Site Prices Update
Last Updated28th June 2022
All calculations on this site are based on current fuel prices, they are checked regularly and calculations are automatically updated.
The costs calculated based on these fuel prices should be regarded as 'good estimates', given that fuel prices vary in different parts of the county and at different time of the year.
The calculations also have different levels of accuracy depending on the nature of the calculation. For example calculating the energy use of a known power output TV is very easy compared to calculating the effect on energy savings when insulating a cavity wall.
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At Confused About Energy we aim to provide practical, impartial advice on all aspects of energy usage, climate change and ways to save money on energy bills.
All calculations on this site are based on current fuel prices they are checked regularly are automatically updated and were last changed on:-
28th June 2022
The costs calculated based on these fuel prices should be regarded as 'good estimates', given that fuel prices vary in different parts of the county and at different time of the year.
The calculations also have different levels of accuracy depending on the nature of the calculation. For example calculating the energy use of a known power output TV is very easy compared to calculating the effect on energy savings when insulating a cavity wall.
Site Calculations
| Electricity | £0.271 per unit (1 kWh) |
| Economy Electricity | £0.094 per unit (1 kWh) |
| Gas | £0.072 per unit (1 kWh) |
| Domestic LPG | £0.122 per unit (1 kWh) |
| Heating Oil | £0.104 per unit (1 kWh) |
| UK Grid CO2 Emissions | 0.233 kg per kWh used |
The main units used in this site are in the table below, For a complete explanation of power and energy Read More.
| Unit | Name | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| W | Watt | Unit of Power |
| kW | Kilowatt | 1000 watts |
| kWh | Kilowatt hour | Measure of Energy |
| L | Litre | Measure of Volume |
Please use twitter to ask a question Message @@EnergyThinking
Since heat rises it follows that heat loss through the roof is a large contributor to energy waste in your house. By installing modern 290mm thick insulation in your loft space you could save up to 25% of your heating bill but perhaps more realistically by 20%.
|
Cost: Low
ROI: 1.2 Years
Skill: DIY-Skilled
Energy Saving: High
CO2e Saving: High
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ROI is the time it takes to return the investment in fuel savings for an average gas heated 3 bed semi-detached house and assumes no government incentive schemes are used: Years
How easy this is to do: DIY-Easy : DIY-Skilled : Specialist
How much energy will be saved with this measure: Low : Medium : High
How much Carbon Dioxide emission will be saved with this measure: Low : Medium : High
By upgrading old thin insulation you may also be able to save an additional 7 or 8% of you bill.
The cost of installing the new thick insulation or of an upgrade is fairly modest at about £ 300 for a smaller house and about £ 450 for a larger house.
The savings you could make by only installing loft insulation are given in the table below with various fuel types and their currents costs. The payback time for various installation costs is given in the second table. The reductions in CO2 emissions from your property will also substantially reduce.
