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tank and pipe insulation

Insulating your hot water tank is a low cost and effective way to save energy and money. A jacket will only cost a few pounds and with all the heat it traps in, will pay for itself within months. Fit one that is at least 75mm (3") thick and you could save around £20 per year. Insulating your pipes is also another 'quick win'.

how does tank and pipe insulation work?

The insulation around your tank and 'primary' pipes will keep your water hotter and for longer. This is because it reduces the amount of heat that escapes from the tank and pipes.

how much money will I save?

If you fit a new 80mm thick hot water cylinder jacket you should save around £20 per year. A new jacket will cost about £20 so it could pay for itself in 12 months. In addition to this you would also be saving about 150kg of carbon dioxide per year.

Insulating your primary pipes will save you around £10 per year. Pipe lagging will cost about £10 and again this could pay for itself in 12 months. You would also be saving around 60kg of carbon dioxide per year.

The table below will give you an idea of costs, savings and payback timescales for installing tank and pipe insulation.

	Hot water tank jacket	Primary pipe insulation
Annual saving per year (£)	£20	£10
Installed cost (£)	N/A	N/A
Installed payback	N/A	N/A
DIY cost	£12	£10
DIY payback	12 months	12 months
CO2 saving per year	150kg	60kg

source: Energy Saving Trust

how is it installed?

Fitting a hot water jacket is a fairly straightforward job and you should be able to do this yourself.

Insulating you pipes really depends on how accessible they are. If you can't get to them you shouldn't have a problem but if they are harder to reach you might want to ask a plumber to come and install it. This would be an additional cost.