IN Britain, we spend a lot of money to heat our homes. Nearly every means of heating the house – gas, electric, oil, wood – uses carbon either directly or indirectly. Domestic heating is therefore the biggest contributor to greenhouse gases, and thus climate change, in the UK.

Part of the problem is that too much of the energy we pay for gets wasted. It leaks out through draughty windows and thin walls. For a poorly insulated property, it means that £1 out of every £3 spent is wasted.

A quarter of your heat is lost through the roof if there is no loft insulation. So one of the best ways to make a difference is to check the insulation in your home. Installing better insulation, of any kind, reduces the energy lost and also the size of your heating bills.

So why haven’t more people done it? Because the cost of installing insulation is too big an outlay for many people. Schemes such as Warm Front and the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund ended several years ago.

Free loft and cavity wall insulation can be obtained via the Energy Company Obligation – it is possible to get a maximum of £1,000 of insulation, including for some private tenants.

However, in order to qualify for this, someone in the property must be receiving an eligible benefit such as universal credit, child benefit or disability living allowance.

Greater support for home insulation would have far-reaching benefits to the economy, homeowners, landlords and tenants.

It has been calculated that upgrading homes to the highest energy-efficiency standards would reduce the average household energy bill by £417 per year by 2030.

It would boost manufacturers of home insulation, provide employment for installers, reduce fuel poverty, make our homes warmer and reduce our carbon footprint.

Further information is available from Act On Energy – Energy Efficiency, Grants & Advice on 0800 988 2881.