| Financial savings by installing loft insulation - per year CO2e emission reduction - kg per year |
smaller house or warmer area Below average energy use for heating per year Savings with original energy use 10000 kWh |
the average in the UK Average energy use for heating per year Savings with original energy use 15000 kWh |
larger house or colder area Above average energy use for heating per year Savings with original energy use 20000 kWh |
larger house or colder area Above average energy use for heating per year Savings with original energy use 25000 kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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⚡ Electricity £0.271 per kWh |
£542 (466kg) | £813 (699kg) | £1084 (932kg) | £1355 (1165kg) |
|
⚡ Gas £0.072 per kWh |
£144 (420kg) | £216 (630kg) | £288 (840kg) | £360 (1050kg) |
|
⚡ Off Peak Electricity £0.094 per kWh |
£188 (466kg) | £282 (699kg) | £376 (932kg) | £470 (1165kg) |
|
⚡ LPG £0.122 per kWh |
£244 (480kg) | £366 (720kg) | £488 (960kg) | £610 (1200kg) |
|
⚡ Heating Oil £0.104 per kWh |
£208 (600kg) | £312 (900kg) | £416 (1200kg) | £520 (1500kg) |
| Source of energy for heating | Insulation install costs select yours. |
Payback time with original energy use 10000 kWh (years) |
Payback time with original energy use 15000 kWh (years) |
Payback time with original energy use 20000 kWh (years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⚡ Electric £0.271 per kWh |
£0 £150 £300 £450 £600 | 0 0.3 0.6 0.8 1.1 | 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.7 | 0 0.1 0.3 0.4 0.6 |
| ⚡ Gas £0.072 per kWh |
£0 £150 £300 £450 £600 | 0 1 2.1 3.1 4.2 | 0 0.7 1.4 2.1 2.8 | 0 0.5 1 1.6 2.1 |
| ⚡ Economy Electric £0.094 per kWh |
£0 £150 £300 £450 £600 | 0 0.8 1.6 2.4 3.2 | 0 0.5 1.1 1.6 2.1 | 0 0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6 |
| ⚡ LPG £0.122 per kWh |
£0 £150 £300 £450 £600 | 0 0.6 1.2 1.8 2.5 | 0 0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6 | 0 0.3 0.6 0.9 1.2 |
| ⚡ Heating Oil £0.104 per kWh |
£0 £150 £300 £450 £600 | 0 0.7 1.4 2.2 2.9 | 0 0.5 1 1.4 1.9 | 0 0.4 0.7 1.1 1.4 |
Is it worth doing?
This is one of the single most cost effective things you can do to save money and the environment, with substantianl reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. The payback time is very short and the long term reward is great. There are some grants from energy companies and local authorities (check with your local energy advice centre). If you cannot get a grant, supermarkets are also offering good deals and DIY installation will also save a packet! It is almost insane not to insulate your loft and even "top-up" insulation offer a better payback than any renewable energy option.
http://www.esru.strath.ac.uk/EandE/Sitevisits/FEB008_Economic_Insulation_Thickness.pdf then go to page 6
hi take a look at these sites if you are doing your gsce courseworkhttp://www.confusedaboutenergy.co.uk/index.php/heat-loss-and-insulation/loft-insulationhttp://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Insulation/Roof-and-loft-insulation/Loft-insulation-materialshope they helped and good luck!
I need a detailed answer for my GCSE Science course work!!! Please can someone help!! :D How does the thickness of the loft insulation affect heat loss??
How does the thickness of the loft insulation affect the heat loss? The thicker the loft insulation is the more heat loss will be reduced as if it is thicker the more air is trapped between the layers of insulation and thermal energy cannot pass through trapped air causing it to not leave the house. Different materials hold in heat at different rates. The higher the R-value of the material, the better it will be at holding heat in. hope this helped im doing my science gcse too. here is some extra information about loft insulation: What is Loft insulation? Loft insulation is method for many people to make their houses energy efficient. To prevent heat loss, loft insulation acts as a blanket trapping rising heat in the house. Without loft insulation a house would loose 25% of heat through the roof. Using Loft insulation benefits many people as it reduces heating bills in an effective way. When combined with wall insulation, adequate heating and controlled ventilation loft insulation also helps to prevent the formation of surface condensation, damp and mould growth. How does loft insulation prevent heat loss? Loft insulation works by preventing the movement of heated air through the insulation material, by trapping the air in the fibres. More detailed: The ceiling is a conductor and energy is transferred into the loft. If there is no insulation, the air at the base of the loft warms up and then a convection current of warm air moves through the roof space and escapes through the tiles. If the loft is insulated, the air in the insulation cannot move around the loft by convection. Loft insulation acts like a blanket, helping prevent heat escaping through the roof. Convection currents can transfer heat energy in the loft to the roof tiles. It has trapped air which is a poor insulator.
need help with how the thickness of the loft insultaion affects heat loss
Somebody pleqase answer these question. i need an answer ASAP. tnx xx :Dwhy is loft insulation needed?how loft insulatn reduce heat loss?how tha thickness of the loft insulaton affects heat loss?
