Free and Cheap Insulation Official Discussion

darborders

Free for all homeowners and private rentals. In many parts of Scotland a Universal Home Insulation Scheme is running until the end of September. The scheme is funded by the Scottish Government and operates in many local authority areas. It applies to all properties that can take more loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and even underfloor insulation if the space is suitable. It only excludes social housing which is funded by a different route. Contact the Energy Saving Trust (Scotland) 0800 512 012 to see if it is available to you.

nicknasse

Dear All

My first time on a forum...

there are lots of free schemes and grants available.
Many have small print so beware.
Always ask which material is to be used (some companies use inferior materials. The most energy efficient are bonded white bead which can often be free, and an even more efficient carbon coated bead, which will normally be available at a small cost)

Also, be aware that some companies are charging additonal amounts for access issues, such as getting over conservatories or garage roofs (British Gas charge £350 or more for a mobile scaffolding system)
There are often much simpler and cheaper ways around these problems, so shop around if this affects you.

Always make sure you have a free but thorough survey carried out, and often the guys who come knocking on your door uninvited are not the best to do this, as tomorrow they will be trying to get you to switch utility companies!!
A survey for cavity wall insulation should include photo's being taken, a full Risk Assessment being carried out, any fires/woodburners being checked and all vents being checked.
A survey for loft insulation should at least include the surveyor getting in your loft!
If you have over a certain level of loft insulation existing, you will not be eligible for a grant (although unscrupulous people will still sign you up as they will be on commission.)


And yes, I am a surveyor for these grants and I have personally carried out about 16000 surveys. I am also fed up with the poor quality of work and advice that is given at the moment by other's in my 'profession'.

Cheers

Nick

John_Pierpoint

Hi Nick,
I have "dirty" cavities and an attempt to fill them with fibre did not work correctly (The pump cut out before packing the cavity apparently).

I think it might be possible to do the job with nucleated polystyrene (the grey beads).

I'm in S.Essex, can you name a company I could approach. I have spolen with a few but they all push fibre.

lucknnow

My mum was eligible for the grant. Applied to Eon which to give credit where it's due was very efficient. Same cannot be said for the company allocated the job which was THE MARK GROUP.

From survey date to "finish" it took more than 6 months and countless phone calls. Excuses ran from file gotten lost to redundancies therefore short of manpower.

Finally after a few changes in booked dates, they turned up, three hours after their allocated time slot. I had to go to work after wasting my morning off and left my mom to let the work men. The job was "finish" in 10 minutes or thereabout. My mom being 87 could not climb the loft ladder to inspect their work so she just signed the papers.

I came back from work, went up to look. It looked like there were bales of hays up there. The rolls of insulation were just thrown up there and partly unrolled across the joists. I had to finish the work myself.

Surely these companies are being paid to do the job and they should be carried professionally and not treat the eligible candidates like charity cases and as if the companies were doing them a favour.

I wanted to complain to Eon but have no contact for their department

John_Pierpoint

I would like to see someone (such as Google) doing a survey by air and by camera car, but using infra red possibly at night in January.

I also think that companies doing installations of insulation, should be required to return in mid winter at least a year later to with an infra red camera and so demonstrate that there are no hot spots caused by bad filling slumped fill or completely ignored areas of wall.
In the case of my elderly in-laws, the pattern of holes seemed a bit erratic, the section of cosmetic tile hanging had been ignored (could have been done from inside ? or tiles could have been removed?) and where there was nasty spiky Pyracantha tied to the wall, the drilling skirted round it.

But who cares, they were not the customer ! The rest of us were via a surcharge on our electricity bills - A compulsory unmitigated payment - the definition of a tax.

Come on you guys who have been doing the cavity filling, in your heart of hearts you know how to do the job correctly BUT you are paid on piece work rates ?!?

John

By the way, the Google camera car was down our road last week, revising "Streetview" with a blue football of cameras on the top of the car.

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena

lucknnow wrote: »

My mum was eligible for the grant. Applied to Eon which to give credit where it's due was very efficient. Same cannot be said for the company allocated the job which was THE MARK GROUP.

From survey date to "finish" it took more than 6 months and countless phone calls. Excuses ran from file gotten lost to redundancies therefore short of manpower.

Finally after a few changes in booked dates, they turned up, three hours after their allocated time slot. I had to go to work after wasting my morning off and left my mom to let the work men. The job was "finish" in 10 minutes or thereabout. My mom being 87 could not climb the loft ladder to inspect their work so she just signed the papers.

I came back from work, went up to look. It looked like there were bales of hays up there. The rolls of insulation were just thrown up there and partly unrolled across the joists. I had to finish the work myself.

Surely these companies are being paid to do the job and they should be carried professionally and not treat the eligible candidates like charity cases and as if the companies were doing them a favour.

I wanted to complain to Eon but have no contact for their department

Hi lucknnow,

I am so sorry that you have had a bad experience with this and I understand why you are cross.

I advise you to call in to E.ON and ask for the cavity wall/loft insulation department and they will then be able to help you with the complaint regarding the Mark Group.

Or if you would prefer you can email me the account details and full address to the email address in my profile page and I will be happy to help you as best I can.

Helena

hdcantona

Hi all, first time poster...

I basically wanted to check the legitimacy of something out. I'm a little skeptical (I think it's healthy!) - about a company called "Domestic General Insulation Ltd" (if you google them, you get their site but I can't post a link)

My folks just got a knock on the door from a man representing this company, stating that because of our location, our method of heating (oil boiler, and wood burning/coal stove) - we were entitled to 2 free insulation services, provided by the government, if it's approved (which he sees no reason for it not to be)

The person who visited was called "Tony Rees" though I can't find anything on the website related to that name...

I was hoping some people on here could provide any further information about the company, and any experience they've had with them, or other local schemes like this with other companies chosen by the local authority?

If it makes a difference we're in South Wales

I'll hopefully be able to answer any relevant questions which will help shed more light on this,

regards, hd.

DaveG247

Hi all we've had someone round recently offering free insulation, on their survey/order form the company is Brightbox marketing but can't seem to find anything online anyone heard of them?

John_Pierpoint

Do you know if it is possible to get nucleated polystyrene bead, for cavity walls, subsidised?

I have dodgy cavities (excess mortar and possibly inconsistent width) but plenty of space all round a bungalow. Is it possible to insert a "lance" at the corners and withdraw it as the insulation is pumped in?

My only other possibility would be to carefully take down the heavy breeze blocks internally in sections and rebuild in lightweight foam concrete and bats of PIR foam.
[Pending the mass production of aerogel and/or vacuum solutions:rotfl:]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyisocyanurate

NutNut999

I've had numerous phone calls this week regarding free insulation, as well as
a letter from my local council informing us that we are entitled by their contractors to free insulation.

I'd reckon I was well under the recommended 270 mm, but the problem is that my loft floor was boarded over by the previous owners. We currently use it to store a ton of stuff, so a lot of the loft space is used.

I guess my question is, all these free insulation offers, the general consensus seems to be that the installers will only fit insulation at floor level. Would it be possible to have the roof insulated instead?

I'd resigned myself to it being NO,
but one of the first sites I found googling gave me an option to "survey" to see whether I would be eligible for free insulation.
(Sorry, can't give a link, new user & all.)

Low & behold, I was offered two options: Laid on floor of loft, or Sloping roof insulation (Under tiles). I filled it out, & I "qualify".

too good to be true?