Other ways to save energy and keep warm
Draught-proofing is one of the cheapest ways to make a home warmer, but it works best alongside other measures. This page sets out the main ones, what they cost and what they save, so you can decide what to do first.
Costs and savings compared
Figures are Energy Saving Trust estimates for a typical home in Great Britain.
| Measure | Typical cost | What it saves |
|---|---|---|
| Turning the thermostat down from 22°C to 21°C | Nothing | About £120 a year |
| Draught-proofing windows, doors and floors | Around £250 professionally; less if you do it yourself | About £55 a year |
| Blocking an unused chimney | A few pounds for a removable blocker; from about £150 for a cap | About £45 a year |
| Loft insulation, from none to 270mm | Around £750 | An uninsulated roof loses about a quarter of a home’s heat |
| Topping up loft insulation, 120mm to 270mm | Around £600 | About £17 a year |
| Cavity wall insulation | Around £2,200 | Walls lose about a third of the heat in an uninsulated home; usually pays back in five years or less |
The order in the table is roughly the order to tackle them: free and cheap measures first, then the bigger jobs.
Free and low-cost habits
- Close curtains and blinds at dusk, and tuck curtains behind radiators rather than over them.
- Keep furniture away from radiators so heat can reach the room.
- Bleed radiators that are cold at the top.
- Heat the rooms you use, and close the doors of the ones you don’t.
- Set the heating to come on a little before you get up or come home, rather than leaving it on all day at a low setting or turning it up high when you’re cold.
Grants and help with costs
Help with energy improvements changes often. As of October 2026:
- Warm Homes: Local Grant (England). Run through participating councils for households with an income of £36,000 or less living in a home rated EPC D to G. It can pay for insulation, draught-proofing and low-carbon heating, at no cost to the household. Ask your council whether it takes part.
- ECO4 (Great Britain) is closing on 31 December 2026. If you’ve already been approved, check your work will be finished in time.
- The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026.
- The Warm Homes Plan includes low- and zero-interest loans for homeowners. Details were still being finalised in 2026.
- Scotland: Home Energy Scotland. Wales: Nest. Northern Ireland: the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme (NISEP).
If you rent privately in England, your landlord must bring the home up to EPC band C by 2030.
Where next
- Room by room: draught-proofing guides for each part of the home
- Before you start: what to leave open
Sources
- Energy Saving Trust: draught-proofing
- Energy Saving Trust: roof and loft insulation
- Energy Saving Trust: cavity wall insulation
- DESNZ: Warm Homes Local Grant policy guidance
- Oxford City Council: ECO4 and Great British Insulation Scheme closure
- Inside Housing: private landlords required to meet EPC C by 2030
Last checked 23 October 2026. Grant details are reviewed every three months.