• Make sure that you are wearing protective clothing and a mask to prevent inhalation of the fibres or skin irritation.
• Make sure that the floorboards or supports that you are working on are secure platforms to do the work.
• Ensure adequate ventilation and good light.
• Don’t insulate under a cold water tank or pipe work.
• Do not put insulation around wires or in very close proximity to them as overheated wires can cause a fire hazard.
  

To ensure that the job is done properly most people who are not experienced at this type of installation hire a trained professional that they can trust to do the job to maximum effect. Another drawback of doing the work yourself is that in nearly all cases you will not be eligible for a grant. The work must be done by a qualified professional company.

You can obtain information on further energy saving by calling your local Energy Saving Trust advice centre on 0800 512 012 for free and impartial advice on saving energy in your home. They also offer advice on all other types of insulation and energy and money saving techniques.