IN the previous CASA article on insulation the message was to do it all. This article is about some things which may help you to achieve the goal of a low-energy comfortable house.

We have sensors all over our bodies to know where we are warm. The way to achieve this for a building is to use a thermal camera. To work best, it needs a significant temperature difference between the inside and the outside of the house. That is only possible on a cold winter day when the heating is working at full power all over the house. This gives a good indication of where the heat is escaping.

The red areas are hotter surfaces and the blue are colder. Hotter surfaces on the outside then need to be eliminated with heat-retaining measures. Thermal cameras start at about £160 on web retailers with the market leader Flir costing at least double. Hiring is also possible.

If your house has an energy performance certificate this can act as a gateway to improving your house efficiency through government-subsidised schemes. These are all listed on https://www.gov.uk/apply-great-british-insulation-scheme

You have to live in a house in the rate bands A-D to qualify. Your energy supply company may run a scheme for subsidised insulation help.

Most heat is lost through the walls of a house - about 35 per cent. Modern houses should be built to a sufficiently high standard. Traditional houses with solid stone walls or those with single skin block/brick walls are best dealt with by using external insulation. The choice of material for this is fairly wide. They vary in their environmental impact and their thermal efficiency.

In very general terms, the more eco-friendly the material is, the more expensive it is - a ridiculous state of affairs!

Dangers to avoid include problems with damp, particularly rising damp. If dampness is caused by rain penetrating the wall, external insulation will help.

If you live in a house with many different bits added on, the process is going to be complex. The extra thickness has to be covered by the roof and all the window ledges.