Home insulation & heating expert and LoftZone chief executive Dave Raval comments:

Heat pumps are significantly more efficient than gas boilers and are a proven, long-standing solution, with millions already in use across Europe. However, to operate at their best, heat pumps require homes to be well-insulated, as they work by producing heat at lower temperatures. Unfortunately, British homes are some of the least insulated in Europe—one-third have less than half the recommended level of loft insulation, according to government estimates.

Installing a heat pump without first addressing insulation is like putting the cart before the horse. Insulating your home properly not only ensures your heat pump will perform efficiently but also saves you money on energy bills. It’s a win-win step to take before adopting this modern heating technology.”

1. Draught-proofing – The first thing I would always do in the home is to look for draughts. Don’t let the money you’ve spent on heating your house seep through the gaps! One cold evening, go around with your hand across every window and across every door and feel for draughts. Older houses typically lose more heat through gaps in doors, floorboards, and windows, so it’s vital to plug these gaps.  

We asked Brits and only 13% have draught excluders to help keep their home warm, but these are a cost-effective solution. You can buy products online and solutions from DIY stores. It is worth checking windows and doors are sealed properly, buy some cheap adhesive foam strips to block cold air, and tape around parts of your window can also help. Perhaps consider thicker curtains – door curtains used to be a popular thing which has gone out of fashion, but these are great for keeping in the heat too. 

2. Invest in loft insulation – Heat rises and in a typical British home 25% of your heat goes out through your ceiling, into your loft and out of through the roof. Most people have some loft insulation, usually between the joists and maybe two three inches, but you need a lot more that you think. The government recommendation is a minimum is 300 millimetres, which is almost a foot. 

Insulation stops this by acting as the woolly hat for your home, trapping the heat inside so you need less energy to heat it constantly. Insulation is vital for helping homeowners save hundreds of pounds in heating bills every year whilst also helping save the planet. 

However, it doesn’t stop at simply adding insulation to your loft. Most people don’t know that squashing insulation makes it 50% less efficient. We love to use our lofts for storage or to wander around it for access. However, don’t put your boxes straight on the insulation or board down directly onto the joists, doing this will double the heat loss which has a big impact on your bills. 

Fluffy loft insulation works by trapping air so when you squash it you get rid of all those air bubbles, and it doesn’t work so well. Raised loft boarding is the best at preventing this. A raised loft system works by creating a raised platform for boarding to rest on above the insulation while allowing it to retain its full depth to help with your energy savings.

3. Heating up large rooms can often feel like an impossible task – As heat rises, the ceiling gets warm first, then only afterwards does the lower part of the room start to warm up. To tackle this, why not consider a radiator fan, which you can put on top of a radiator. It simply blows the heat on to you, rather than let it drift upwards, so you feel warmer, sooner. 

4. Save hot water – There are obvious things to save water, such as taking quicker showers and having fewer baths, but often people forget the water used whilst washing up. Use a bowl, or plug the sink, to avoid washing every item under the hot water tap, that is just heated water you’ve paid for that is going down the plughole! You can rinse cleaned crockery etc with cold water, too.  

5. Thermostatic Radiator Valves can make a big difference – If you have radiators, make sure each one has a TRV – a thermostatic radiator valve. Most homes have one single thermostat controlling your temperature, but many rooms need less heat. Ask yourself – does your bedroom need to be hot at midday? Does your hall need to be as warm as your lounge? TRVs can be fitted without needing to do any plumbing; they just screw on and allow you to turn down or up individual radiators – easy!