Eco Hub • Home Energy Advice Team

At the time of writing – 12th October – the weather in Dorking was unseasonably warm. That doesn’t mean it’s too soon to start thinking about winter and how best to stay warm while conserving energy and saving money. The October Eco Hub welcomed Caroline from Circular Dorking, who spoke about the ways in which we can prevent heat from escaping from our homes.

In collaboration with Zero Carbon Guildford, Circular Dorking has received funding to carry out free home energy surreys. A member of the Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT) will visit your home with a thermal camera, producing a detailed and perhaps surprising picture of where you are losing heat.

Caroline demonstrated the thermal camera in the Quiet Room, showing us that the front wall was cold but that even thin blinds can make a difference. She listed a number of areas around the home where we are at risk of losing heat, among them chimneys, doors, windows, walls, cat flaps, letter boxes, key holes, door seals, unlagged pipes, and even gaps under kitchen cabinets. 

So once we know where the heat is escaping, what should we do? 

• Cavity wall insulation is an option, but only if your house was built between 1920 and 1986. Older houses have solid walls, making them harder to insulate, while newer houses tend to have built-in insulation
• If your walls are damp or mouldy, considering investing in a dehumidifier (these can be bought at Robert Dyas)
• Lag your pipes, apart from those in the airing cupboard, and your immersion heater boiler
• Install reflective foil behind radiators, to reflect heat back into your rooms
• Apply insulating film to your windows (a cheap tip, for windows that you are happy to have opaque, is to spray water on bubble wrap, then sticking it to the window surface)
• Hang curtains inside your external doors
• Apply anti-draught tape to your windows. 
• Make a draught excluder (instructions below). 

It was a well-attended Eco Hub, with the usual activities and a very good range of ages represented. This Hub has quickly established itself as a safe and welcoming space for anyone who wants to discuss the environment, learn how to safeguard it, meet like-minded people, and – not least, drink tea and eat cake!

Author
Tara Craig