Loft insulation Insulating homes You should be able to describe how heat energy is lost from buildings and to explain how these losses can be reduced. Heat is lost through: • the roof - fit loft insulation • windows - fit double glazing and curtains • gaps around the door - fit draught excluders • the walls - fit cavity wall insulation • the floor - fit a carpet Heat energy is transferred from homes by conduction through the walls, floor, roof and windows. It is also transferred from homes by. For example, cold air can enter the house through gaps in doors and windows, and convection currents can transfer heat energy in the loft to the roof tiles. Heat energy also leaves the house by radiation through the walls, roof and windows. Ways to reduce heat loss There are some simple ways to reduce heat loss, including fitting carpets, curtains and draught excluders. Heat loss through windows can be reduced using double glazing. There may be air or a vacuum between the two panes of glass. Air is a poor conductor of heat, while a vacuum can only transfer heat energy by radiation. Heat loss through walls can be reduced using cavity wall insulation. This involves blowing insulating material into the gap between the brick and the inside wall, which reduces the heat loss by conduction. The material also prevents air circulating inside the cavity, therefore reducing heat loss by convection. Heat loss through the roof can be reduced by laying loft insulation. This works in a similar way to cavity wall insulation. Efficiency and payback time Efficiency Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only be transferred from one form to another, or moved. Energy that is ‘wasted’, like the light energy from a glowing electric fire, does not disappear. Instead, it is transferred into the surroundings and spreads out so much that it becomes very difficult to do anything useful with it. A Sankey diagram showing the energy transfers in an electric fire The efficiency of a device can be calculated using this equation: Efficiency = useful energy output ÷ useful energy input The efficiency of the electric fire in the example is 90 ÷ 100 = 0.9 Note that the efficiency of a device will always be less than 1. Payback time The payback time of an energy-saving solution is a measure of how cost-effective it is. Here is the equation to calculate payback time: Payback time (years) = cost of installation (£) ÷ savings per year in fuel costs
What is loft insulation? A board-type product, usually of low or medium density, made of mineral fibres, cellular glass, foamed plastic, wood fibreboard, one or both sides of which may be faced with another material; provides thermal insulation in a roofing system. Why does loft insulation help prevent heat loss from homes? Loft insulation contains trapped air which is a good insulator as the particles are not close together. This means that the heat energy can not be passed on through the roof as easily. How the thickness of loft insulation does affect heat loss? The thicker the loft insulation is the more heat loss will be reduced as if it is thicker the more air is trapped between the layers of insulation and thermal energy cannot pass through trapped air causing it to not leave your home.
Where did you get this info please?
How Does Insulation Reduces Heat Loss? please respond scientifically for my GCSE coursework
As a pre internet scientist I'm tempted to say read a book, but one has to admire initiative!
essentially insulating materials are poor thermal conductors. The density of the atoms and molecules in the materials greatly effects conductivity as heat is transferred effectively by 'packets' of energy moving from atom to atom. Metals are very dense and conduct heat very well and are not good thermal insulators. A Vacuum (the big bit in space or the bit surrounding a a thermos flask) is void of matter and does not conduct heat. air trapped in a woolly jumper or loft insulation is not a dense material and does not conduct heat well and so is a good insulator.
density is not the only factor by the way
Well there are air packets that trap the air with in them, making it a poor conductor of heat. Meaning there isn't any air escaping, so the air alredy with in the home is traped in and the cold air outside is keeped out, leaving your home worm. xxx
Richards answer is correct. It stops conduction by trapping air molecules (air is a very good insulator of heat) and this means heat is less likely to escape out through the roof. Air passes heat energy badly because the particles are so spread to. When richard talks about the vacuum he is saying that there are almost no molecules for heat to get passed through. He has forgotten about radiation as a form of transferring heat though.
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