Free and Cheap Insulation Official Discussion

spenceeyftb

Hi all

We've just moved to a house which has insulation about the thickness of a t shirt!

Before I go out and spend lots of money on some insulation I was wondering if there's any schemes I should be aware of or discounts from my energy provider? We're with Eon - neither of us are on benefits mind you or pension.

thanks

S

mnhng

Hi all,

Funny one this and without any concrete detail, but a lady from mandeinsulations knocked on my house and said the Gov scheme to offer loft insulation to everyone is now back (not just those on income support etc).

Called greendeal-helpline and the receptionist said there were plans but nothing has been confirmed.....

Wondering if anyone can add any detail?

John_Pierpoint

Sounds like a bit of a new operation according to the standard inter-web checks. Perhaps this address could supply you with more details?
Everyone in business has to start somewhere:
Mark S. • pas:2030 since January and still kicking tyres send the rates to [EMAIL="mark@mandeinsulations.co.uk"]mark@mandeinsulations.co.uk[/EMAIL]

http://www.greendealcentral.com/pas2030/pas2030.php

tievolu

I've got these guys coming round to do a survey in a few days time after getting a leaflet through the door offering free cavity wall insulation:

www [dot] energycaregroupltd [dot] co [dot] uk [slash] cavitywallinsulation.html

My house was built in the 50s so I should qualify for their free offer:

You can also qualify for the FREE scheme (no benefits required):

1. Your house was built before 1980 (subject to survey and cavity width), OR
2. Your house is three storeys high or above (any age), OR
3. You live in three storey flats or above (any age).

The EnergyCare surveyor will be able to advise, once the free survey has been carried out.

I actually had a survey done for free insulation last November, but the previous scheme closed a few days later so I missed out :mad:

kuringaichase

To tievolu re: energycaregroupltd

The catch there is 'subject to cavity width'. Typically this is only applicable for late 1800's/early 1900's houses with a 50mm cavity. These are classed are 'hard to treat' houses, and are eligible for funding under the ECO scheme (Energy Companies Obligation). If you've got a 1950's house with a normal cavity, it's not going to be eligible.

There are funds for 3 things:
- people on low incomes/vulnerable to fuel poverty. They can get all sorts of insulation, new boilers, etc.
- 'hard to treat' houses, e.g. narrow cavities, or solid walls.
- community schemes (not available for the individual)

In no ECO literature have I seen mentioned 'properties over 3 floors high (any age)' being covered by the scheme. They may have alternative funding through something else, but I'm not aware of it.

Energy Care Group Ltd leafletted Winchester (many early cavity walled properties here), but no one who I've spoken has been able to get through to anyone on their 0800 number. I have an alternative number for them - 01234 381007 - which was successful.

Their partner Snug Network said on the phone that they weren't aware of funding being available for these properties. That's not to say there isn't - the Green Deal and ECO are pretty new, and there's been a bit of confusion!

mnhng wrote:

"...the Gov scheme to offer loft insulation to everyone is now back (not just those on income support etc)."

Loft insulation for those not on income support etc is only valid when installed in conjunction with eligible measures (cavity insulation in narrow cavities or solid wall insulation), not on it's own.

There are very few genuine freebies available - ECO is pretty much it. On the Green Deal, you can get finance (a loan) and there is cashback available (first come first served) for some things (although this is capped at 50% of the total cost - you're not going to get it for free through the Green Deal). As with any government funding, many companies jump on the band wagon to exploit the funds, and some of them are cowboys. If you're going to anything done get some quotes from reputable, established installers. But if you're eligible for ECO funding - take it.

MSE's Green Deal guide is very good.

---
I work in the 'Green Deal' help centre, Winchester, run by a local charity and Winchester City Council. We won funds from DECC unde the Green Deal Pioneer Places scheme, but are not blindly promoting the Green Deal, it's far from perfect. We're offering advice, and I'm trying to answer people's questions about grants/funding as much as I can.

tievolu

Thanks for that - at least I won't be disappointed now if the survey concludes with their telling me they won't do it for free.

My cavities might only be 50mm wide. I've just had an extension done and judging by some of the pictures I took at the knock-through stage, the cavity certainly isn't much larger than that.

