23 December 2010 13:31
UK heating bills through the roof to the tune of £1 billion each year

With an estimated 12 million homes in the UK needing cavity wall insulation and/or loft insulation, which could be collectively wasting over £1 billion each year², energy supplier E.ON is urging households to get energy fit and unlock the potential savings in their loft and walls.

But over half of Brits (51%) don't even know if they have cavity walls and over three quarters (77%) have no idea how much loft insulation is recommended, according to new research from E.ON³.  So the company is making it easy for people to check by launching an ‘energy fit insulation stick' to make sure their homes are saving as much energy as possible.

You can view Philippa Forrester talking about the Energy Fit Stick via http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knJ71TsQ664.

The insulation stick can be used in the loft to measure a home's current level of insulation, indicating what your next step might be, and can also help check if a home is likely to have cavity walls.  Visit eonenergy.com/energyfitstick to find out more.

Kevin Bryant, E.ON's Energy Fit Instructor, said: "It's just not acceptable to think that there are so many uninsulated homes in the UK, many losing up to 60% of their heat through their walls and roof, which could mean some families spending around £340 each year on wasted energy.   

"We want to help people get energy fit and hope our insulation stick will be a really simple to use tool to help people who don't know if they've got cavity walls, if they have been filled previously or how much loft insulation they might need.  After all, making sure your home is well insulated is the single most important thing you can do to improve your energy fitness."

E.ON is investing £20 million this winter to offer free insulation to customers aged 70 or over or on qualifying benefits⁴.  The company has also just launched a special offer, for people who don't qualify for free insulation, with cavity wall and loft insulation costing only £150⁵.  Call free on 0800 051 1633 to find out more.

To help UK households get energy fit in their homes E.ON has launched a new website that offers people tailored recommendations on what they can do to become more energy efficient and, just as importantly, the potential savings that can be made.  Visit http://eonenergyfit.com/ to find out how else you can get energy fit.

You can follow @eonenergyfit on Twitter (http://twitter.com/eonenergyfit)

and find Energy Fit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/eonenergyfit.

Ends

Notes to editors:

1. 25% saving is based on a gas heated 1940's three bed semi detached home and installing cavity wall insulation and increasing the loft insulation from 50mm to 250mm;
2. Based on DECC figures and on cavity wall saving £270 and loft insulation saving £70 - savings based on a 1940's three bed semi detached home with a 10 year old gas boiler a gas price of 3.158p/kWh (VAT included) and increasing the loft insulation from 50mm to 250mm. Individual savings depend on a large number of factors and the figure quoted should be treated as a guide;
3. Based on a survey of 2000 UK adults;
4. To be eligible for the E.ON customer free insulation, at least one person in the household must be either aged 70+ or on one of the following benefits: State Pension Credit; Child Tax Credit, where the relevant income is less than £16,190 a year; Council Tax Benefit (this excludes the Single Occupancy reduction); Disablement Pension Credit (which must include Constant Attendance Allowance); Disability Living Allowance ; Housing Benefit; Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance; Income Support; War Disablement Pension (which must include mobility supplement or constant attendance allowance) or Working Tax Credit, where the relevant income is less than £16,190 a year;
5. £150 offer subject to availability.  The scheme is available to homeowners and private tenants (with the landlord's permission). Not available to housing association or council tenants. Flats and maisonettes are excluded from the scheme. Subject to survey.

About E.ON

• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating and distributing electricity, and retailing power and gas - and is part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies;
• E.ON's retail business is a leading energy supplier in the UK with around 5.3 million electricity and gas customers, covering domestic, SME and industrial. E.ON also offers central heating and boiler care;
• E.ON's target is to cut the carbon released by each kW of electricity it generates by 10% between 2005-2012, having already reduced it by 20% since 1990;
• E.ON Group aims to spend €8bn between 2007 and 2011 on renewable generation and climate protection activities.

For further information please contact:

Louise Nottage on 02476 181 942 or louise.nottage@eonenergy.com or Cara Ponton on 02476 181 303 or cara.ponton@eonenergy.com.