A cold surface costs more than the figure suggests
A cold floor draws heat from the body by radiation. People turn the temperature up to compensate, and consumption rises across the whole room.
All energy measures
Building envelope
Insulating the floor
Floors above a cold basement, a crawlspace or open air lose heat all year. Against the ground the loss is smaller, but the cold surface is felt just the same.
See what this means for your homeThis measure is relevant if
- The room sits above a crawlspace, garage or unheated basement
- The floor feels cold even at the right room temperature
- The basement is being renovated anyway
- You are considering underfloor heating
What it does to energy use
Against the ground the loss is lower
The soil under the house holds a steadier temperature than outdoor air. A floor over a crawlspace therefore loses considerably more than a slab on ground.
Required before underfloor heating
Underfloor heating without insulation beneath sends a significant share of the heat down into the ground instead of up into the room. The insulation decides the split.
Crawlspaces still need airing
Sealing a crawlspace while insulating it can trap moisture. Ventilation and damp-proofing belong to the same job.
Sequence matters
Floors are done with the rest of the building envelope, and always before underfloor heating is laid. Lay the heating first and the insulation ends up on the wrong side of the heat source, sending a large share of the output downward instead of up.
Enova funding
Insulating the floor is not on Enova's list of measures with a scheme of their own. Roof and loft is, and wall is. That does not mean the floor is not worth doing — only that you should not count on a grant for it alone.
Rates and terms change. What you can receive depends on the building, how the work is carried out and which schemes apply at the time. Always check Enova's own pages before relying on a figure.
The rates tell you what you can receive. The calculation tells you what the measure actually does to your home — how much it saves, what it costs, and whether it should come before or after the others.
Which measures pay off in your home?
Enter the address. Gadder collects what is known about the building, calculates the energy demand and ranks the measures by what they actually deliver.