Saving electricity and cutting costs with Aerolite® Soft Touch
One of the most cost-effective ways to save money on electricity is to install good insulation in your home.
It’s down to physics. Nature is constantly trying to equalise temperatures between different environments, by continuously transferring heat from one place to another. When you apply a layer of material that doesn’t allow heat to move easily from one area to another, you keep the hot or cold air where you want it. This is how ceiling insulation enhances indoor comfort levels.
Keeping indoor temperatures constant allows a homeowner to significantly reduce their energy consumption. Because insulation ensures that a home’s indoor temperature is not as easily affected by summer’s heat or winter’s chill, a homeowner can also save electricity – and electricity bills – by reducing their use of air-conditioning and fans in summer, and heaters in winter.
In South Africa saving electricity is an important cost consideration. Most of the country’s electricity is produced by state-owned energy utility Eskom, meaning that homeowners cannot choose between different suppliers’ tariff ranges, and, as the non-profit Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse reports, homeowners’ electricity bills have nearly doubled since 2023. Installing insulation can help homeowners mitigate high energy costs.
Installing insulation in a home (or office) is one of the best energy-saving tips for South Africa, or anywhere. It’s what should be done before heaters or air conditioning units are purchased.
Isover Aerolite® Soft Touch can help
Insulation can be achieved from a range of materials, from fibreglass – also known as glasswool – to recycled paper. Choosing the best ceiling insulation material for a particular home depends on several factors, including thermal efficiency, acoustic performance, sustainability and budget.
Manufactured in South Africa, Isover's Aerolite® Soft Touch is a high-performance glasswool insulation material renowned for its thermal and acoustic properties. What’s more, this is an easy-to-install insulation material – it comes in compression-packed rolls that just need to be spread out and cut to fit. It is also approved by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), which testifies to its quality and reliability.
Aerolite® Soft Touch also meets South Africa’s national building regulation requirements for thermal and acoustic comfort, ensuring that buildings achieve the necessary energy efficiency standards according to SANS 10400-XA. The insulation has acoustic benefits too – it reduces the distance sound travels, helping to ensure a quieter home environment.
Another of Aerolite® Soft Touch is that it is resistant to moisture, mould, pests and ageing processes, and so it requires minimal maintenance, making it one of the best long-lasting insulation solutions available.
Aerolite® Soft Touch is also, importantly, a non-combustible insulation material, meeting fire safety standards such as SANS 10177 Part 5 and EN 13501-1. This ensures that it does not spread flames or emit toxic fumes during fires.
Healthier, more sustainable living an added bonus
In addition, any energy efficiency helps lower greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from fossil fuel-based power generation. Greenhouse gas emissions cause climate change, which is already causing havoc around the world. Air pollution from burning fossil fuels for energy and home cooking is a huge challenge across the African continent, predominantly because of tiny particles that the burning releases into the air. The particles are a health hazard.
Africa experiences some of the worst air pollution in the world and some of the most severe health consequences, according to the online State of Global Air report. The report states that, in 2019, air pollution was the second leading risk factor for death across Africa, with differences between regions on the cause – fossil fuel use is the biggest contributor in Southern Africa, while residential fuel use is an important contributor in Eastern and Central Africa.
Aerolite Soft TouchTM is made from recycled glass, which contributes to environmental sustainability – and so to sustainable living in South Africa – by reducing landfill waste and promoting recycling.
Using recycled glass instead of virgin raw materials also reduces the need for extracting finite natural resources and supports a circular economy. In addition, it is manufactured according to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001:2015 standards for environmental management systems, meaning it has no ozone-depleting or global warming potential.
How to save electricity in your home
While Aerolite Soft TouchTM is one of the most cost-effective insulation solutions available, there are a number of other ways that homeowners in South Africa and across the world can cut energy costs:
● Ensure proper sealing around windows and doors
● Use natural ventilation when possible
● Upgrade lighting systems with LED bulbs
By adopting these strategies alongside installing high-quality insulation like Aerolite Soft TouchTM , homeowners can enjoy both financial benefits through reduced energy bills and improved indoor comfort year-round.
For all these reasons and more, incorporating materials such as Aerolite® Soft Touch into your home’s design is a smart move towards achieving sustainable living while cutting down those pesky Eskom bills in South Africa’s climate conditions – whether you’re dealing with scorching summers or chilly winters!