Winter’s Coming – It Might Be Time To Insulate Your Home

As temperatures drop, energy use, costs, and waste inevitably begin to rise. With the ever-increasing need to lower our carbon footprint, it makes sense for homeowners to consider various ways to lower their homes’ energy consumption.

While you may have already considered investing in energy-efficient appliances and heat pumps, water heater insulation, and/or solar panels, you may well have overlooked a key aspect of your home that’s in dire need of insulation. That aspect? Windows.

On average, a home can lose upwards of 30% of its heat through windows alone. That’s because glass is not inherently insular. The more windows a home has, the more energy will be lost. This also means that you as a homeowner will likely need to run your heating system at a higher temperature and/or for longer periods of time. In this case, it won’t really matter how energy efficient your home might be in other areas, as whatever gains might be made will eventually be outweighed by the loss.

To combat this issue, be sure to check your windows’ age, as older windows are generally less energy-friendly. You could also consider double-glazing your windows if they aren’t already – or check if it might not be time to replace old double-glazed windows with newer ones.

You will also want to check window seals and joinery, as windows that don’t seal well will not be able to effectively trap in heat. While wood frames tend to be the generally more effective option, this material is not as long-lasting. It may be beneficial for you to, instead, invest in aluminium joinery, as this material creates a good seal, looks stylish, and is 100% recyclable.

While the initial outlay might be high, the energy and associated cost savings associated with well-insulated windows are definitely worth it.

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