advice about lagging (and other exciting heat saving stuff)

[nearlythree]

Our house is soooo cold, we have to keep the (oil-fired) heating on near enough 24/7 just to keep warm - the jumper thing isn't an option for our dcs who are all under five inc. ds who is 8 mo. Eventually we end up too hot, switch it off, and very soon we are perishing again. Obviously the house is leeching heat. It's a 1960's chalet bungalow. We have double glazing (although all the windows are large) and the roof is insulated. It'd be cheaper to burn gold, but aside from the cost I hate what we are doing to the environment. Does anyone have any ideas?

Have you got an Energy Advice Centre in your area? (your Council Housing Dept can probably tell you). They run (or did when I worked for them in the late 90's) offer free home enegy checks which identify the most cost effective energy saving measures for your property. The Centres are supported by the Energy Saving Trust (gov type quango thing) so the advice is impartial. If I remember rightly the immedaite things to look at are loft insulation (used to be 8'' was the recommended amount, hot water tank insulation, draft proofing (though probably as you've got double glazing prob not that relevant) and cavity wall insulation. We got cavity wall insulation and our loft insulation topped up in Oct 2005 for around £200 through a scheme supported by one of the electricity companies. Do try an Energy Advice Centre if you can they are normally pretty good - my energy efficiency advice knowledge is now a bit hazy as I've gone in a different direction job wise - good luck!

Thank you! Don't have a hot water tank - I expect the major loss is through the walls. Is there a lot of upheaval in having cavity wall insulation put in?

When we had cavity wall done it took a couple of hours. The contractors drill holes in the outside wall and squirt the foam (there are other types but this is what they used for us) in. Part of the job is that they should seal up the holes and 'make good' so in our case the painted over the holes so we can't see them - occassionally if your house is an unsual colour or if its white but gone a bit yellow it might look a bit spotty for a while while the paint weathers. I don't remember there being any disruption indoors.

Thank you very much, that is very reassuring, with baby ds and dd2 only two the thought of having masses of work done (esp. anything giving off fumes) doesn't appeal. I will look into this, I really appreciate it.

Cavity wall insulation is easy & cheap

There are laods of grants about as well (have a google)

We paid £70 (cos we don't have central heating)
but about £225 is average & you make it back in about 3 yrs

Long heavey lined curtains should help with the windows & try to seal up any cracks/drafts

It sounds as tho' the thermostat isn't working

Do you have controls on each radiator? id not that is normally a good investment

Does the thermostat (in the hall/lounge?) need adjusting?

Thank you. We don't have a thermostat, just a thing on the boiler. Each rad is supposed to be cotrolled individually but it doesn't work like that - they are either stone cold, or scorching. The prob with long curtains is that in most of our rooms they would then be blocking the radiators.

Make the curtain to the cill & put in a foil lined rad shelf

Get the rad thermostats checked and see if you can put a central thermostat in

Thank you! Although after being w/out power for most of yesterday I'm thinking o fgetting a wood burner too!

I'm selling my old one - now I have a fab new system..........

Fab new system????

It's a wood burner that does my central heating - so I'm selling my old wood burner which did my hot water & 1 radiator.

I want one that does the hot water and upstairs heating - with a baby hot water is essential for washing bottles, hands etc. Was it disruptive to install?

I was very surprised

I was without heat 1 night - never without HW

No mess - but of touching up to do on paintwork, that's all