Pipes and Lagging

Make sure any external pipework, and any pipework in areas you do not want to heat, is lagged. You can do this yourself – buy the lagging from a DIY shop.

I can’t find reference to any specifically environmentally friendly forms of lagging – can anyone help?

Hot Water Tank

Fit a jacket to your hot water cylinder for a cost of £15-£20, and save up to £25 in energy costs per year. the lagging should be at least 75mm (3 inches) thick.

Draughts

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  Test your windows for draughts by holding a ribbon or feather up to the window.

• Close doors when the heating is on.

• Make sure you don’t have gaps between your floorboards.

• Insulate under your floorboards (heat can go down as well as up). You could save 10% of your heating bill.

• Fit O-strips, or fin or blade seals round doors and window-frames.

• Fit metal flaps over keyholes.

• Fit a brush behind your letter box (this also makes life very difficult for your paper-delivery girl or boy, speaking from personal experience!).

• Build a porch!

But remember – your home needs a certain amount of fresh air for ventilation, and to prevent damp.