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Staying warm comes at a price in Newcastle

As temperatures plummet to below zero in Newcastle, local housebuilder Barratt Homes has revealed that despite people in the region spending an average of £935 on heating bills a year, 71% of adults still feel cold in their homes.

According to the research from the five star housebuilder, the biggest influence on heating bills is the age of the property, with typical new-build homeowners in Newcastle saving on average £600 per year when it comes to heating bills[1]. And the gap between old and new is growing – a recent calculation from the Government suggested that new build homes are 30% more efficient than even five years ago.

The research also revealed that a massive 68% of adults would rather put on extra clothes than reach for the thermostat, with 54% saying they’d opt for a hot drink instead – highlighting the reluctance to spend yet more on heating bills.

The research found that the kitchen is the coldest room in the house for North East residents, compared to the hallway, bedroom or bathroom in other areas of the UK.

Estimated heating costs across the UK depend on a variety of factors such as property type and geographic location – with North East homes spending on average £935 per year, compared to £868 in the South West.

Fenton Hewitt, Sales Director at Barratt Homes North East, commented: “Homeowners shouldn’t pay over the odds to stay warm at home, especially as there are many things that can be done to prevent heat leakage. Simple measures such as insulating your home or keeping furniture away from radiators all help to maximise heating use.”

He continued: “At Barratt, we use smart techniques, such as airtight doors, high quality insulation in the roof space, double glazing and high efficiency boilers to make sure draughts won’t cause the winter chills, all of which feature at our Lakeside View development in Killingworth. We’ve also launched an energy saving calculator on our website, so customers can see the savings.”

FIVE ENERGY SAVING TIPS FOR WITHIN YOUR HOME

Programme your heating. Many new builds come with a programmable room thermostat, but if your home does not have one, consider installing one, as these allow you to control when you want the heat to go on and what temperature you want in your rooms Keep radiators clear of furniture - it reduces their efficiency Draw the curtains or blinds at night and use draught-blockers for doors – this helps to reduce heat leakage Consider living in a new build home, which can be up to 50% more energy efficient than an upgraded Victorian equivalent If you have a loft, consider insulation. You could save energy by topping it up the thickness of the insulation from 100mm to the recommended 270mm

To find out how you can save money on energy bills in a new build home and to understand more about how Barratt Homes help you stay warm, visit http://www.barratthomes.co.uk/hometruths.

[1] Figure calculated using the Barratt Homes Energy Saving Calculator http://www.barratthomes.co.uk/New-is/Warm/

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Richard Savage .