How much do you spend on your heating bill every year? Typically, the average household forks out €1,500 on heating and a further €800 on electricity annually. With this in mind, many don’t realise that one third of heat is lost through the roof, one quarter through the walls and around one seventh through the windows in our homes. In order to keep in the heat and keep out the bills, Brian O’Mahony from SEAI has some tips to make this winter cosy and affordable.

1 Draught excluders are the first step to consider. Fixing them to windows and doors makes a substantial difference. They are a low-cost insulation method and people can easily do the work themselves. You can spend between €5 and €50 on draught excluders. However, €10 gets a good job done.

2 Curtains are fashionable room insulators, preventing loss of heat through the windows. At night-time, make sure to close your blinds and curtains. Another important tip is to make sure your curtains are not blocking radiators, as the heat will stay trapped behind the curtains and the room won’t heat up as effectively.

3 When insulating the house, the next port of call is the hotpress. Check that the hot-water cylinder has a jacket on it, it’s amazing how many people do not have a jacket on copper cylinders. If there is a jacket, make sure it’s in a good state. If not, you can buy a new jacket for €20 and it will pay for itself in three months with the difference it makes.

4 Most heat is lost through the roof, therefore attic insulation is a priority. When insulating the attic, it is important to get in a contractor or a builder if you are not completely comfortable with doing it yourself. The first thing to do is to check the insulation on the piping, including the cold and hot-water tanks. The recommended amount of attic insulation is a depth of 12 inches. If you have less than four inches of insulation, increasing to between 10 and 12 inches is crucial. You will have complete payback in two to three years.

5 Most houses built from the 1950s onwards have cavity wall construction. For cavity wall insulation, a bead polystyrene-like product is pumped into the wall cavity under high pressure. The procedure costs between €800 and €1,000 for the outside walls of the entire house, but there are grants available. Another method of wall insulation is dry lining, which involves the attachment of plasterboard with insulation to the back of the wall. This often means that plumbing and electrical sockets have to be readjusted and this can lead to a lot more expense, but there are also grants available. External wall insulation is the other method. It is like dry lining, except the insulation is attached to the outside of the wall.

6 When insulating, don’t forget about room ventilation. It is important never to seal rooms completely, as adequate ventilation is necessary to remove moisture and allow oxygen into the room. This is really important where there are heat-producing appliances, as you need to stop the build-up of carbon monoxide. Never cover vents as a method of excluding draughts. When insulating and including ventilation ports into older houses, makes sure to check with the local planning office as they may be protected structures.

7 Control is key. If your house is adequately ventilated, controlling the heat is the next step. Do not overheat your rooms or leave the heating on when the house is unoccupied. Try to zone your heating and turn down the temperature to a comfortable level – 20°C in living rooms and 18°C in bedrooms.

8 If planning wall or attic insulation, seek out a reliable reference for professionals and get two to three quotes. Check both the quality of work and that the pricing is right.

9 Apply for the relative grants and schemes. The HRI (Home Renovation Incentive) allows tax relief on project costs. Also check out the SEAI’s Warmer Home Scheme, which provides wall and roof insulation to those receiving a fuel allowance, older people and those receiving the family income supplement, free of charge.

10 Lastly, always think energy efficiency. If you are undergoing other home projects, coming up to the festive season for example, be sure to analyse if there are any ways you can increase the energy efficiency. Get all the work done together, before the house goes back to normal.