It's the question we get asked more than any other: is loft insulation actually worth the money? For most Essex homeowners the honest answer is yes, but how much difference it makes depends on your home type, the insulation you have now (if any) and how you heat the house.
Essex homes vary a lot
Southend, Colchester and Chelmsford have many Victorian and Edwardian terraces. Basildon and Harlow, both built as New Towns after the war, have a lot of post-war houses, while coastal areas such as Canvey Island and Clacton-on-Sea have a great many bungalows, whose large lofts sit over every room in the house. A loft with nothing in it gains the most; a loft with 100mm of dry insulation usually benefits from a top-up to 270mm.
Heat loss through the roof
The Energy Saving Trust says a home can lose around a quarter of its heat through an uninsulated roof. Even in one of the drier parts of the country, homes in Essex need heating for much of the year, not only in deep winter: in spring and autumn a cold loft still draws warmth up through the ceilings.
What it costs and what you save
We don't publish headline prices or promise a saving, because both depend on your loft and your energy use. The price depends on the loft area, access, what is already there and the material that suits it: see what affects the cost. For typical savings by house type, the Energy Saving Trust publishes current estimates.
We'll look at your loft for free and give you a straight assessment of whether it's worth doing, with a written quotation before anything is agreed.