3 cheap and easy ways to insulate your home over a weekend

Starting to feel the chill set in? As temperatures drop, it's likely that your central heating is on your mind this week. 

The better insulated your home is, the cosier it will feel – and the less energy you'll need to use (and pay for!) to heat it up. This is the ideal time of year to make updates, as you'll feel the benefit throughout the winter months.

While adding loft, wall or floor insulation can make a sizable dent in your heating bills, these big projects may not be suitable for everyone to take on. But there are plenty of smaller jobs that you can do with just a couple of hours of DIY that will make your home warmer and more pleasant to be in. Here are three of the quickest and easiest.

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1. Draught-proof your windows and doors

Start by going around your home feeling for any places where cold air is coming in, ideally on a cold and windy day. Common places to find draughts are around any external windows and doors, open chimneys, loft hatches or in gaps around floorboards and skirting boards. 

Seal any gaps you find with weatherstripping or foam strips, or use caulk. You can get these supplies cheaply at DIY or hardware stores. 

While double-glazed windows are best for insulation, you can buy insulating window film if you're looking for a quick fix to stop heat escaping through single glazing. 

If you've got a bit more time and budget, and the DIY skills, adding thick curtains over draughty windows can also make a room feel much warmer. Just make sure they're not trapping the heat emitted from radiators; many older homes have radiators positioned directly underneath windows, which you don't want to block.

2. Buy draught-excluding products

If you've got gaps that foam strips can't fill, you'll need specialist products. But even these don't have to be expensive or hi-tech. For air coming in around the base of doors, you can buy door sweeps and brushes that attach to the bottom. Letter box brushes fit around your letter box to keep whistling draughts at bay.

Our testing team recently tried out a variety of draught excluders to put along gaps under doors or on windowsills, including bought and DIY options. Some of the made-at-home versions did surprisingly well, and our best draught excluder was completely free – head to our guide to the best draught excluders for the details. 

If you have an open fireplace, you can buy specialist draught excluders that fit up inside the chimney to keep warm air in, and prevent cold draughts from coming down. Of course, you need to remove these if you're planning to light a fire.

You can buy chimney draught excluders from Amazon, Chimney Sheep, Wickes and many other retailers.

For more tips on insulating your house affordably and effectively, read our full guide on how to draught proof your home.

3. Insulate your water tank and pipes

If you've got a hot water storage tank, you should make sure it's wrapped up well with a water tank jacket, also known as a tank insulation jacket or a tank wrap. 

This will keep your hot water warm for longer periods and means you'll use less energy to reach the required temperature, resulting in cheaper bills.

Jackets can be made from foil, foam, or other insulating materials. They're wrapped around the tank and secured with straps or tape. 

Make sure the jacket is kept away from the heating element or flue outlet of the tank, to stop any risk of fire or damage.

Whether or not you have a water tank, you can also buy lagging for any exposed pipes and valves that carry hot water around your central heating system. As well as improving your energy efficiency, lagging pipes can also prevent damage caused by freezing during cold weather. 

You can purchase water tank jackets from Amazon, B&Q, Screwfix or Toolstation. 

Assess your home for bigger improvements as you go

While you're making smaller improvements to your home's energy efficiency, consider it from top to bottom and think about whether you're in a position to take on any bigger projects, or could plan for them in the future. 

Loft insulation is the easiest and cheapest to install, and depending on your DIY skills, loft access and what you want to achieve. You may well be able to add or improve loft insulation yourself.  

Roof insulation, floor insulation and solid wall or cavity wall insulation are all bigger undertakings and will require professional work, but can bring big savings too. Plus, you'll be getting your home in good shape for installing low-carbon heating down the line.

Insulation can be expensive to install, but there are currently government grants available that could significantly reduce your costs. 

Find out whether you qualify for the Great British Insulation Scheme or Home Upgrade Grant.

The effectiveness of insulation you install will vary depending on your home's size, layout, and existing insulation. 

Considering further improvements to your home’s energy efficiency? Read our guide to how to insulate your home for everything you need to know