North East residents paying hundreds for heating whilst continuing to shiver

Homeowners expect to pay on average £802 for heating

A third of people still feel cold in their home despite heating

Age of property the biggest influence on a heating bill
As winter continues to bite new research from Barratt Homes North East shows that homeowners
and renters in the region are expecting to pay on average £802 for their energy this year, with
nearly a quarter expecting to pay more than £1,000. Yet despite paying through the roof for their
energy, a third of people surveyed in the North East said they still felt cold in their home.
The research also highlights a growing desire to use technology to control our homes and save
money. Only 58% of people think they could save money by having better heating controls, whilst
37 % of homeowners would feel confident about using a smart phone to remotely set their
heating. However, older home owners are much less keen using such technology, with 62% of
those aged 55+ saying they were not interested in setting their heating controls in this way.
Irrespective of the age of the occupant, the age of a property is one of the biggest influences on a
heating bill. The research showed that 80% of people estimated they could save up to £218 on
their annual heating bill just by living in a more energy efficient new build home. New homes
typically have energy saving features such as the latest insulation, high levels of airtightness and
new double glazing.
Whilst those in Scotland predictably expect to spend more, those in London surprisingly look set
to pay more than those in the chillier climes of Yorkshire, the North East and the North West.
Homeowners in the East Midlands expect to pay the least, just £675 on average.
Region
Scotland
Wales
London
North East
South East
Yorkshire and Humberside
North West
West Midlands
East Anglia
South West
East Midlands
Average heating
cost
£869.57
£821.44
£804.53
£802.59
£774.30
£773.33
£772.24
£737.02
£722.15
£698.26
£675.40
Using thermal imaging Barratt Homes has highlighted the difference in heat loss from a new build
home and a typical Victorian property. The images below clearly show where the heat is
escaping (in green and yellow) around the doors and windows compared to the much better
insulation of a new home.
Victorian property
New build home
Fenton Hewitt, Sales Director at Barratt Homes North East, said: “We are all spending hundreds
of pounds on our heating, yet so many of us are still feeling cold in our homes. Making sure your
walls and roof are well insulated will make a massive difference to both your comfort and your
heating bill. New homes are also much more energy efficient than older ones – by up to 55%. For
instance, we use new highly efficient boilers and modern low heat loss cylinders which keep
water hotter for longer. We also make it clear for people to see how much they could be saving in
a new build home by having an energy calculator online.”
FIVE ENERGY SAVING TIPS WITHIN YOUR HOME
1. Programme your heating. All new build homes come with a programmable timer and
thermostat, but if your home does not have one, consider installing one. These allow
you to only use energy when you want the heat to go on and to set the temperature
you want in separate rooms
2. Keep radiators clear of furniture - this increases their efficiency
3. Draw the curtains or blinds at night and use draught-blockers for doors – this helps to
reduce heat loss
4. Consider living in a new build home, which can be up to 55% more energy efficient
than an upgraded Victorian equivalent
5. If you have a loft, consider insulation. You could save energy by topping 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/newis/warm
-ENDSNotes to Editors
For more information, please contact Helen Bailey, Alice Franks or Matthew Fraser on
[email protected] or 0113 242 9174
Barratt Developments PLC is a FTSE 100 Company
Barratt Group sold 16,447 homes in the year to June 2015, making it the biggest housebuilder by volume
in Britain
Barratt Group was awarded a maximum five star rating for the sixth consecutive year in the 2015 Home
Builders Federation Customer Satisfaction Survey
Site managers working for Barratt Group won 90 awards for quality workmanship in the 2014 NHBC Pride
in the Job Awards. Barratt has won more Pride in the Job awards than any other housebuilder for the last
ten years