Having calculated the amount of insulation you need and bought the necessary number of rolls, you can now take it up into the loft and open your first roll. (Don’t be tempted to open it up to have a look at it before you get it up there. It expands when the wrapping is breached!)

Place the free end between a pair of joists, pointing into the eaves, but don’t block the ventilation gap – remember what we said about allowing proper circulation of air through the loft? You can either trim the end of the roll down to a bevel edge (cheaper, but more fiddly) or else fit eaves vents.

You can now unroll the blanket along the run of the joists, remembering to keep electrical wires and fittings clear of the blanket to avoid overheating. Make sure it fits snugly, but don’t press it down too hard – the air within the blanket adds to the insulating effect, and expelling the air by compressing it lessens the insulation. If the roll’s a bit wider than the joists, let it curl against both of them to left and right.

When you come to the end of your first roll, butt the start of the next one up against it and roll it out towards the other side of the loft. Don’t forget to make sure that air is allowed to circulate through the other set of eaves!

If there’s an obstacle that gets in the way of the blanket (like the cold-water tank or the top casings of light fittings, for instance), or an odd space that needs filling, you can trim the blanket to fit using a large knife or suitably sized shears/scissors.

Likewise, you may want to cut a suitably shaped piece of blanket to insulate your loft hatch cover; you can use gaffer tape, drawing pins or adhesive to hold it in place.

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Well, you shouldn’t forget it altogether. If you leave your wet central heating system standing idle all the way through the summer, the lubricant around the pump’s bearings will settle, leaving surfaces unlubricated. And if that happens, you’re increasing the chance that the pump will seize when you place it under a heavy load again in the autumn.

So do yourself a favour – once a month, run it for a few minutes (without firing up the boiler, of course!) to ensure that the pump’s bearings stay lubricated through the summer. That way, you can be sure you’ll be able to heat your house when the cooler weather sets in again.

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One thing to bear in mind before making your choice is that if you’re going to apply for a grant from your local council, you’ll need to check that the material you’re planning to use qualifies under their scheme. Information on many of the grants and subsidies available through councils and energy companies is available from the Energy Saving Trust.

Blanket insulation

These rolls of glass fibre, mineral wool or rock fibre are the most commonly used form of insulation – many homes have had blanket insulation since the 1970s or even earlier. It comes in rolls prepared to a standard width of 400mm (1′ 4″) to fit between joists, in a variety of thicknesses, commonly 100mm or 150mm.

If your home happens to already have blanket insulation laid down in the roof, check the thickness. In previous decades when energy efficiency wasn’t the major concern it is now, a mere 25mm (1″) thickness was thought to be enough! You can improve the insulation markedly by adding extra layers to bring it up to the current recommended minimum of 150mm (6″).

It’s possible to buy blanket insulation either unbacked or backed. Backed rolls have the advantage of being more tear-resistant; depending on the type of backing, they may also act as a vapour barrier to stop warm, moist air from rising into the roof void and condensing, causing mould and mildew to spoil anything stored up there or – worse still – dry rot to attack the roof timbers.

Loose-fill insulation

This consists of granules or pellets which are poured onto the floor of the loft between the joists, again to the recommended minimum depth of 150mm (6″). Vermiculite (a type of mica) is the most common material, but there are others such as mineral wool, cellulose (made from recycled paper and flameproofed) and cork granules).

It’s not ideal for use in a draughty loft, as the pellets can get blown about in stiff winds. Then again, if your joists are spaced unevenly, it’s much better than blanket insulation for filling all the nooks and crannies.

The other thing to remember is that your joists are likely to get covered, at least in some places, so you’ll need to create some kind of walkways to enable you to get about without putting your foot through the ceiling of the rooms below.

Sheet insulation

This is made out of glass fibre or mineral fibre, and can be rigid or semi-rigid. Rather than fixing it to the floor of the loft, it tends to be fixed against the rafters, which means that the whole roof space is warmed by the heat rising from below. This is the stuff you need if you’re contemplating a loft conversion, or if you’re keeping things in the loft which would suffer if they’re exposed to freezing temperatures in winter.

It’s more efficient than blanket insulation, so the sheets are much thinner. Putting plasterboard over them (as you’ll want to do if you’re converting the loft) makes them even more effective in keeping the heat in. On the other hand, you still need to make sure that there’s space between the sheets and the roof tiles for the air to circulate and any moisture to escape without condensing and causing mould and rot to develop.

Blown-fibre insulation

This is loose-fill insulation with knobs on – a professional company comes and blows mineral fibre through a large hose into the spaces between the roof joists, to a depth of at least 150mm (6″). Like loose-fill insulation, though, it’s apt to blow about in draughty lofts, so be sure to check carefully with the contractor if you’re in any doubt.

Remember: even if you don’t qualify for a grant, and you have to pay the typical £250-£300 to insulate your loft to the recommended minimum depth of 150mm or six inches, you’ll save enough on heating bills to get your money back within a year – not to mention the warm glow you’ll get from having done something to help combat climate change!

To do the job properly, you’ll need to prepare the ceilings first. Wherever there’s anything entering the loft from below – wires, vents or pipes, and not forgetting the hatchway itself – make sure that all gaps are properly sealed with mastic. (For the loft hatch, you can buy some foam insulating strip and stick it round the edges of the hatchway.)

There are a few other things to bear in mind:

• Don’t insulate directly under a cold water tank – the heat from the room below helps prevent it freezing in winter (but you will need to insulate the tank’s other surfaces)
• Don’t cover electrical cables or junction boxes – they may overheat. Lay them over the insulation instead, or use clips to attach them to the joists above the insulation
• Make sure you prevent condensation in the loft – you’ll need to either allow proper circulation of air through the loft, or fit a vapour barrier on the warm side of the insulation

The next step is to choose which of the various types of insulation is best for you.

