As temperatures drop across the UK, insulation specialist Actis is urging builders to focus on fabric-first design to cut household energy bills and improve occupant health. The company says homes built or refurbished with high levels of insulation and airtightness are already seeing lower heating costs than neighbouring properties with poorer thermal performance.
Actis technical manager Harsha Mistry stressed that energy standards should prioritise reducing demand before adding technology. “Energy efficiency standards should always be based on reducing the need for energy first and in particular limiting the heat loss through thermal elements – that is through achieving excellent U-values, reducing thermal bridging and improving airtightness – the fabric first principle,” she said.
Mistry highlighted the Actis Hybrid range of insulation and membranes, along with the two-in-one Eolis HC product, as examples of systems designed to meet the forthcoming Future Homes Standard. Their flexible composition allows them to be bent around corners and moulded into gaps, helping to minimise thermal bridges and reduce the margin for installation error on site.
The company’s reminder comes as recent cold snaps trigger increased heating use and expose the performance gap between well-insulated and poorly insulated homes. Actis notes that cold, damp properties can worsen respiratory and circulatory conditions and increase the risk of falls among elderly and frail occupants.
Weather alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office underline the wider health implications of extreme temperatures. Yellow alerts indicate conditions likely to affect vulnerable groups, while amber alerts signal risks to the wider population, including higher demand on GPs and ambulance services. Actis argues that better building fabric can play a key role in mitigating both cost and health impacts during such events.
