So what can we do about it? Insulate!

Heat escapes any way it can: principally upwards, but just as readily through all the little gaps, leaks and seals too. Cut off it’s escape routes and it’s got nowhere left to go. Consequently you need a lot less of it to stay warm, and thereby spend a lot less money.

So let’s start at the top and work down. Just the depth of a couple of hundred millimetres of loft insulation can save you about a quarter of your heating bills. Insulation comes in roll, sheet and even loose fill forms. It’s all readily available quick and easy to install. You can even consult online guides for step by step instructions.

If heat can’t get out at the top of the house, it’ll head for the walls. And the chances are that if your house was built post 1920, you’ll have cavity walls. This gap between the inner and outer ‘skins’ of your home can be sealed up quickly and cleanly with cavity wall insulation. The insulation material (typically material wool or polystyrene beads) is injected directly into the cavity from the outside, sealing it up and trapping the heat inside – for good! And it’ll only take a professional a couple of hours to insulate the whole house!

Even something as simple as closing the curtains on a cold night helps keep the heat in, so just imagine how much warmer it will feel when you’re fully insulated against the cold.

Now your house is a home!