When it comes to insulating your house for the coming winter, don’t ignore sheep’s wool.

If we know anything about sheep, it is that they don’t freeze to death in fields during the winter, so suppliers who recommend such materials for keeping houses warm, might be on to a good thing.

Sheep wool is now being used extensively to make rolls of loft insulation material. And experts reckon it is up to 20% more efficient, meaning that you only need a depth of 225mm of sheep’s wool insulation, as opposed to 270mm of normal (fibreglass) insulation.

Now this depth figure is important, because it is the government’s minimum recommended thickness needed to keep the heat inside the house and not heating the street outside. And this figure is not arrived at in an arbitrary fashion. It’s derived at by estimating the amount of fibreglass (depth) needed to arrive at the standard of current loft insulation of 0.16W/m2K. This might sound like a tricky mathematical formula, but it refers to watts per square metre per degree Kelvin. This is referred to as the U-value and the lower the U-value, the better the insulating effect.

The trouble is of course, and this is a fact that many DIY insulators find to their cost, is that most attic roof joists are 100mm deep, which means that the insulation is way thicker than the joists. And if you want your attic boarded over to create a usable floor, then you cannot just compress the fibreglass as it’s insulating properties will be cancelled out. So, people who want to board over are usually faced with the decision of having to add to the current joists with new pieces of timber up to the required depth.

Adding new timbers in even a comparatively small loft space can be an expensive and time consuming job, which will dramatically increase the cost of insulation.

The base cost of laying down fibreglass is around £5 per square metre. If you choose say mineral wool fibre, which is said to not irritate the skin so much as fibreglass when laying, you still need a depth of 270mm, but it will set you back nearer £8 per square metre. You can get various types of non irritant fibreglass and lesser thicknesses, all achieving the desired U-value of 0.16, but some of these will cost between £10 and £25 per square metre.

And sheep’s wool? That will cost you £20 per square and say the salesmen, this will last the lifetime of the house and will not degrade like synthetic and mineral fibres, which will eventually collapse and lose their insulation properties.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

British Gas is one of the biggest names in the energy market, yet it stands accused by consumer watchdog Which of not offering the best deals when it comes to replacing a central heating boiler.

Which points out that given the size of British Gas and its dominance in the market, it would have expected a competitively priced boiler replacement service.

But Which discovered that on three separate occasions British Gas quoted nearly twice as much as some independent heating engineers when it came to replacing a boiler.

It also provided evidence of its disappointment, giving actual examples from Which members.

In a one-bedroomed London flat, quotes were obtained from British Gas and local independent heating engineers for replacing a 12-year-old combination boiler with a new boiler, in this case a Vaillant ecoTEC pro 28. British Gas gave the price of £3,997, whereas the lowest quote from the local boys came in at £2,000, some £1,977 less.

In Nottingham, British Gas saw fit to quote a handsome £5,106 to replace a boiler in a large house. The lowest local guy was an incredible £2,621 less at £2,485.

Switch to Manchester and to replace a heat-only boiler with a new condensing version, and you’ve guessed it, British Gas were way over the top, quoting £3,457 whilst the local contingent’s lowest quote came in with £1,700.

A British Gas spokesman came back with a comment when asked by Which to explain the large differences:

“It is difficult to provide a succinct comment, given that in all these circumstances British Gas were just one of a number of quotes the consumers explored and we didn’t actually install any of the boilers.”

So, the message is quite clear, when you’re getting quotes for replacing a boiler, speak to the local heating engineers as well as British Gas. It could save you a packet.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

All central heating systems that are pressurised systems will need to be repressurised at some point so that they continue to work as efficiently as possible. This generally requires manually topping up the amount of water within the system and although this sounds like a daunting task, anyone can do it as long as they have a good set of instructions and the handbook to their boiler.

Why does this have to be done?
Everyone knows that heating water over and over makes some of it evaporate and this is exactly what happens in your central heating system. Every time you turn your boiler on and heat the water in the system, a small amount of it evaporates and eventually the water pressure begins to fall. If left, the pressure can fall so far that your boiler will stop working and so you need to repressurise the system as soon as you notice a fall. There are other reasons for a fall in pressure, such as leaks in the system, but these will require the help of a professional and shouldn’t be tackled alone.

How do you know your system needs repressurising?
All boilers that are part of a pressurised system will have a very obvious and easy to read pressure gauge which monitors the water pressure within the heating system. This gauge needs to be checked on a monthly basis to see that the pressure is within the recommended levels – these will be noted in the boiler’s handbook. If the pressure has dropped then it’s time to repressurise.

How do you repressurise a boiler system?
Firstly you need to locate your filling loop. This will be located close to the boiler and looks like a stop tap with one end attached to the cold water mains pipe and the other end attached to the central heating system pipe work. Occasionally, the filling loop may not be permanently attached to the heating system and so you will need to attach it first before turning the tap! In some cases the filling loop may be integrated within the boiler itself and you will need the boiler handbook for further instructions.

