The days of cheap cavity wall and loft insulation are numbered, so if you haven’t got round to it yet you’d be well advised to insulate your loft and cavity walls whilst it’s still cheap.
At the moment both forms of insulation are subsidised under the government’s Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) scheme. If you’re over 70 or on some benefits, and sometimes even if you’re neither of these, you can get the insulation done free, and it will reduce your energy costs dramatically. Even if you have to pay, the subsidised cost to insulate an average three-bedroomed semi is about £300, and you’ll usually recoup that within two years according to the Energy Saving Trust’s calculations.
Over the years, the ‘proper’ amount of loft insulation has gone up quite a lot. First it was 2 inches, then 4, then 6, and now it’s nearer 12; but we all know, the thicker your duvet, the warmer you are underneath it. So , if you haven’t got 270mm (11inches) of loft insulation already, that’s what you should be aiming for; and if you have a cavity wall it’s well worth having that done too. But do it now, while it’s still simple. And cheap.
CERT is going to end when the government’s Green Deal comes in. Details of the Green Deal are sketchy to non-existent, but the idea appears to be that you can borrow the cost of improving the energy efficiency of your home and pay it off from the savings you make as a result of those efficiencies. The good news is that this will apply to a much wider range of energy saving measures than currently available under CERT; so some of those solid wall houses in and around Stretton will benefit. The bad news is that it’s basically a loan – and we don’t know what the interest rate will be, nor do we really know exactly what savings individual homes will make – it’s not an exact science, and things like the weather and thoughtless teenagers need to be factored in.
We at Stretton Climate Care can help you decide what to do, if you want. We’re a charity, we’re unbiased and we don’t sell anything. We can put you in touch with other people who’ve already reduced their energy bills, or we can put you in touch with reliable firms who can do the work for you. Phone us or email and ask for a free home energy check from one of our trained volunteers.
3 Comments
Taking advice from those knowledgeable people at Stretton Climate Care, I’ve wrapped up my home with loft and wall insulation and adopted many of the energy saving tips they advise. (They have a great long list of top tips, many of which are little or no cost.) Result? In spite of the cold weather we are having at present our energy costs are not outrageous and we can keep warm. It’s much more of a problem for those who live in homes with little or no insulation and are spending up to £5,000 a year on their energy costs. Why spend all that money and let the heat leak out through the roof and the walls. There are still a surprising number of relatively modern homes in the Strettons that only have the thin layer of loft insulation provided when the home was built and uninsulated cavity walls. If you cannot get up into the loft yourself, get a neighbour to have a look to see how much insulation you have.
It certainly is a shame to see the end of the carbon emmision reduction target (CERT) grants coming to an end. Part of its success was its simplicity of delivery, you simply had the work done through an approved contractor and the contractor was paid back the amount of the grant. With the governments new Green Deal the process may seem a lot more complicated especially to the elderly who may be reluctant to see any increases in their electricity bills and therefore not bother with any energy improvements. There is still a few months left on the current scheme so people should take advantage of it while its still there as current grants are non repayable.
Home insulations should be made from foams that have high insulation capacity. I think the best type of foam are made from polystyrene. ;.*”"
Warm regards
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