Use this home heat loss checklist to survey your property one area at a time. It is a visual first check, not a heat-loss calculation, EPC assessment or insulation design.
Mark each box when checked. Write a question mark beside anything you cannot confirm and N/A beside anything that does not apply. Record what you can see or find in your paperwork rather than guessing from the age or appearance of the building.
Property or room: ____________________ Date: __________ Owner, renter or leaseholder: ____________________
1. Check records and note cold spots
- ☐ Find any existing EPC, building survey, insulation paperwork, guarantees or records of earlier repairs.
- ☐ Note which rooms regularly feel cold, where you notice draughts and whether this happens in particular weather or at particular times.
- ☐ Record who is responsible for approving work. Renters and flat residents should contact the landlord, managing agent or building owner before making alterations.
For England, Wales and Northern Ireland, use the GOV.UK energy certificate service to look for an EPC. Scotland has a separate EPC register.
2. Roof and loft
- ☐ From a safe position, note whether loft or roof insulation is visible and whether there are obvious gaps, thin areas, compression, damp or disturbance.
- ☐ If it is safe to do so, record the insulation type and approximate depth in millimetres. The Energy Saving Trust’s current loft guidance recommends a minimum depth of 270 mm. Ask how this applies to your roof and insulation material before arranging work.
- ☐ Check whether the loft hatch appears insulated and closes against its frame. Note any obvious gaps around it.
- ☐ Record whether the home has a flat roof, sloping ceilings or a room in the roof. These arrangements need a property-specific check.
- ☐ If insulation work is being considered, note any water tanks and pipework in the loft and ask how the work will account for ventilation and freezing risk.
- ☐ Do not climb onto the roof or enter an unsafe or unboarded loft. If you cannot inspect safely from the access point, ask a competent professional.
See the Energy Saving Trust’s roof and loft insulation guidance for considerations that can affect the suitability of loft work.
3. Walls, windows and external doors
- ☐ Check paperwork for the wall construction and any insulation already installed. A cold patch or a wall’s appearance alone cannot confirm what is inside it.
- ☐ Note recurring cold areas, damp patches, mould, damaged plaster or signs of water ingress. Look for visible exterior defects such as damaged pointing, render, gutters or downpipes from a safe position.
- ☐ On a cold or windy day, check closed windows and external doors for moving air, visible gaps, rattling frames or worn seals. A light tissue can help show air movement. Do not use a candle, match or other naked flame.
- ☐ Note cracked glazing, loose frames or doors that do not close properly. Record the defect rather than assuming that replacement is the only solution.
- ☐ Before considering wall insulation, resolve water ingress and building defects. Ask for a professional assessment if the wall type or its condition is uncertain.
The Energy Saving Trust’s home heat-loss guidance covers insulation options for different parts of a property. Its separate guidance explains cavity wall insulation and solid wall insulation.
4. Floors and lower edges
- ☐ Note cold ground-floor areas and draughts around floorboards, skirting boards or the edges of floor coverings.
- ☐ If you can identify the floor type from records or safe, visible areas, record whether it is suspended timber, solid or another construction.
- ☐ If there are external airbricks or underfloor vents, check from outside that they are visible and clear. Do not block them; they may ventilate the space below a suspended floor.
- ☐ Note any damp, soft or damaged flooring. Resolve the cause before covering or insulating the area.
- ☐ Get advice before planning floor insulation if the construction is uncertain or the home has a traditional stone, tile or lime-based floor.
5. Hot water and exposed pipework
- ☐ If you have a hot-water cylinder, note whether it has an insulating jacket and whether the visible insulation appears complete.
- ☐ Look for exposed hot-water or heating pipes in cold, unheated areas such as a loft or garage. Record any sections that appear bare or damaged.
- ☐ Do not remove boiler covers or disturb equipment to inspect pipework. Follow appliance instructions and use a competent professional where access or safety is uncertain.
6. Ventilation, damp and combustion air
- ☐ Check that trickle vents, wall vents, extractor fans and other intended ventilation openings have not been covered or blocked.
- ☐ Note whether kitchen and bathroom extractors are present and appear to operate using their normal controls. Follow the instructions for any mechanical ventilation system.
- ☐ Record recurring condensation, mould, damp or musty smells, including the room and conditions when they appear. Investigate the moisture or ventilation cause before sealing gaps or adding insulation.
- ☐ Never seal or alter a flue, chimney, air supply or fixed ventilation opening serving a fuel-burning appliance. Ask a qualified professional if you are unsure what an opening does.
Ventilation openings are not accidental draughts to seal. Read the Energy Saving Trust guidance on ventilation in the home and draught-proofing safely. For a room-by-room draught survey, see the UK Prepared guide to draught-proofing a UK home.
7. Turn the checklist into next actions
- ☐ Repair first: note leaks, roof or gutter defects, damp, mould, damaged pointing, rotten timber or windows and doors that do not close properly. Do not cover a defect with insulation or sealant.
- ☐ Keep intended ventilation working: do not block airbricks, extractor grilles, trickle vents, flues or fixed appliance air supplies.
- ☐ Arrange a property-specific assessment: consider this for uncertain wall or floor construction, flat roofs, rooms in the roof, damp or traditional and listed buildings.
- ☐ For rented homes and flats: send the findings to the landlord, managing agent or building owner and get approval before making changes.
- ☐ Choose a next step for each unresolved item: repair, investigate, ask a professional, request permission or monitor.
Area or room: _________________________________________________
What I observed: ___________________________________________________
Next action and who will arrange it: ____________________________________
Target date or review date: ___________________________________________
Further home heat-loss resources and official guidance
- The Energy Saving Trust home heat-loss overview explains common insulation and draught-proofing options.
- The Energy Saving Trust guides to roof and loft insulation and floor insulation describe how construction affects the work.
- Its guides to cavity wall insulation and solid wall insulation explain suitability checks and when to seek professional advice.
- The Energy Saving Trust’s guidance on energy-efficient windows and doors covers glazing and frame options.
- Its draught-proofing guide explains how to reduce unwanted draughts while keeping necessary ventilation.
- The guide to improving home ventilation explains the role of vents, extractors and fresh air.
- Use the GOV.UK energy certificate service for properties in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has a separate EPC register.
