Heat has a habit of escaping from homes through any possible avenue. Flats and apartments are often particularly culpable, especially if they were once council homes. Trying to keep heat in can be done through good insulation techniques, especially if your property is less than a century old.
Most properties built after 1930 tend to have cavity walls that can be filled with insulating material quite easily and cheaply. Solid walls are more complicated and have to be insulated internally or externally. To insulate externally you need to use cladding, while internal insulation forces you to lose floor space.
The three main areas where heat is lost in a home are:
It is estimated that properties can lose as much as 35% of generated heat through uninsulated walls. Another 35% of heat is lost through the windows and 25% through the roof. Insulating these three areas can help your apartment appeal to eco-conscious tenants, particularly as heating homes is a major contributor to the UK’s carbon emissions.
“About 15% of the UK’s total carbon emissions come directly from homes, mostly from boilers burning gas for hot water and space heating”, says Ran Boydell of The Conversation. “That’s more than the entire agricultural sector at 10%”, he adds.
The less energy it takes to heat a home and the lower the utility bills are, the happier tenants will be. This will keep money in their pockets and ensure their eco-conscience will be eased.