I guess I'll just wait and see.

John_Pierpoint

During the intensification of pressure on the power companies to subsidise insulation that culminated in last year's free offers in place of the former £150 offers; I had three goes at getting insulation pumped into the cavities of the 1960s part of my bungalow.

Obviously two of the attempts were a failure.

1. The "surveyor" said "lets do it" but the guys who turned up complained the fibre would not flow in correctly.

2. Another "surveyor" took a look at it, clearly was not keen and found fault: Open topped cavities and cavities that were too wide.

3. At last a "surveyor" and more importantly his British Gas trained installer, using the more expensive, nucleated with graphite dust expanded polystyrene, were prepared to give it a go for free. [I had pushed back the tiles and stuffed any offending open topped cavity with a bit of rolled up loft insulation].

From my experience I have learned a few things:

A. The installers were after the "low hanging fruit", it was obvious that they were paid on commission so if they could avoid difficult cases they would avoid:
Scaffolding to get over conservatories.
Difficulties over access.[It is possible to "lance" the insulation in from the corners of the building]
Party wall situations where the cavity is between two houses (installing a giant "bottle brush" from roof to damp course can solve that problem).
Sheathing air bricks, where the cavity fill must not block the passage of air or where the insulation would pour out of the broken or missing grill internally or externally.
Installing air bricks where flued heating appliances are installed.
Stuffing open topped cavities [Given unsheathed air bricks and open topped cavities the wall becomes a half brick thick construction with forced cooling via a natural chimney]
Cavities that are too narrow.
Cavities that are too wide [I have both, still don't understand what is the problem with wide cavities?]

When someone actually agrees to take on your property try to ensure that they don't skimp on the installation.
Nottingham University has a test house, for trialling these energy saving technologies, and in spite of the installers knowing that the property is obviously not just another low hanging fruit, infra red photography of the walls, after cavity filling, shows a mottled effect, suggesting voids and the risk of condensation round the top of the upstairs rooms.
Each firm's technology has an "agrement" certificate, specifying that the job is insurable when installed to the specification; make sure you installation complies with it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Board_of_Agr%C3%A9ment

Good luck, there must be a lot of installers grubbing around for work at the moment.

Here is some publicly available information on a "young" company:

ENERGY CARE GROUP LTD

»Home»ENERGY CARE GROUP LTD»Directors

Directors and Company Secretaries

Arkglen 22 Oct 2009 ⇒ 1 Mar 2012 (2 Years ) Company Secretary Barbara Kahan 17 Jul 2009 ⇒ 17 Jul 2009 (1 Day ) Director Adam Malia 22 Oct 2009 ⇒ Present day (3 Years ) Director David Malia 22 Oct 2009 ⇒ Present day (3 Years ) Director

tievolu

tievolu wrote: »

My cavities might only be 50mm wide. I've just had an extension done and judging by some of the pictures I took at the knock-through stage, the cavity certainly isn't much larger than that.

The bloke just left - my cavities are 65mm so it's a no-go

I can't afford the £350 it would take to fund it myself, so I'll just wait in the hope that the free-for-all scheme returns...

tintown

a company came and said we were suitable for cavity wall insulation,they drilled a few holes in the wall for tests but this was 4 or 5 months ago.heard nothing since.
can you find out if someone has claimed the grant and not done the work if so could someone post the number to contact.

John_Pierpoint

tintown wrote: »

a company came and said we were suitable for cavity wall insulation,they drilled a few holes in the wall for tests but this was 4 or 5 months ago.heard nothing since.
can you find out if someone has claimed the grant and not done the work if so could someone post the number to contact.

Do you know who was supplying your subsidy?
I had a similar problem about 4 years ago.
I don't think anyone paid for the failed fibre installation (my home is not "low hanging fruit".)
I never signed the completion paperwork.
Got the job done for free in polystyrene in autumn 2012.

Until the end of 2012 the energy companies were forced to subsidise insulation and there was a last minute deadline rush to do it free, to avoid fines from the government for not trying hard enough.

As far as I know the only centralised database is for the Energy Performance Certificate, now required as part of the Green Deal, pay for it yourself.
The EPC database is part of am EU requirement to survey all homes in the union for carbon emissions.