How Is Our Health Dependent on the Energy Efficiency of Our Home
Is Insulated Environment Also a Healthier Environment?
We are all well aware of just how beneficial proper insulation and other energy efficiency measures can be for our home (through increased protection and stability of the structure optimal thermal performance etc), for our budget (through lower electricity bills throughout the year) and the environment (through lower energy consumption) but what not a lot of us had in mind just how can improved energy efficiency be beneficial to our health. Well, Boiler on Prescription is a pilot project developed in Sunderland which is suppose to show just how energy efficiency measures including boiler replacement, double-glazing and home insulation can affect people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The project was released a month after it has been published that the Age UK charity has published the information that the cold winter months could result in one older person death every seven minutes, unless proper action is taken. The importance of protecting the life and health of people living in fuel property is even greater when the initial published results of the pilot project are taken into account since these have shown that not only that the inner temperature has risen for 3ºC and that the installed improvements have lower the electricity bills for around £30 per month, but this also resulted in outpatient visits dropping by even a third.
However, this is not the only study referring to connection to health and proper insulation, since the University of Exeter researchers have conducted a study on order of showing how improper thermal performance and inadequate ventilation of the inner space can affect people suffering from asthma. The study included 700 properties in Cornwall and was aimed to show how insulation as well as occupants’ behavior and habits can influence their health issues. What the results have shown is that people living in fuel poverty do not heat their home enough which also results in inadequate ventilation. This combination only leads to mould growth and damp issues which can be very harmful to our health and double the risk of developing asthma. This is why what came as a conclusion by researcher Richard Sharpe, is that improved insulation was "vital" to prevent heat loss and curb energy use. Basically, adding insulation will lead to developing and containing a stable temperature level throughout the season and thus prevent the risk of mould and damp issues which can further on lead to different chemical and biological contaminants such as dust mites and bacteria.
Protect your family's health and install home insulation today. We offer a wide range of insulation products at budget prices for your 2015 insulation project. Send your quote enquiries to info@insulationshop.co or order directly from our insulation online shop.