Satisfactory Heating Regime

For elderly and infirm households, this is 23oC in the living room and 18oC in other rooms, to be achieved for 16 hours in every 24.

For other households, this is 21oC in the living room and 18oC in other rooms for 9 hours in every 24 (or 16 in 24 over the weekend); with two hours being in the morning and seven hours in the evening."

Scottish Fuel Poverty Statement 2000 definition – Scottish Executive

Improving the building

The heat generated from a heating system does not stay in the place that it is needed. It is constantly moving and can escape through external walls, ceilings, floors, windows and other parts of the building fabric. The flow of air into and out of a house is called ventilation and heat is also lost in this movement of air. Some ventilation is wanted and controlled i.e. through windows, airbricks and vents but air, and heat, is also lost through cracks and gaps in the building fabric resulting in uncontrolled ventilation (or draughts!).

The most significant heat loss, about 50%, in a home is through the external walls and the roof. The extent of this heat loss will depend on the building materials used in construction. Ensuring that the building is adequately insulated is one of the most cost effective ways to improve energy efficiency.

Improving the building fabric will improve the condition of the housing association stock and will also help to achieve specific standards, such as Decent Homes and Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and give a better rating under measurements such as Energy Performance Certificates and EcoHomes XB. (See Glossary for more information.)

The following are all types of insulation measures that will reduce heat loss. Their use will depend on the construction of the property and the 'payback' period (the time taken to recoup the cost of the measure through reduced energy bills) will vary with the cost of the measure and amount of energy saved by its installation.

Wall insulation

The type of insulation used for the walls of a home depends on how it was originally built. In the 1930's a new method of construction was introduced to reduce damp in homes — the cavity wall. The idea of this is that, rather than a thick solid wall, two thinner layers are built with an air gap in between to prevent damp inside the home.

Cavity wall insulation
Walls built with a cavity are insulated by injecting an insulating product into the air gap between the two walls. This, combined with the trapped air, helps to prevent the heat escaping, acting like a blanket around the home. It is easy to install, as there is little disruption to the occupants and can take only two to three hours for an average house.

Solid wall insulation
Solid walls can be insulated, although homes with solid walls may be considered to be 'hard-to-treat'. Different methods are available that will either insulate the walls on the inside of the home, such as thermal linings on a roll or an insulated plasterboard, or that are added to the outside of the property, such as an insulating render or cladding. It can be more expensive than cavity wall insulation and is less accepted because it changes the appearance of the property or slightly reduces internal space. However, as 45% of heat can be lost through a solid wall, insulation makes a significant difference to the warmth and comfort of the home, as well as potentially to the energy bills of the occupant.

Draughtproofing

Many homes literally leak heat through gaps in joints and around windows and doors. About 25% of heat can be lost in this way. Different methods are available according to the area of the house that is not air tight. For instance, letterbox brushes, foams and sealants around windows and doors, as well as strips of rubber or plastic. (Some vents, however, must be left open, particularly those that are for heating appliances or fires.)

Loft insulation

The Energy Saving Trust recommends that 270mm of insulation 'quilting' is added to loft space. Quilt insulation, such as mineral wools, are rolled out along the 'floor' of the loft space. There are other methods, including 'blown' insulation, where an installer uses a blowing machine to distribute mineral wool or cellulose fibre across the space. Loft insulation is relatively quick and easy to install and acts like a blanket, keeping heat from escaping through the roof. One of the difficulties in installing loft insulation is that attic spaces tend to be used as storage space and residents will need to clear spaces ready for the installer. Obviously, this may prove difficult for many occupants, particularly vulnerable residents and you may need to consider providing help with this.

Double glazing

Double glazing is now a widely accepted feature of modern homes but there are some older properties that may still need windows and doors upgraded. They work by sealing air between two panes of glass and are known as a 'sealed unit'. The frames that this unit sits in can also now be insulated and there are ways of installing these features that also reduce the amount of heat that is lost between the frame of the window and the wall of the building. Different ratings are explained on the British Fenestration Ratings Council's website.

