Loft insulation to save on your heating bills
In a poorly insulated home the uninsulated loft (or attic) will let 25% of your building heating energy escape through the roof. It is shocking but this seemingly minor add-on neglected often by many (though for some it is only a DIY project on a holiday) will save so much money for you and energy for the country.
Why Loft (attic) Insulation is important
The loft of a house is the open unpartitioned space above the living space and below the roof. This large area is traditionally used for storing items that are not regularly used.
One peculiar property of insulation is that the property of insulation largely depends on the air pockets entrapped within. It could be that the existing insulation is perished. It may be that the insulation is crushed over the years and the air pockets are no more.
On the other hand it may be that the loft has not been insulated at all in the first place. Whatever it is if the loft insulation does not have at least a thickness of 270 mm of mineral wool (or equivalent thickness of any other insulation) you would have been wasting a quarter of heat energy used in your home up through the roof.
A simple insulation of the loft would save all that effectively. An insulated loft would act as a barrier against the escape of heat energy outward in the heating season while keeping off the unwanted outdoor heat in the summer.
What benefits can one expect from this exercise?
Apart from saving about a quarter of your total heating energy usage, the new application of insulation or “Topping up” of the existing (to make up the required thickness) will also ;
- Will heat your home more efficiently than before
- Less energy wasted means more energy saved and less CO2 produced at the point of Power Generation.
- Less energy spent at your home for heating will reduce your energy bills
- Might make you eligible for grants from SEAI.
- You will also contribute your mite to resist disastrous climate change
Your loft insulation will provide these monetary benefits
The following estimated figures are based on insulating the attic of a typical 3 roomed, semi-detached home with gas heating.
The figures may vary for your home due to numerous variations encountered in real life situations .The figures are reproduced here only to give you an idea of the economic (and environmental) benefits gained from loft insulation.
| Item | Loft Insulation (0-270mm) | Loft Insulation (50-270mm) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual saving (EURO) | 180 | 55 |
| Installed Cost (EURO) | 300 | 300 |
| Payback (years) | 2 approx. | 6 approx. |
| Cost if DIY (EURO) | 300 – 425 | 240 – 360 |
| Payback if DIY(Years) | 2-3 | 5-7 |
| CO2 Saved/year (kg) | 800 approx. | 230 approx. |
The effective life of insulation will be at least 40 years for mineral wool. (Cellulose material of recycled paper and cotton material may not last that long). There is little doubt that the cost of energy too will escalate during this period .Therefore your insulated loft will pay you back many times over within this period.
Added advantage is that you can do the insulation yourself quite easily (if you are handy with that sort of thing) and save on the professional fees.
Grants and rebates
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has several grant schemes going for assisting those who wish to improve their home insulation. The Home Energy Saving Scheme or HES offers a grant of up to EURO 250 for attic insulation.
How can you get more advice on attic insulation?
Greentech.ie provides you free professional consultancy on loft (attic) insulation.
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