Once the filling loop is attached to the system you can open the tap but it is best to do this slowly as you don’t want to flood the system. When the tap is opened, cold water is injected into the central heating system and the pressure gauge on the boiler should begin to rise. Make sure you or someone else can see the gauge as you don’t want to over pressurise. If you do slightly over pressurise the system the safety valve will kick in an release the excess pressure but this only works to a certain degree so keep a close eye on the gauge.

When this is done you simply disconnect from the system if need be and check the gauge over the next couple of days to see there are no problems. Most systems only need repressurising every three or four months and then it isn’t by much however it might be worth checking a bit more frequently over the winter months when the boiler is on much more often.

Guest Article by Clare Lynock

There are a number of companies today that manufacture magnetic filter systems for the home. They are easily fitted within the central heating system – generally close to the boiler - and work to remove suspended iron oxide from the system. Many say they make your boiler more energy efficient while others say they are just a gimmick to get money from energy conscious home owners – so which one is it?

What do magnetic filters do exactly?

As the various metals in your central heating system become corroded by the water supply, the suspended black iron oxide that forms over time can turn to a sludge. This sludge then settles in the pipe work and in the boiler itself and reduces the efficiency of the entire system. By adding a magnetic filter, you can take out virtually all of the black iron oxide from the system and as more forms it is also filtered out – before it has time to settle and become a problem.

Do they work?

Plenty of manufacturers and installers say yes but of course there is always one that says no. As it is the magnetic filters that are currently on the market have been proved to remove over 95% of the suspended black iron oxide from both new and existing central heating systems. Most offer guaranteed protection from the sludge problem and improved central heating system performance and efficiency, and as we all know an efficient system reduces energy consumption and saves money.

What is available?

At present magnet filters exist for all domestic systems and a number of industrial applications and all of them are easy to install, service and maintain. You can choose the simple magnetic filter which only removes the black iron oxide sludge or if you want even better efficiency some manufacturers sell dual filters that also remove non-magnetic debris from the circulating water. The cleaner your water is as it passes through the system the more efficient your boiler and radiators will be and this is great for your pocket.

What is the cost?

Once you’ve paid for the actual magnetic filter, there are no ongoing running costs to speak of. You do have to have the filter cleaned from time to time and although it is advisable to get a professional in you can have a go yourself if you’re feeling confident. So what do they cost? This depends on the size and model you get but on average the simple magnetic filters cost from £75-£120 while the dual filters obviously cost a bit more. This may sound like a big investment for a filter but if it prolongs the life of your boiler by a good few years then it’s more than worth it in my opinion.

Are the actually energy savers though?

Well the magnetic filters available today do make your central heating system more efficient from the word go and in the long run this can only save you money. It may take a few years to recoup your investment but every year after that is money in your pocket.

Guest Article by Clare Lynock

Virtually everyone I know is dreading winter because of the extortionate energy bills that will come through the door in the spring. There are ways of cutting the amount of energy you use through the winter though and when used as a plan they can save you a decent amount of money. Below are ten good energy-saving tips to help get you started.

1. Have your boiler serviced during late autumn so that it is running efficiently for the start of the winter. This can also identify any problems that may arise when it’s being used day in and day out.
2. Bleed your radiators so that they warm your house as efficiently as they possibly can. If you have unused rooms in your house then you might want to manually turn the radiator off and keep the door of the room closed.
3. Draught-proof your external windows and doors to stop cold air coming in and warm air going out. This is an easy DIY job and all you need is some quite inexpensive weather strips and maybe a tube of caulk. You may also want to use good old fashioned draught excluders at the foot of your doors.
4. Turn your thermostat down by a degree or two and wear an extra jumper! A single degree can save up to 5% on your energy usage which can in turn save a good few pounds each month.
5. Insulate your loft and walls if you can afford it. There are government grants available to help with costs in most homes. In fact, many people can get full insulation for free if they receive specific benefits, and even if you don’t you can still save around 70% on the normal price.
6. Some say that keeping your home at a constant temperature of about 68 degrees costs less than letting your home go cold during the day or through the night and then turning your boiler up to re-warm to a comfortable temperature. This idea is often debated by gas engineers so please don’t take it as gospel.
7. Switch off any lights when they are not being used as light bulbs can use a fair amount of energy without you realising it. As an additional point you might want to think about using energy efficient bulbs as they are often less than £1 each now.
8. Have showers instead of baths whenever you can, especially if you have a shower that heats the water itself and doesn’t involve the boiler. It has been estimated that a family of four can save up to £90 per year by taking showers instead of baths.
9. Check online to see if you can save money by changing to a different energy supplier. Some may offer the same prices but will guarantee a price freeze for the next few years – which will save you in the long run.
10. If all else fails, visit as many of your friends and relatives as you possibly can each evening and make use of their energy instead of your own!

Guest Article by Clare Lynock

See also: Top Ten Tips for Saving Energy Around the Home