Free room in roof insulation - any reasons why not?

elsien

Just had a knock on the door from a company telling me I can have free roof insulation courtesy of a grant from the energy companies and a council deal covering my area.
I have a 3 story terraced house built approx 1900. They are talking about putting a loft hatch in the top floor bedroom to access the loft space then using solid insulation (eco board?) between the rafters. On the other side, which is just boarded loft space, they will insulate the inner wall.
Now on the ground that if someone's offering me something for nothing there's generally a catch, is there a catch with this one? Increased condensation for example? Or anything else I might not have thought about so far?

Ebe_Scrooge

I know there are grants available, and certain groups of people definitely are entitled to free insulation. It may be worth a call to your local council to verify that they are indeed subsidising insulation locally, and they may even be able to verify the company that has approached you.

elsien

Company is www.ecocarbontraders.co.uk
It's just with insulation being next after the solar power bandwagon I wanted to check that I'm not agreeing to something I might regret later.

chappers

Energy companies were doing this as part of their green European targets, which they otherwise get fined for failing to meet

phil24_7

You would not get solid insulation in the roof as part of any government funding so I would be cautious about it. British Gas/Scottish Power etc will install rolls of loft insulation up to 270mm in most homes as part of the ECO but they would not do and walls etc.

elsien

The blurb mentions celotex and I specifically asked if it would be solid insulation between the rafters and was told that yes it would be. Although the diagram also shows earth wool for the stud walls.
Wih regards to external wall insulation this is already being offered to some houses (I've seen ones up the road being done already) and it may be offered to me next year.
Think I need to check with the council. The bloke said it was funding from npower, edf and someone else, it was irrelevant that I was not one of their customers, and it's for everyone not just people on low incomes - some buy to let landlords are having all their properties done as well.

phil24_7

We have just had external insulation grants in Plymouth though these have run out now. Keep a close eye on the installers if you have this done and make sure you know how it should be installed (the manufacturers website will have all the info you need). Some of the big 6 energy companies also do loft insulation (fibreglass rolls) but I have never hear of grants for solid insulation in the loft space as it is far more expensive that the fibreglass equivalent. It's worth more investigating though...perhaps check with your council too.

Regards

G_M

On principle, I would never use a company that cold calls.

If grants are available (and it's quite possible) then do your own research and find one or more company providing the service (there'll be more than one).

check out the council website, or use google. Or warmfront.

Ignore the company at the door.

or

https://www.gov.uk/energy-grants-calculator

Davesnave

G_M wrote: »

On principle, I would never use a company that cold calls.

I'd second this. There are some odd characters out there who get hold of your name/address if you have an EPC/Green Deal assessment. Met some of them last year. < Shiver>

Others have very misleading advertising.

For example, in front of me I have a letter from the "UK Climate Trust," but you'd hardly know it, because they have the Energy Saving Trust, Dept of Energy & Climate Change, ofgem and RECC logos plastered all over it in full colour. Their own details, other than the 0800 number/web address are printed very faintly in light grey at the very base of the page.

They claim to be "responsible for your installation." Really?

They give people 2 weeks to respond, or "we are obliged to remove you from our records." Why?

I wouldn't touch anyone sending out stuff like this with someone else's barge pole.

Unfortunately, British Gas have now pulled their free insulation offer, so I'm pleased that they're doing mine in May and I won't have to deal with any shysters. I'm one of those too well-off to benefit from means-tested schemes.

Furts

I would like to take elsien aside and have a quiet word in the ear from one who knows. The "free" insulation schemes have been rife with corruption, fraud and incompetence. It is a lottery as to what the consumer receives when the work is complete. Keep your wits about you, believe nothing you are told, never sign to say you are satisfied that the work has been undertaken properly and cross your fingers that everything will be OK.

You have mentioned Celotex in your post. It is an almost dead certainty that this will not be installed correctly.

Even something that may sound simple like a loft hatch requires a design if it is to comply with good practice. Here think catch mechanism, draft stripping, minimum size of opening, headroom above, space for a ladder access, integral ladder, boarding in the loft and so on. Do you really think those who are cold calling are competent in all this?

I am not saying "do not go ahead" but I am saying "you have been warned". I wish you well.

phil24_7

Agree with Furts. I had British Gas install external insulation and the Romanian version of John Wayne proceeded to try and ruin my lovely house. Luckily I am rather astute when it comes to construction/building/DIY/insulation so build up a snag list of over 50 items. This was on top of carrying out rectification works myself, on a regular basis, to avoid a terrible job being done!

I signed to say the works were done correctly to the best of my knowledge, but as a 'layperson' my knowledge is limited! So should I need to use the Courts in future that signature will not amount to much!

Regards
Phil