Why Are UK Homes so Rubbish at Staying Warm Compared to the Rest of the EU ?
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Do you know why our homes in the UK are colder than houses in the rest of the EU ?
One reason is because the UK has some of the oldest and least energy efficient housing stock in Europe
We still have a lot of older homes dating back before 1946 , one third of them do, and heating never became commonplace in our homes until the 1970s, so before then they didn't have insulation and other heat saving innovations
This is why our homes lose heat faster than our European neighbours
Older houses are less heat efficient
For instance older boilers are only 70% efficient so you are throwing 30% of your heating bill away using them
Couple this with cold and damp walls because of a lack of insulation and you start to realise the size of the problem
Also if you rent landlords don't care about this, you are paying the bills not them, so they think why should i invest in insulation or a replacement boiler as it doesn't benefit them
Also the government had massive cutbacks from 2015 so grants etc were not as readily available
There are more newer houses in the EU so they have proper insulation and more choice of heating options, we are mainly stuck with expensive gas
So when we are having to lower that temperature setting to save money you know our european neighbours are not suffering so much
New builds are no different T, our house is only 6 year old and trying to keep it warm is pointless , only had the the loft double insulated a few months ago hoping that would help, hasn't made any difference
martinlufc5637 I never knew that about new homes M, i thought they would be the most energy efficient
It seems pointless buying new if that's the case , we are all being stitched up
Its like buying a new car and it does less miles to the gallon than your old jalopy 
telmel we had nothing but problems with this house, neighbours the same, I wouldn't buy a new build ever again
martinlufc5637 do you also have problem with wet external walls or condensation, mold? Sometimes house feels cold if there is an issue with condensation and then you may want to invest in decent dehumidifier. That would make house warmer
I would purchase or hire a thermal camera if you are with Octopus they can lend it to you for free. Or you can buy a flir one which you can connect to your mobile and see any places with heat loss but also it can show dodgy electrics and even rodents inside the wall.
Once you check you can ask them to rectify as I do believe you should have 10 years warranty from developer?
Whatever you do do not install spray insulation as you may make your house unmortgageable
Think it’s cause the building companies do everything on the cheap to make as much profit as possible. Government again doesn’t crack down to protect us.
Look at grenfell, it was known the materials weren’t up to spec but they just let them get on with it cause it’s all ok as long as profit is being made. It’s been 7 years and they still haven’t addressed half of the problems
jms19 I have read so many horror stories about new builds J, foundations and walls cracking etc, it makes you wonder if the surveyors are doing what they are paid for
The builders just seem to want to build and move on to the next with no thought for the faults appearing , as you say its all about profit, there is no pride in workmanship anymore
I just got back from an off grid up a mountain homestead in Bulgaria.It is seriously cold up in the Balkans with no electricity. I've been drinking cayenne pepper in water and my immune system is kicking over like a rampant hound on steroids. I'm ready for anything lol.
MelissaLee1 That cayenne pepper will definitely warm up your Balkans M, only joking, hope you had a great break
telmel Not quite a hotel or glamping.Out on the land with 5 reactive doggies but hey I love a challenge lol.Home just in time for Storm Bert.
A friend lives in a new build flat and doesn’t need to turn her heating on. When she visits her parents she has to wear layers of clothing.
Flats can be quite compact P and connected to other buildings or parts of a house so are insulated by them
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