YOU could be adding thousands of pounds to your bill by keeping a draughty home.
Recent figures from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) say poorly insulated homes could cost a whopping £1,000 more this winter.
We’ve outlined the most common heat loss spots in your home
Energy bills are already set to rocket to £3,549 on average per year, as revealed on Friday.
With that, hard-up families could be paying £5,400-a-year in January or up to £7,200 by April.
The rise will hit 24million households, with four million of those on prepayment meters.
Energy bills have so far risen 35 times faster than wages.
But what if you’re paying even more than necessary by keeping a poorly insulated home?
Research from the ECIU says that houses rated band F on the energy performance certificate (EPC) system could already be paying at least £968 more than one rated EPC band C.
And if you don’t take care to cover up draughty areas, you might be spending thousands more than other households.
Where are the most common heat loss spots?
Some areas of your home will drain heat more easily, and it’s important to know where those spots are.
Window pains: Single-glazed windows have just one sheet of glass, so heat can travel through more easily.
But double-glazed windows have a gap between the two panes. Inside this gap is a vacuum or an inert gas which heat really struggles to get through – it’s this gap which is key to stopping heat transfer.
Curtains: Closing the curtains can make a bigger difference to heat loss than you might think. In fact, drawing curtains at dusk could reduce heat loss by around 15%.
Kind of like clothing, adding an extra layer keeps the cold out.
Doors: Gaps at the bottoms of doors can let out a lot of heat. You can buy letterbox brushes, keyhole covers or draught excluder tape to stick around your door to help reduce heat loss from these points.
Stopping draughts around windows, doors and through gaps in floorboards could save you £95 per year off your heating bills based on the last April 1 price cap, the Energy Saving Trust says.
Lofts: These are typically one of the coldest areas of the house, and if the hatch or loft door is thinner or weaker, some of the cool air inside could leak through.
You could also use a draught excluder to solve this issue.
Most of them aren’t expensive, and you can browse a selection from our roundup here.
Extractor fans: If you no longer use an extractor fan or chimney, blocking these up could have saved you £20 per year on your heating bill based on last year’s prices and is likely to save you more now, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
Air bricks and other types of vents can also let heat escape, but you should leave those well alone.
Cold walls and damp spots: Like single-glazed windows, single layer walls like these easily transfer heat straight outside.
Modern buildings are usually built with two layers of brick or concrete blocks, known as cavity walls, which can be insulated. But older buildings may have single layer construction in parts.
Once you have identified where damp spots are, it’s best to try to get them fixed by filling any cracks, replacing damaged bricks or filling in missing insulation – you may need to get an expert to do this.
More energy bill help
There are plenty of ways to help cut costs on your bills if you’re really struggling.
For example, energy suppliers offer cash grants to those hardest hit by bills rises.
British Gas has recently confirmed that it’ll pay its most vulnerable customers grants worth up to £750 to help with rocketing bills.
Ask your supplier what’s on offer and how to apply, or check here:
- British Gas Energy Trust
- Bulb energy fund
- EDF’s energy customer support fund
- E.on’s energy fund
- Npower’s energy fund
- Ovo’s debt and energy assistance
- Scottish Power’s hardship fund
If you’re on a prepayment meter you should be able get a one-off fuel voucher from your energy supplier.
Also, the government has paid most benefit claimants the first half of a £650 cost of living payment worth £326.
Those on tax credits should receive the first payment from September 2.
You must have been entitled, or later found to be entitled to any of the following benefits between April 26 and May 25 to get the cash:
- Universal credit
- Income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA)
- Income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)
- Income support
- Pension credit
- Child tax credit
- Working tax credit
The money will be paid directly into your bank account.
The second instalment worth £324 is due to be paid in the winter, although the government is yet to confirm a specific month or date.
And from October the first, all households will begin to receive a £400 energy bill discount.
The payment will be dished out by your energy supplier and will be split across six discounts between October and March next year.
Households will receive a £66 energy bill discount in October and November and a discount worth £67 in December, January, February and March.
Don’t forget pensioners can claim £300 off bills this winter – it will be given to those who already get the winter fuel payment, which is worth between £100 and £300 for those over state pension age.
You qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment if both the following apply:
- You were born on or before 25 September 1956
- You lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of 19 to 25 September 2022 – this is called the ‘qualifying week’
You can check out if you are eligible for the winter fuel payment in our explainer.