Winter Snowstorms Provide A Major Insulation Reminder

It might be imagined by some people that one of the implications of a warming climate is that we could soon face snow-free, mild winters, rather like countries in southern Europe do. But the new year, snows have shown we are still a very long way from this point.

Indeed, even in cities across the north of England like Leeds, it has been clear that even with the extra warmth of the urban heat island effect, the air can feel extremely cold while the streets are buried in the white fluffy stuff.

While it is chilly enough in the big cities, one can only imagine what it is like in villages and individual buildings up in the Pennines. Nobody will be surprised to learn that up in North Yorkshire, the Tan Hill Inn, the highest in England, has enjoyed another of its famous winter lock-ins, with 23 people experiencing an extended day sheltering from 4ft deep drifts.

Nobody in remote pubs or farms up in the hills will need any reminding of the need for insulated roofing sheets, but the cold weather in urban areas is a good reminder that they will still be needed everywhere. And with more snow expected in the coming days and weeks, the message will be reinforced.

There are further reasons to ensure buildings are well insulated. Firstly, with energy bills going up again the last thing anyone needs is heat leaking out of the home easily. In addition, this very situation means more energy needs to be generated to heat homes in the first place, so until 100 per cent of it is clean and green that will add to climate change.

Finally, it is worth noting that a lack of insulation can be a major problem in warmer countries, even though their winters are milder than ours.

A prime case of this is Australia, where architectural fashions, design standards, building regulations and the quality of the insulation that is in place all mean many Aussie homes are unpleasantly cold even when temperatures outside are comparatively mild by UK standards.