Heat loss in and around your home can be a nightmare, running up your bills unnecessarily leaving you feeling the chill at home. Fortunately, there is a whole range of heat loss prevention methods at your disposal, offering affordable and efficient solutions to the problem.

Our expert boiler and heating specialists will run you through some of the most popular options in this blog, helping you find the heat loss prevention method that’s right for you.

Cavity wall insulation: Cavity walls are two walls with a gap in between them. They can be insulated by injecting an insulation material throughout the cavity from the outside of the walls. This can usually be done by a specialist insulation company, which will then seal any holes with cement for the most effective finish. Cavity wall insulation is usually achieved with materials, such as mineral wool or insulation beads. 

Solid wall insulation: Solid walls are rarely insulated and can be difficult to insulate. However, there are two main options for solid wall insulation, both of which need to be carried out by a trained professional:

• External wall insulation involves fixing a thick layer of insulation material to the wall and covering it with render plasterwork, with a finish of your choice (e.g. smooth, textured, tiled, brick slips). This tends to be less hassle, can improve the appearance of external walls and will reduce condensation on internal walls. 
• Internal wall insulation involves fitting insulation boards to the wall or building a stud wall filled with mineral wool fibre or another insulation material. This is a cheaper option than external insulation but will prove more disruptive to your daily routine.

Draught-proofing your property is yet another cost-effective way to prevent loss of heat in your home. Since heat can escape through even the smallest of gaps and cracks, the use of draught-proofing around the windows and doors in your home will eliminate any unwanted cold air entering and any warm air escaping.

To draught-proof your home, consider doing the following:

• Draught-proofing strips 
• Key-hole covers
• Letterbox brush 
• Foam for filling gaps 
• Decorators caulk 
• Concrete filling for old extractor fan outlets

Another way to prevent heat loss from your home is to invest in double or triple glazing for your windows and doors. Glazing works to reduce heat loss through windows, all whilst preventing draughts, reducing condensation and protecting your home from outdoor noise. The difference between double and triple glazing is that:

• Double glazing usually involves two sheets of glass with a gap between them, which is typically about 16mm.
• Triple glazing will have three sheets of glass and an additional gap. These gaps are full of air and completely sealed. 

It may not be as cheap as you may like, but it will save money in the long run and could be great if you begin by only targeting the most efficient windows, such as those in rooms where heat is lost most frequently.

One of the most effective ways to reduce heat loss in your property is to insulate the areas where the heat is coming from. By insulating areas such as your pipes and tank, you can reduce the amount of heat lost as insulation will keep the water hotter for longer. The main ways to insulate your pipes include: 

• Buying a tank ‘jacket’ for your water tank / hot water cylinder, which is cheap and efficient. 
• Covering your pipes with foam tubes that keep the pipe snug, therefore preventing them from losing so much of their heat.
• Investing in radiator reflector panels that reflect heat from the radiator back into the room rather than letting it out through external walls and windows.

Essentially, you should try to insulate any exposed pipes and maintain your insulation yearly for the best results. 

Top tip: Regular maintenance will help identify these kinds of problems quickly.