Free and Cheap Insulation Official Discussion

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Fur wrote: »

Hi all! I wanted to let you all know that I applied via Eon and was pleasantly surprised to have all work completed on my loft insulation free of charge and within a month of applying :j It is a great scheme if you qualify.
I was wondering though about the £100 cash back mentioned on the MSE page... This was never mentioned during my install and I have no cheque. Has anyone else had any luck with this?

Hi Fur

Glad all went well.

The £100 cheque is only available to those on certain benefits. You can see the relevant benefits through the E.ON bit on MSE's Free Insulation page as below.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-cavity-loft-insulation

Those who qualify will receive a cheque approx 8 weeks after the installation is completed.

Hope this helps.

Malc

Just a quick heads up all. This offer ended on 21 December 12 but those eligible whose application was accepted before this date will be ok.

ed2712

Hi

Can you qualify forthe free insulation if you are not on benefits?

We are not on any benefits, have two children, 9 and 6, and our salary combined is over the minimum to qualify for the free insulation, does anyone know if any companies are giving free insulation to people who do not received benefits?

Gopes

Hi,
Somebody knocked on my door yesterday (Bexleyheath, SE London), and explained that I was eligible for FREE loft insulation. He proceeded to check my loft (Victorian Terrace) and confirmed that the existing insulation was not up to scratch (which is probably true).

He explained to me that the government had grants to fund the installation of improved insulation in the homes of people on benefits / the elderly. However, take up had been less than anticipated, and so it was now available for anyone, FREE OF CHARGE. He also explained that as we have an 18 month old son, the case was even stronger... After the installation, a government surveyor would check the job, after which his company would get paid.

They have provisionally booked to come and install the loft insulation next Friday (25th), to allow me time to research. Company is www(.)beei.co.uk - does anyone have any experience of this lot.

I am a natural sceptic, and believe that there is 'no such thing as a free lunch'... However, having read up, his story seems to add up. Are there any catches I need to be aware of?

Ultimately, he was very clear that I did not have to spend any money, so I suppose other than the risk that they make a mess of the job / put a foot through my lath and plaster ceiling, I have nothing to lose.

Thoughts?
Prem

John_Pierpoint

One happy customer here I think.
http://m.passionford.com/forum/showthread.php?t=440605
the rest of the postings give an insight into how the business works at the sharp end.

2dot

Surveyed on Jan 8th, installation was supposed to be today, I phoned this morning for the exact time they'd be showing up only to be told that the govt had stopped all the grants, and I should have received a phone call telling me they weren't going ahead with the installation!

Can anyone confirm when the Govt pulled the grants? If it was at the end of December, as mentioned elsewhere, what is this company GZ Energy playing at?

Marksfish

Xstyle wrote: »

So SP are still doing it then?? Hope it's cavity walls as well...

Just looked on their website and found this on their application page:

All measures must be installed and completed by 30th November 2012 to be eligible for this offer.

Why is it still on their webpage and why is it in the small print?

Mark

Kallisti

So - just done my 1st half of winter meter reading and on Scottish Power I get a graph on their website telling me usage. The spike is sufficiently big that I am thinking of loft insulation again....

Reading through this thread, I'm more confused now.

1/ Is it possible for people who are not on benefits to get free or subsidised loft insulation?

2/ There's a comment about subsidised boiler replacement for boilers over 15 years old - mine is, what's that?

3/ Is it possible to get loft insulation that's compatible with boarding done? I need to use the space for at least some storage.

Gopes

Gopes wrote: »

Hi,
Somebody knocked on my door yesterday (Bexleyheath, SE London), and explained that I was eligible for FREE loft insulation. He proceeded to check my loft (Victorian Terrace) and confirmed that the existing insulation was not up to scratch (which is probably true).

He explained to me that the government had grants to fund the installation of improved insulation in the homes of people on benefits / the elderly. However, take up had been less than anticipated, and so it was now available for anyone, FREE OF CHARGE. He also explained that as we have an 18 month old son, the case was even stronger... After the installation, a government surveyor would check the job, after which his company would get paid.

They have provisionally booked to come and install the loft insulation next Friday (25th), to allow me time to research. Company is www(.)beei.co.uk - does anyone have any experience of this lot.

I am a natural sceptic, and believe that there is 'no such thing as a free lunch'... However, having read up, his story seems to add up. Are there any catches I need to be aware of?

Ultimately, he was very clear that I did not have to spend any money, so I suppose other than the risk that they make a mess of the job / put a foot through my lath and plaster ceiling, I have nothing to lose.

Thoughts?
Prem

Just by way of an update, my home now has topup loft insulation through out, all installed for free by Brand Extension (beei.co.uk).

On the agreed day, I got a call first thing in the mornng confirming what time they would arrive. They turned up punctually, were very polite, and installed the insulation quickly and efficiently.

Later on in the day, an inspector came by to check and approve the quality of installation - presumably so the company get their payment.

The house feels warmer (although this is probably because the weather has improved).

For those that are wondering, I am not a low earner (although not on 'mega bucks' either), and we do not receive any benefits / age-related subsidies. We do however, have an 18 month old son - which may have been a factor.

All in all, a very satisfactory experience, despite my initial scepticism.
Regards
Gopes

bollidear

We are about to buy a bungalow without any loft insulation. The issue we have is that there isn't a loft hatch, because the apex is very low - probably about a metre or less.

Given that access is impossible for an installer, is there any other option and would this be covered by grants?

I'm thinking of the just blowing in a heap of the polystyrene beads to pack the whole space out through holes in the ceiling - but that's just a flying guess! Anyone have any experience of this who can spare a few words of advise please?

John_Pierpoint

You might well end up with rotting roof timbers if you block the natural ventilation that clears the condensation from the occupiers' sweaty breath and electric kettles etc.

To a certain extent it depends on the type of sarking (under tile) felt that has been used. Is it the posh semi permeable stuff or just sacking dipped in tar?

It is possible to buy huge trays of polystyrene, remove all the tiles fix the polystyrene to the rafters and then replace the tiles, but that is usually a technique used when there are rooms in the roof.

Are you sure that there is not room to fit insulation in the existing roof; nobody will want to do it commercially but you could spend ages doing it yourself.

Polystyrene bead tends to blow about and is not compatible in contact with PVC electrical cabling. (It reacts with the PVC and makes it go brittle)