Why Insulate?

Insulation - The best way for you to save energy

In doing so you will drastically reduce the harmful CO² emissions caused by your home's energy consumption.

Both types of insulation can have a dramatic effect. A correctly insulated home can reduce fuel bills by as much as £150 per year (depending on your house size) and once it's in place it lasts a lifetime. Imagine feeling the benefits of a warmer, cosier, more comfortable home that costs less to run and is kind to the environment. To achieve this, all we have to do is Thinksulation.

Global Warming - More dangerous than you imagine

The human race is engaged in the largest and most dangerous scientific experiment in history. It may not be intentional, but we're beginning to experience the disastrous consequences of tampering with the Earth's atmosphere.

The phenomenon known as global warming is occurring because large volumes of greenhouse gases - including carbon dioxide (CO²) - are escaping and accumulating in the Earth's atmosphere. This causes the planet's average air and ocean temperatures to increase and sea levels to rise, resulting in increasingly severe weather conditions. This effect is called climate change and it's already beginning to happen. The facts make for uncomfortable reading:

• Nine out of ten of the warmest years on record occurred between 1990 and 2003
• During the 20th Century, the average global temperature rose by 0.6 degrees centigrade.
• This century they will rise by another 5.8 degrees.

It's not too late to act, but we need to do so now. If we start solving the problem today, we can make the future more comfortable for everybody.

Climate Change - What causes it?

The climate change that we are experiencing as a result of global warming won't just lead to the temperature rising by a couple of degrees. The effects will be dramatic and cause extreme weather conditions - including gales, droughts, massive floods and increasingly fierce weather.

The energy we use to heat, cool and light our homes is responsible for more than 40% of all the CO² released by power stations. So reducing these emissions would be a huge step in slowing down climate change. There are a number of ways we can achieve this. And it's not as difficult as you might think.

Reducing CO² Emissions - How easy is it?

To combat the global warming that causes climate change, the Government is committed to reducing CO² emissions. They recognise that there are different ways to reduce the amount of CO² polluting the atmosphere and they all have a part to play.

One option is to use renewable energy. Solar power and wind farms are on the rise, but unfortunately so is demand. We don't generate nearly enough energy this way to power our homes and it will be a long time before we do. Another way is to make our existing power stations more efficient. This would certainly help but with energy consumption rising so quickly, it's only part of the answer.

But by far the most effective way to reduce CO² emissions is to reduce energy demand. We can reduce the amount of energy we use in our homes with energy efficient light bulbs and boilers. These measures all have a valuable role, but there is one thing that householders can do that would have a bigger impact than all of these options. If everyone insulates their homes correctly we will be taking a massive step towards significantly reducing global warming. With lower CO² emissions, warmer homes and much lower fuel bills, we would all be comfortably better off.

Thinkinsulation - It's cheaper and easier than you think

A specialist contractor can install cavity wall insulation in your home and it's surprisingly simple and cost effective. In fact, you may be eligible for a Government grant, or in certain circumstances, qualify for free insulation.

The lofts in many homes are already insulated but don't assume you have enough. The government recommends that all loft insulation should be 270mm thick for maximum energy savings, but recent research shows that very few of us have this much.

Whichever you decide to tackle first, it makes sense to choose mineral wool insulation for the job. Mineral wool is made from a naturally occurring, sustainable resource, making it the greenest option on the market. Not only does it virtually eliminate heat loss, mineral wool is the only insulation that has sound proofing and fire resistant qualities - making your home an even more comfortable place to live.

We have teamed up with the Energy Savings Trust to launch an intiative called Thinkinsulation. Its aim is to promote the benefits of insulation in terms of:

• Comfort
• Environmental Impact
• Cost savings

For more information on Thinksulation, please visit http://www.thinkinsulation.co.uk.