Our house is a tiny, two-up-two-down Grade 2 listed miner's cottage in Larkhall, with single brick walls and single pane windows that are 30 years old and plenty drafty. My mother and I live together and will share the costs of retrofit. We don't have a big budget to work with.
Existing measures
- Mum has already had the loft insulated, for £60 because she is over 60.
- We cover the windows with hairdryer-plastic sheets in the winter (link) but the house is still freezing.
- Mum has also had our boiler replaced by an efficient condensing boiler and central heating with individual room controls.
I am fixated on the idea of double glazing. Lovely, wooden warm windows.
However, I am not sure about whether this is possible with Grade 2 listed building status.
Mum keeps reminding me that we still ahve to do the basics- particularly draught proofing. I looked up "chimney balloons"- for £19 you can block the drafts from the chimney. That has to be worthwhile.
The other thing would be single-wall insulation.