The Domestic Energy Assessor role has been created due to the need for certain houses to have the need for a Home Information Pack when being built or sold. Part of the Home Information Pack is the need for an Energy Performance Certificate.

The typical day-to-day role of a Domestic Energy Assessor would be:

• inspecting properties to collect data about their energy efficiency
• explaining the data to the home owner
• making recommendations to improve energy efficiency

Working Hours

No set working hours, though most visits will be carried out when the home owner is at home, thus, a lot of evening and weekend work.

Typical Salary

Around £25,000 to £35,000. More in some cases – as you would be self-employed, your work ethic determines how much you are likely to earn!

Training

Initial training is classroom-based, after which you will need “on the job” experience. Some training providers will be able to help you gain the outside experience that you need.

Qualifications required

None.

Extra info

When you have qualified as a Domestic Energy Assessor, it is possible to further upgrade your qualification to become a “Home Inspector”.

Roof

Loft insulation is in most cases the most cost-effective way of improving the thermal efficiency of a dwelling and can pay for itself in less than two years. Loft insulation should be a minimum of 200mm thick.

If you have attic rooms, improvements can be obtained by using a foil-backed thermal plasterboard, which could be used with solid board insulation sandwiched between the new and original plaster.

As you upgrade insulation to the roof space, the roof will become cooler in the winter and therefore all pipework and header tanks will require additional insulation. Care should also be taken in order to avoid reducing the ventilation in the roof space.

Walls

Insulation in walls could be investigated. Before installing cavity wall insulation, however, you first need to confirm the construction of your home.

You must never install cavity wall insulation in a timber-framed house. The timber framework requires ventilation; insulation could all but eliminate this and can cause serious rot to occur in the main supports to the structure.

Cavity wall insulation will pay for itself quite quickly, in approximately three to four years.

Windows

To achieve the best from your windows should be double glazed and draught proofed.

Sliding windows that are original can in many cases be double glazed though only a glazier would be able to confirm. If there is stained glass there are systems that sandwich the original glass in the double glazed unit, retaining much of the original appearance.

Draught proofing

All windows should be draught proofed, there are a number of systems that are available from DIY stores to do this.

Doors

Doors should close snugly and be draught proofed. The letterbox can have a brush style draught excluder. Again, there are a number of systems that are available at your DIY store.

As a rule all central heating installations should be checked and serviced regularly to ensure that they operate efficiently and that they are not full of carbon. If you are buying a property the surveyor will make a visual inspection only of the services and heating systems. It is always useful to have a system checked, as the surveyor would not be able to establish the efficiency of the burn of any boiler by just making a visual inspection.

We would always recommend a test before you buy.

A CORGI registered gas fitter would be qualified to test gas installations and advise what repairs are required and what the likely cost of repair is likely to be.

If faced with choosing a new central heating boiler based upon all the facts and possible options, the sensible choice must always be for the most energy-efficient option, the condensing boiler. Condensing boilers are also more environmentally friendly and reduce greenhouse emissions.

• Condensing boilers are the most efficient type available, and are therefore the cheapest to run
• Up to 95% efficient
• Boilers over 10 or 15 years old will be around 65% efficient
• New standard boilers are around 75% efficient
• Save 30-35% on fuel bills when replacing an old boiler
• Typically cost £100-£500 more than standard boilers
• Extra cost paid for by savings on fuel bills in 2-4 years

Electric

All wiring should be PVC, the actual heaters should be modern. Dated systems will not be as efficient and could present a potential fire hazard.(See electrics)

Modern storage heaters are more efficient, less bulky and less intrusive.

Slim-line storage heaters contain thermal bricks which absorb the heat during the night and release it during the day. They use electricity charged at the off-peak rate, which can be a significant saving (up to 50% off). For example if you have an Economy 7 electricity meter you can store up to seven hours of electricity at the cheaper rate. This will give you enough heat for up to 24 hours.

You can also use other electric appliances such as washing machines, dryers and dishwashers during off-peak periods to save even more money during the cheap rate periods.

Your local electricity supplier will tell you the best tariff for your lifestyle, some can offer a “green tariff” to encourage the use of electricity generated from renewable energy sources.

Solid fuel

These will require regular cleaning; flues should be swept and kept clear. Back boilers can rust and would be best tested. Care should be taken to ensure that the system is adequate to heat the whole house.

There are a number of solid fuel systems on the market now that are more efficient, the older style systems are not very efficient. We would advise that the cost of upgrading the boiler is investigated if your system is dated or very inefficient.

Oil

Oil heating systems require annual servicing to ensure safety and efficiency. As a rule the older the system the less efficient they will be and if they have been poorly maintained their efficiency could be even worse.

There are now oil systems that use condensing technology and can be very fuel-efficient.

If faced with choosing a new oil-fired central heating boiler, based upon all the facts and possible options, the sensible choice must always be for the most energy-efficient option, the condensing boiler. Condensing boilers are also more environmentally friendly and reduce greenhouse emissions.

General

The advice of The House Wizard is to:

1. Test and service systems at least annually
2. Investigate the cost of installing the most efficient system
3. Install thermostatic radiator valves
4. Draught proof and insulate wherever possible

The de-regulation of the energy market has enabled the homeowner to seek out the best deal. Now online there is an even better alternative.

There is a company that has worked out all the tariffs for the different suppliers and can calculate which company will best suit your energy requirements.

A Chartered Surveyor will carry out an inspection of your property assessing the efficiency of the various building components and heating systems.

The report is prepared using industry software to generate a rating of your home. The report will suggest improvements and give you a projected repayment period in each area.

Why have an energy report?

• It can save you money
• It helps protect the environment
• It allows you to budget for energy bills
• It can help you budget for a new heating system