More information on improving the energy efficiency of homes

There are a number of organisations that can provide more information on types of insulation, such as:
• The Energy Saving Trust, an independent trust advising on energy saving for climate change: www.theenergysavingtrust.org.uk
• The National Insulation Association, the association for the insulation industry: www.nationalinsulationassociation.org.uk
• Think Insulation, a commercially based website from Knauff Insulation, with some good resources particularly for children: www.thinkinsulation.co.uk

Inside the home

As well as helping to keep the heat from escaping through the walls and roof, there are other measures that can be used in the home to reduce wasted heat and energy.

Background on traditional heating systems

Gas fired central heating
The most common form of heating and hot water systems in the UK is gas fired central heating. This comprises a gas fired boiler that heats water and moves it around the home through radiators. The most efficient of these systems and the most economic, will have a condensing, A-rated boiler. A condensing boiler is a third more efficient than an old boiler. It takes some of the heat that an old boiler would eject through the flue and re-uses it, cutting down the amount of wasted energy.
There are two types of condensing boiler:
• A regular or system condensing boiler heats water, which is fed through radiators for heat and stored in a hot water tank for hot water supply;
• A combination boiler heats water as and when it is needed and hot water storage is not needed.

Oil fired heating systems
Of course, there are still many areas in the UK where gas is not available and many of these properties will have other forms of heating, such as oil fired heating systems. This works in the same way as the gas fired central heating, except that the boiler burns oil instead of gas. Oil can be more expensive than using gas.
Again, the more modern the boiler and heating system is, the more efficient it is likely to be and it is important to use controls effectively.

Electric heating
This tends to be the least efficient and most costly way of heating a home, partly because of the cost of the electricity required for the heating and because electric systems do not offer the same amount of control over how they heat the home. Night storage heaters may be cheaper to run as they use off-peak electricity, which suppliers will offer at a cheaper rate, and the more modern night storage heaters tend to have better controls.

Electric panel radiators, fan heaters or electric bar heaters can be expensive methods to heat a home and are unlikely to provide the right level of warmth and comfort for residents.

Upgrading heating systems is a way of improving the comfort and wealth of residents, as well as improving condition of stock and your organisation's rating under specific standards, such as Decent Homes or Energy Performance Certificate ratings.

Using heating controls to make energy use more efficient

Being able to control the level and timing of heating is crucial to making a system efficient, as it can be programmed to heat the home to the level the occupant needs, at the times that they need it. A system that is as efficient as it can be will have:
• A programmable room thermostat and timer (either together in one unit or as separate controls);
• Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs), fitted to each radiator; and
• If the hot water is stored in a tank, it will also have a cylinder thermostat.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, fitting these controls and using them correctly can save 17% of a resident's heating bill.
Heating systems and boilers will differ by manufacturer and model, so it is important to find out exactly how the models used in your stock work.

You can find out more about the principles of using heating controls at the Energy Saving Trust's website here: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Home-improvements-and-products/Heating-and-hot-water/Heating-controls

Note: The Energy Saving Trust's site is aimed at saving energy to tackle climate change. Although carbon saving shares many objectives with energy efficiency for fuel poverty, your main priority is keeping your residents warm and well. Advice such as 'turning down the heating' may not be suitable for vulnerable residents. (Although, if you can help to tackle climate change at the same time, that's a great bonus!)

Hot water tank insulation

If a resident's home has a tank that stores hot water, then a tank jacket is essential and relatively cheap to install (approximately f20 a unit, depending on the type of tank and depth of insulation). A system may also need insulation around the pipes over a short distance from the tank. This will prevent the loss of heat through the tank itself and when hot water is pumped around the home.

Other low cost insulation measures

There are other ways of improving the amount of heat kept in the home, by:
• Shutting doors;
• Closing windows;
• Adding foil or radiator panels behind radiators; and
• Adding thermal lining fabric to curtains.