Shocking images show how much heat homes lose through poor insulation

These shocking images show just how much energy the nation is losing – through poor roof installations, unreliable glazing and outdated window frames.

Office blocks, new build homes and high street shops in the UK were targeted with a thermal imaging camera to examine how much heat was leaking out.

Office blocks were found to be a repeat offender thanks to open staircases, large glazed doors and fire escapes which allow heat to escape and are notoriously colder areas of a building.

The images, compiled by glass and glazing manufacturer Pilkington Ltd, show a scale to the right of the thermal shot which indicates heat loss.

The white areas of the pictures are the hottest on the scale, indicating where the most heat is leaking from the home.

As the image fades to orange and then dark blue this highlights the coolest areas, where less heat is escaping.

Julia Berkin, from Pilkington said:

The images show that residential front doors are a huge source of energy drain for their occupants, glowing bright white in the pictures.

And older buildings, such as a thatched house, are losing masses of heat at the gable ends where they meet the roof.

The variety of images were shot in and around Coventry to show the different building types in the average city.

And the thermal scan of the Coventry Telegraph’s offices shows the majority of heat leaking from its large wooden door.

Julia added:

The images were commissioned by Pilkington UK as part of their ongoing effort to ensure homeowners are aware of the ways they can reduce their energy usage by paying closer attention to the ways their homes are built.