Free and Cheap Insulation Official Discussion

Martine3

I had EDF around to carry out an assessment for cavity wall insulation, but they advised I didn't qualify for the free installation because they would only be able to access 3 of the 4 external walls (the neighbours on one side built an extension which comes within a few metres of our wall). This strikes me as a little unfair given it's hardly our fault that the neighbours have extended, and I'd be interested to know if anyone else has encountered similar problems and found a way around this and still qualified for a grant.

Thanks!

Martine

John_Pierpoint

Drill it from the inside ?

My experience of cheap/free contractors is that they are working on piece work for the Electricity company.
What is wanted is a "quick win" - unfortunately now that the majority of houses have had their cavities injected, the easy ones have probably been insulated already.

jellyhead

Someone from SIG just knocked our door and persuaded me to get extra loft insulation. He stood on a chair to look in the loft (we borrow a ladder when we need one). He's written on the form 60cm of insulation already there - it looked like more than that to me so we'll have to see what happens.

Also, he has put us down as 'priority' even though we're not in the priority group (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/188/schedule/2/made )

They want to do it within the next few weeks, and we're too busy to sort out all the stuff we have stored up there. Reading through this thread it seems that the extra insulation will be too high for us to dump our stuff on top of it, have I read that right? Or will they just do the bits they can reach, and leave our big heap of 'stuff' where it is?

littlejaffa

jellyhead wrote: »

Someone from SIG just knocked our door and persuaded me to get extra loft insulation.

i'm sure you have already but just incase - have a quick search by this company name - i just cancelled and appointment with them after reading the horrendous reviews they have..

John_Pierpoint

Just like the cut backs on paying people for generating PV electricity on their roofs, the "free" insulation will be stopping soon.

In the autumn, most people will be forced to take out a loan to get such work done and the loan with be secured on the property, not the individual (a bit like a compulsory mortgage, but any future buyer will have to take over the loan).

Coming two years later (see belated fuss being created by the Daily Mail) will come:
"Can I install a new boiler?"
"No not until you have taken out a loan and installed 10 inches of fibre in your loft!"

It sounds to me like you have been approached by a contractor desperate to get the subsidised business while it is still available.

If you already have a half decent depth of insulation they won't get the job.

Yes you are expected to shift all your junk up in the loft and the contractor is expected to do the job correctly.

You won't be able to put your junk back unless you install racking and make a walkway in the loft.

However the contractor might take a chance that your installation will not be checked and be prepared to leave you the spare rolls to finish the job when you get a roundtuit.

You might find that there are several nail heads left showing in the ceiling, as the plaster has flaked off when the contractors were clomping about in the loft. That was the experience of my "over 75" in-laws - fortunately their trussed rafter 1980s loft was almost empty. [The junk is in the double garage and the car is in the drive:D]

John_Pierpoint

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

The whole ethos of "greening" the housing stock is changing carrot to stick.
These "free" levies on the electricity bills appear in the national accounts held by the OECD (the ref in trade war disputes) as compulsory unmitigated payments and so make the UK look like the over taxed, massive deficit country with the longest recession in living memory country that it is.
So I would grab any freeby now while you still can.

"If we cannot give away insulation, what makes the government think they can make consumers take out a 7% loan under the RHI/green deal."

Consequential linking that is how - just like if you want to fit a new window it has to be double glazed and fitted with a magic energy reflecting tinted layer - even if itr does make your net curtains look yellow.

"I am sorry you will need a new boiler? It will have to be an expensive condensing one. Oh and before I even start, you have to install 10" of fibreglass in your loft and
and have your cavities filled"

- I cannot afford it. I've got no money.!!

" Take out one of these 7% loans, in theory it should pay for itself in saving all that expensive fuel you are currently wasting."

Well that is not law (yet), but would you like to have a sportsman's bet with me it will be within two years? There might be some concessions for the needy, but I wouldn't rely on it.
It is not all about the "funny money" we carry on our plastic these days, once upon a time the British ran the world economy on the gold standard - the unit of accounting is now called "the carbon credit".

You read it here first - the belated fuss in now arriving in the main stream media:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/bills/article-2127172/Home-improvements-trigger-10-green-levy.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/04/09/green-tax-could-add-10-bills_n_1411904.html

http://inaudit.com/blog/compliance-blog/oft-issues-call-for-evidence-for-home-insulation-market-16947/

shopinitis

I am currently in receipt of JSA as I was made redundant. A while back I had a company come here to assess suitability for (free) loft insulation. Before they could do the work, they said I needed to have some work done on my roof to replace some slates, which is being done at the moment. However, I start work soon so will no longer qualify for free insulation, but which date will they refer to, the date I requested this or the date they do the work?? Thanks

taffy056

It goes on the date you put the order in, but I suggest you get the job done ASAP as the grants are ending as mentioned above.

taffy056

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

You read it here first - the belated fuss in now arriving in the main stream media:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/bills/article-2127172/Home-improvements-trigger-10-green-levy.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/04/09/green-tax-could-add-10-bills_n_1411904.html

http://inaudit.com/blog/compliance-blog/oft-issues-call-for-evidence-for-home-insulation-market-16947/

I doubt it will come in like that, there is a long way to go before those proposals can become law. Also the green deal is likely not coming into effect until January 2013 now, there are doubts that everything can be in place by October without causing chaos, still the way the coalition handled the feedin tariff for solar they will go ahead and let the people at the sharp end suffer the problems.

shopinitis

Thanks Taffy