A PROPERTY expert has shared her advice on cheap and easy ways to keep your house warm this winter as a new report shows one third of homeowners regards energy efficiency as being too expensive.

The majority of homeowners experience barriers to carrying out energy efficiency savings, according to the latest annual HomeOwner Survey from the HomeOwners Alliance.

It found that 57% of homeowners felt that there are barriers to carrying out energy efficiency improvements.

The cost of making improvements was cited by 36% of people responding to the survey as the main reason for not carrying out work, whilst 19% said that the lack of grants and incentives was off-putting.

A similar proportion of homeowners, 18%, said they were not convinced that the energy savings would offset the up-front costs of making improvements.

Energy improvements that were adopted were simpler and inexpensive options, like loft insulation that had been carried out by 51% of respondents.

Commenting, Klara Painter of House Buy Fast, said: “The furore over winter fuel payments has dominated the headlines, but there are improvements that we can make to our homes which do not cost vast sums of money.

“Properties in rural areas are most at risk because they tend to be older and colder and are hit harder by rises in energy prices.

“Successive governments have reiterated the commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, but that faces a threat because of the large number of old and energy inefficient properties in the UK.

“If a home is considered to be not appropriately energy efficient, its value could drop significantly.

“They also risk limited market value growth or restricted access to specific financial products, but avoiding that can involve a very modest initial outlay.”

Klara said there are five easy ways to stay warm this winter:
Draught-proof doors and windows – letting warm air that you have already paid to heat escape makes no sense. Check around windows and doors to see if there is cold air getting in and, if so, apply self-adhesive draught-proof tape to seal the gaps.
Insulate pipes and hot water tank – hot water cylinder jackets cost around £20 to buy but could save the average semi £165 a year in heating costs.
Reduce your boiler flow temperature – this controls the temperature of the water that circulates in your radiators: save on your gas bills by reducing the setting to 60 degrees.
Maximise your radiators – your radiators may have cold spots, so bleed them of air to improve their performance. You could also install reflector panels behind them on external walls, a simple job that could save £20 a year on bills.
Insulate your loft – some 25% of the heat in your home can be lost through the roof if it is uninsulated and, while the cost of installing loft insulation could be £950, you could get it free with the Great British Insulation Scheme. On average, loft insulation can save you £200 a year on bills.