*0800 REPAIR free insulation: early advice appreciated*

hybernia

In-laws have just been visited by "a nice chap" from a company called 0800 Repair Insulation Services of Houghton le Spring, County Durham. The visit was (perhaps appropriately) a cold call.

I have always told them never to allow into their home anyone they don't know or aren't expecting. And never, ever, to agree to purchase anything from anyone suddenly appearing on their doorstep.

With that in mind, my in-laws have just politely declined the man's offer to undertake a "Thermabead Carbon Saver" installation on their property, this to reduce heat loss by up to 70%. Their property was built in 2005 but since that time, they are told, energy efficiency technologies have radically improved.

The representative has provided them with a full colour A4 brochure which sets out in detail exactly what 0800 REPAIR will do, what the material is, how it will be applied, and why -- above all -- the work is entirely free:

"We are offering cavity wall insulation to all homeowners and private tenants COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE. The scheme is funded by the government's Energy Companies Obligation. . . The ECO scheme legally requires the main energy suppliers to fund installations of energy efficient technologies such as ThermaBead insulation to domestic households in the UK."

Although my in-laws have taken note of my repeated advice about saying 'no' to any doorstep caller, they are nevertheless intrigued by this visit and the explicit declarations in the brochure handed to them.

They have been told that a near neighbour (living in an identical house of identical construction and identical age) has accepted the "free offer", this after an inspection was made of that property to see if it qualified for this kind of work. As it does, then so, too, does theirs.

The free insulation work will be carried out on the neighbouring property tomorrow. If they would like their home to be similarly treated, then they need only ring the contact number in the brochure to make the appointment.

This post is NOT any kind of criticism of the company concerned nor of the individual who visited my in-laws.

What it IS about is that I had no idea that this ECO scheme was operating in such a way that suddenly, someone turns up on your doorstep with a kind offer to help you save money by making your home more energy efficient. . . and at absolutely no cost to you.

What I also have not the slightest idea about is home construction, and whether or not any risk obtains in regard to drilling holes in external walls and pumping in insulation .

Finally: if, as the brochure says, the "main energy suppliers" are signed up to this scheme -- whether compulsorily, or voluntarily -- isn't it the case that the energy provider in this instance should have been in touch first with my in-laws to advise that this work is -- at the energy supplier's expense -- being carried out in their area?

Advice / info / help appreciated: thanks.

PS: I have quickly checked out this company and its address and provenance are 100% legitimate.

D_M_E

If the property waqs built in 2005 then I don't think there is anywhere the product can be put - 2005 construction would include insulation as standard and I think the only place any additional insulation would go would be on top of what is in the roof space.

Also, since it was a cold call then there must be an element of profit for the firm doing the offer, not to mention the sales commission the cold caller stands to make from anyone taking up the "free" offer.

Would also expect whoever takes it up to be signed up to some sort of expensive finance deal to pay for it.

Would be interesting to find out who the near neighbour is who is having it done and find out what they signed up for.

hybernia

Many thanks, DME, for riding to the rescue so quickly! Re your points:

(1) I, too, would've thought that a 2005 new-build was still OK in regard to the standard of its insulation. But the "test drilling" of the property identical to ILs showed (according to the company representative) that it was just a 'standard cavity wall' comprising outer and inner walls with an "outdated" built-in board and non-insulated space. What this company does is pump 'Thermabead Carbon Saver" material into that cavity to fill it up;

(2) I now have the brochure from my ILs with an illustration of that "standard cavity built after 1982" showing the two walls, "outdated" board, and empty space, and a side by side illustration of that same arrangement with the cavity completely sealed;

(3) Beneath those illustrations are "thermal images" of a property before and after 'Thermabead Carbon Saver installation'. You can guess which in terms of heat loss is predominantly coloured red, and which is predominantly coloured blue;

(4) What seems to be being said is that *any* cavity wall should have its cavity filled-in -- but I thought a cavity existed to help a building breathe??

Re your other point, I'll ask the ILs to enquire of their neighbours as to what -- if any -- documentation they have seen and/or have been asked to sign. As things stand, the only information the ILs have, bpoth verbally and in the A4 brochure, is that the installation is COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE (brochure capitalisation.)

Will come back here when I have more info. Meantime: sincere thanks again!

(PS: I hope I'm not sounding paranoid with these posts but the old adage about gift horses and peering into their mouths is on my mind right now. . . as are horses of the Trojan type, that are anything but what they seem . . .)

buglawton

I'd not even debate the technicalities, it shrieks, screams, 'SCAM'!

D_M_E

Cavity wall with an outer and inner wall - yes, but ----

It's probably timber framed and if you go into the loft space and crawl over to one of the outside walls and look down into the cavity, you will see that there is indeed a cavity, BUT the way the place is constructed, on one side of this cavity is the outside wall which is some form of cladding - could also be breezeblock with an external render - which has been rendered on the outside to provide weather protection and, on the other side of the cavity is the wall which faces the living areas - it is this external cavity - which is designed into the build - which the salesman drilled his hole into.

This inner wall would be some form of plasterboard which would be held up by probably wood battens and there would be another plasterboard sheet on the other side of the battens and this sheet would be the internal walls of the property.
Between the two sheets would be space and it is this space that would be filled with insulation.
You can check this by pushing a small screwdriver through the inside wall somewhere and pushing something like a crochet hook in and see what comes out with it when you pull it out.
Fill up any hole when you've done the inspection.

hybernia

Hi DME and buglawton:

Well, this is anything but straightforward. First things first: no, this situation does not point to it being a scam. But yes: it is absurdly confusing.

I've now spent a lot of time on the OFGEM website and discovered that "you may be approached directly by an installer so check that the company he represents is registered under the ECO scheme to do the work". There's also another gem: 'A list of obligated energy suppliers is here [this link] but note you do not have to be a customer of an obligated supplier to have the work done'.

The sheer volume of gibberish on that site as well as on the useless energysavingtrust and gov.uk. is of so little assistance that it might just as well not be there.

In essence, it's all about you "may" be entitled but your home "probably" won't need the ECO insulation as it should already have it (modern build, post 1982) but yes, an installer can call on you and offer it to you and no, you don't have to apply to your energy company first (or indeed, it seems, to anyone else.)

I find this downright. . . appalling. NO cold-calling should ever be endorsed by any UK regulatory body in view of the potential for misrepresentation and fraud, yet here is OFGEM blithely saying that "you may be contacted" in this way. . . and that yeah, it's perfectly all right.

As to the timber frame construction : I've no idea but will ask the ILs. As it stands however, the situation currently is that OFGEM is happy with cold-callers offering entirely free cavity insulation whether a householder has ever asked for it or not under a scheme the precise terms of which none of the above websites satisfactorily explain.

I'll see what the ILs have found out later (if they've actually found out anything.)

Thanks to you both.