More well-insulated houses

Nearly half of houses in the Netherlands fall in the category well insulated or very well insulated. Home owners more often invest in insulation measures than tenants in rented dwellings.

Heat insulation

There are four ways to insulate a dwelling against heat loss: floor insulation, cavity wall insulation, roof insulation and double glazing. Double glazing is the most commonly applied form of insulation, floor insulation is the least common.

Heat insulation in homes, 2004

Heat insulation more popular among home owners

Overall, home owners insulate their houses better than tenants. For example, 92 percent of owner occupiers have double glazing in their houses and 76 percent have roof insulation. Heat insulation measures are less common in rented dwellings: 84 percent of rented dwellings have double glazing and 53 percent have applied insulation to the roof.

Tenants and owners by type of insulation, 2004

Insulation index

The insulation index is a measure for the presence of the four above mentioned types of insulation. The insulation index varies from 0 (no form of insulation) to 4 (all forms of insulation fully applied).
The insulation index shows that 48 percent of occupied dwellings were well to very well insulated (insulation index 3 or higher) in 2004. In 2003 this percentage was 44.

Higher incomes insulate their homes better

Nearly 60 percent of households with a net income of 36 thousand euro or more live in well insulated or very well insulated houses. For households with a net income of 13 thousand euro or less this is only 27 percent.

Young people insulate less

Households aged between 18 and 24 years have by far the lowest average insulation index (1.5). These households include many students, who are often bound by all-in tenancy agreements with only limited options for insulation. The insulation index is highest for the age category 35 to 44 years (2.7).

Well and very well insulated homes by net household income

Insulation and environment awareness

Households who insulate their homes well are more energy and environmentally conscious than other households. They more often use low-energy light bulbs, more often have a high efficiency boiler, and more often separate biodegradable waste from the rest of their waste than people who live in poorly insulated dwellings.

Home insulation and environment awareness

Ger Sleijpen