Millions of homes have 'insulation age' of 1976 or older - costing homeowners hundreds

dailystar.co.uk:

Millions of homes have an insulation age of 1976 or older – costing households up to £930 a year if they don’t make changes soon, according to a study.Experts analysing 21 million homes across England and Wales found over half (58%) only meet insulation standards of 1976 or earlier.As a result, they lose more heat through wall cavity insulation, double glazing, loft insulation, and floor insulation than modern regulations insist on today.Around 1.6 million properties (7.5%), have an insulation age of 2002 or younger, and just 4,663 have an insulation age of 2013.But the average semi-detached homeowner could save up to £285 a year if they upgraded their cavity-wall insulation, and a further £255 by having a well-insulated loft.Energy bills for these residents could also be reduced by an additional £390 a year if they updated their solid-wall insulation.The study, conducted by EDF in partnership with property data platform, Sprift, analysed the current levels of home insulation – including floor, roof, window and wall – against building regulations of homes across different time periods, to calculate the nation’s “home insulation age”.It comes after additional research of 2,000 homeowners, commissioned by EDF, found just 37% have ever updated their property’s insulation.A quarter (25%) haven’t done so because it’s too expensive, while one in five (19%) would rather spend money on other things.And 17% don’t know what type of insulation they’d need in the first place.Philippe Commaret, Managing Director for Customers at EDF, which has announced they will spend an extra £20 million on energy efficiency measures for fuel-poor households this year, said: “It’s surprising the average insulation age of a home is over 40 years.