Flooring tips to reduce energy costs by 15%

• Carpet and flooring retailer Tapi has teamed up with a flooring underlay expert to reveal how your flooring can help save on energy bills this winter
• Improving your flooring and underlay can help you save up to 15% on energy bills

The winter months are quickly approaching, and this would normally be the time when most people turn on their heating to keep their homes at a nice temperature. However, with the rising cost of energy people may be more inclined to put off getting those radiators going for as long as possible.

If houses, for example, aren’t insulated well or the wrong flooring is chosen, home’s can quickly lose their heat. Carpet and flooring specialist Tapi has teamed up with Gary Cowley, Sales Director at Interfloor and expert in the field, to reveal the best flooring to invest in to help insulate your home and reduce your energy bills in the process.

What is the best flooring type to retain heat?

What many people may not know is that 10-20% of heat loss from rooms occurs through the floor², so from carpet to vinyl, which flooring should you choose?

The best type of flooring you can get to reduce energy costs is carpet. Carpet is an excellent, natural source of insulation, which can save money on your energy bill by increasing your home’s ability to retain warmth.

How does carpet do this?

Carpet fibres help trap cold air, which stops it from making your space seem cool. This in return helps you reduce energy bills by stopping you turn on the heating! The thicker the carpet, and therefore the more fibres it has, the greater the thermal insulation.

Overall wool carpet is the best choice. It is the most effective thermal insulator because wool fibres not only retain their pile height for longer (which is a key factor in retaining insulation) but also feel much warmer and comfier underfoot than other flooring types, helping to make you feel cosier. And as carpets trap air just above their surface, this reduces draughts and makes you feel warmer than you would stepping on concrete, wooden or vinyl flooring. This in turn helps to reduce energy bills as you may be swayed to turn off the heating!

In fact, in a recent study², carpet was found to have an R-value (a measure of insulation; the higher the rating, the higher the insulation level) of 0.18, whereas plywood has a rating of 0.08, and concrete 0.07. In terms of flooring to avoid, as Gary confirms: “Concrete and plywood floors draw heat out of a room, so avoid these if you want to reduce your energy bills and keep heating costs low.”

It is important to note that you will get the most benefit if more rooms in your home are carpeted. Although there are a few rooms where carpet may not be wanted (in the kitchen or bathroom!), the more carpet you’ll have in the home, the more effective it will be to reduce your energy bills.

What about underlay?

As well as considering your flooring, you should also look at the underlay too. As Gary says: “quality, thick underlay will provide a protective barrier against draughts. High Tog-rated underlay will stop the heat escaping through a floor, as well as provide exceptional comfort under the carpet.”

And for those rooms where you cannot carpet for whatever reason, you can add an underlay to these to help keep heat in. Vinyl floors won’t need an underlay as they already have a base layer, so are something to consider for your bathrooms or kitchens.

How much can you be expected to save?

As Gary says, “it’s difficult to put a figure on the saving, but we estimate that carpet and underlay could reduce energy costs by as much as 15%.”

Another study found that the temperature of rooms with textile floor coverings is approximately 1-2 degrees higher than in room with hard floor coverings, with estimated savings of between 8-13%³. So, it’s definitely worth considering for a long-term financial saving, plus any improvement like this will likely increase the value of your home!

Commenting on the research, Johanna Constantinou, brand and communications director at Tapi, says: “With energy bills increasing, many Brits will no doubt be worrying about what this means for them and may be looking for options to help keep costs down. Choosing the right flooring is one of the best ways to help reduce your energy bills, as an insulated floor will make you feel so much warmer in your home and will help reduce draughts too, which is important especially with the uncertainty of energy prices as we look to the future.”

For further tips on looking after your carpet, please visit: https://www.tapi.co.uk/carpet/carpet-care-guide