Northern Ireland householders have been urged to 'winterproof' their homes, after it was revealed £90m of energy is lost every year because of poor insulation and inefficient heating systems.

Noel Williams, Head of the Energy Saving Trust in Northern Ireland, said 'winterproofing' can cut down on the 50% of heat lost through the walls and roof in an uninsulated home this winter.

"With the exception of new homes, just about every home in Northern Ireland could benefit from having three energy efficiency measures," he said.

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The Energy Saving Trust said cavity wall insulation usually costs around £460, but with current incentives the cost is around £310.

Loft insulation normally costs is around £420, however, a cash refund of up to £150 on installations costing over £300 is available.

The Energy Saving Trust believes over 25% heat escapes through roofs.

"In Northern Ireland over 500,000 homes have only 150mm of loft insulation or less, and a further 30,000 have none at all," said Mr Williams.

"If you have no loft insulation at the moment, then insulating your loft to the recommended depth of 270mmm can save you around 930 kg/CO2 and can cut your heating bills by £130 a year."

Insulating unfilled cavity walls now pays for itself in around two years, while topping up your loft insulation to the recommended depth of 270mm typically pays for itself within six years, he added.

(PR/BMcC)