Grants available for homes improvements & energy efficiency

Ken68

Exterior House Insulation Grant.

Just had a bloke round from the local Council about a 75% Grant.
They have joined up with two neighbouring councils to offer vulnerable owner/occupiers a cladding system for the entire house.
A Wetherby system, 80mm thick rigid foam stuff, then a
base coat plus a nylon mesh and then self coloured render. From the eaves to just above the
damp course. Total cost about £15,000 subject to survey.
But after a bit of research I refused the offer, was supposed to save 35% of heating costs, (about £150p.a). The remaining 25% could have been paid straightaway or charged to the house and recovered when sold. Couldn't make the figures work.
Would have lost all the detail from the facing of the house and the surface would have been
more fragile than now. Couldn't see the house insurance staying the same.
Lots of checking for them to do, involving the council solicitor, all in the price, then a drilling test and repair of existing brickwork, etc etc.
And , irresponsibly I thought, said I could pull out at ANYTIME.

Edit...It's the King'sLynn and West Norfolk, Fenland and Breckland Councils.
Owner occupiers only.

Gizmosmum_2

They're probably just doing their best to sort out a really difficult problem for homeowners and local authorities alike. Insulating solid wall homes. pretty decent of them to allow you to pull out at anytime - should be reassuring that they are trying to look after you rather than fleece you. Whether you go ahead or not is your choice there's some dififcult decisions to make about cladding v originality but at least you've got a proactive authority trying to tackle the prblem - pretty rare in today's economic climate!

Ken68

Yes Gizmo a great offer in some ways, but irresponsible in that a decision should be made at the beginning of the project, not halfway through after a solicitor, a surveyor and other sundry people have had a dip from the grant.

Gizmosmum_2

True, but they'd be criticised if they didn't allow it either - that's why most local authorities don't go down this route because whatever they do they can't win. That's one of the reasons I left!!

Ken68

A few years ago an elderly neighbour, some doors up, applied for a roofing grant.
He got it, but had to organize it himself, get three quotes, and submit them to the council officials with samples of the slates.
Now this is a small town with only one roofer,and a few builders and with my neighbour being old infirm etc, it was this roofer that did all the running round. BUT
the quotes were returned, the council officers having noticed they were typed on the same typewriter.
They were resubmitted, it was passed by the council,and the old guy got his new roof.
And I have since employed this roofer (for a flat roof, very competative quote)and he mentioned that in between doing roofs he does building work etc for another firm , owned by, guess who....The Council Leader.
That is how it works. Probably nationwide as well.

Gizmosmum_2

Not in my experience working with 20 local authorities but I can't speak for the other 380 ...

harryhound

Ken68 wrote: »

Exterior House Insulation Grant.

Just had a bloke round from the local Council about a 75% Grant.
They have joined up with two neighbouring councils to offer vulnerable owner/occupiers a cladding system for the entire house.
A Wetherby system, 80mm thick rigid foam stuff, then a
base coat plus a nylon mesh and then self coloured render. From the eaves to just above the
damp course. Total cost about £15,000 subject to survey.
But after a bit of research I refused the offer, was supposed to save 35% of heating costs, (about £150p.a). The remaining 25% could have been paid straightaway or charged to the house and recovered when sold. Couldn't make the figures work.
Would have lost all the detail from the facing of the house and the surface would have been
more fragile than now. Couldn't see the house insurance staying the same.
Lots of checking for them to do, involving the council solicitor, all in the price, then a drilling test and repair of existing brickwork, etc etc.
And , irresponsibly I thought, said I could pull out at ANYTIME.

Edit...It's the King'sLynn and West Norfolk, Fenland and Breckland Councils.
Owner occupiers only.

That seens a cheap price for heating the whole home (less than 500 quid a year)
What sort or property is it and what sort of fuel?
Presumably internal insulation was a nonstarter because losing 100mm off some of the internal dimensions plus the disruption and redecorating etc.etc. was just not acceptable?

Ken68

£532 p.a. dual fuel, Harry. £363 gas heating and £169 electric.
3 bed Semi 1930's , lots of draught proofing done and underfloor and loft insulation. Double curtains everywhere. Double glazing windows and doors. Front room faces south.
Only thing different to most properties are the polystyrene inserts that I put into the rear window recesses every late afternoon, then remove them in the morning. In very cold weather leave them in all day and night. Plus inside window duvet type insulation pads.
The council wouldn't consider internal works, or part exterior. The contract would have included repair of existing brickwork and fitting of an different fan in the bathroom.
Supposed to save 35% of heating costs so £127 a year and £3750 to pay= payback time 29+ years !!!
The bloke rang up last night, saying the deal stands for two weeks if I change mind.
Desperate to give money away by the sounds of it.

harryhound

1930's semi - most of those were brick stretchers and clinker block internally with a cavity. (dodgy cavity closing at the window frames though) Yours is 9" solid brick though or is it some sort of render over cheap substrate in places?
Cavity walls were introduced more for cheapness than energy saving (semi skilled bricklayers could throw walls up quicker using blocks instead of attractive bricks, and errors in the bedding did not produce damp patches internally)
I, once upon a time, worked for a firm called Trianco (the trade name still exists) that expanded in the 1930's by building houses out of hollow triangular concrete blocks of two sorts. The internal facing ones suitable for plastering and the extenal facing ones suitable for outside apearance.
I would be interested in your styrene panels - I've been thnking of doing something similar, having double glazed the whole house it 6 4 6 mm low e "Guardian" sealed units (Don't tell the FENSA police).
I was thinking of holding the panels in place with magnetic strip round the perimeters but it is storing them during the day time that is giving me pause for thought - don't want to put an extra shed in the garden just for my night time insulation panels.

Ken68

They are waterproof Harry, and pressure held with a tape handle. If you don't have a deep enough recess then you magnetic idea might work.
Mine are at the back of the house so where there is one loose I just lean a long pole against.
Duct (or duck!!) tape all round and if internal use might have have to be de-gassed.
Years ago now the name Shutcliffe website rings a bell. Anyway google poly.shutters should get you there.
Celotex would be better but too expensive.

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