Winter Grants: Loft & Cavity Wall Insulation

webjaved

Hello,

I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the correct section so apologize if I haven't. 

Are there any grants available because I need to get my loft insulated, both the roof & under the floorboards in the loft? The house doesn't stay warm for too long and going in the loft at night it's bloody freezing up there. You can feel a real cold draft swirling around. 

I can also feel a draught in the front bedroom coming from under the floorboards at the side of the chimney breast/wall in the bedroom. 

I only get child benefit so not sure if I'm eligible for a grant? Can anyone recommend where i should start looking?

I've contacted the local council, but knowing them they take forever to move. 

Thanks 
J

fenwick458

There's a scheme just been announced today, but it doesn't start until next spring....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63776183

"(the gov) will spend £1bn from next spring on grants for homes that have low energy efficiency ratings and are in lower council tax bands"

Gov press release ECO+ scheme

webjaved

fenwick458 said:

There's a scheme just been announced today, but it doesn't start until next spring....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63776183

"(the gov) will spend £1bn from next spring on grants for homes that have low energy efficiency ratings and are in lower council tax bands"

Gov press release ECO+ scheme

I saw that this morning but can't wait till Spring. With little kids and the bedrooms not staying warm (mainly the front bedroom) I need the support now. 

If the grant schemes turn around and reject me for some reason then I'll have to fork out for it myself. I want to get this sorted sooner rather than later. 

FreeBear

webjaved said: I can also feel a draught in the front bedroom coming from under the floorboards at the side of the chimney breast/wall in the bedroom.

Are the floors carpeted ?

Get yourself a stripping knife and a roll of draught excluder foam (or rolled up newspaper). Pack it in to any gaps between the floorboards and also any gaps at the bottom of the skirting. That should help to cut down on the draughts. If you haven't got a carpet in there, it is well worth fitting one. I used woodfibre underlay to cover a floor here from wall to wall over the top of some extra wide kitchen foil. With a good quality foam underlay on top and finished off with a fairly cheap carpet, no more draughts coming up through the floorboards.

If you can't afford any of the above, a couple of large & cheap rugs will help to reduce some of the draughts for a little while.

webjaved

FreeBear said:

webjaved said: I can also feel a draught in the front bedroom coming from under the floorboards at the side of the chimney breast/wall in the bedroom.

Are the floors carpeted ?

Get yourself a stripping knife and a roll of draught excluder foam (or rolled up newspaper). Pack it in to any gaps between the floorboards and also any gaps at the bottom of the skirting. That should help to cut down on the draughts. If you haven't got a carpet in there, it is well worth fitting one. I used woodfibre underlay to cover a floor here from wall to wall over the top of some extra wide kitchen foil. With a good quality foam underlay on top and finished off with a fairly cheap carpet, no more draughts coming up through the floorboards.

If you can't afford any of the above, a couple of large & cheap rugs will help to reduce some of the draughts for a little while.

The floor is carpeted and the underlay is decent too, nice and thick. 

I can look at getting a rug down, there's more that I can do, the windows need new sealing from the inside and out. 

The walls on the outside need pointing redone too as there are gaps where the old cement has fallen out. 

In terms of grants in the North West of England, do you know any I could get in touch with for insulation?

Spies

webjaved said:

In terms of grants in the North West of England, do you know any I could get in touch with for insulation?

Check your local authority to see if they are participating in the LAD scheme.

FreeBear

Spies said:

webjaved said:

In terms of grants in the North West of England, do you know any I could get in touch with for insulation?

Check your local authority to see if they are participating in the LAD scheme.

Most councils (if not all) are participating in the GHG:LAD scheme. Locally, you'll probably find it listed as a "Warm Homes Scheme". Open to anyone with a low income (under £30K p.a.) and living in a property with an EPC rating of E, F, or G. But funding is no where near enough to provide for every qualifying household, so you will probably find just EPC G rated properties being targeted - My local council certainly is...

I'm going to wait and see what this newly announced ECO+ scheme plans to offer. Based on what I've seen of the Green Deal and Green Homes schemes, it will end up being a [redacted] feeding trough for a bunch of fly-by-night traders delivering overpriced (and questionable) solutions.

webjaved

The Oldham Council are participating under the Warm Homes Scheme but getting hold of them or them moving takes an age. 

Ringing the freephone number just never works, there isn't anyone to pick the call up. 

Chickereeeee

webjaved said:

The floor is carpeted and the underlay is decent too, nice and thick. 

Sadly, neither underlay nor carpet is (necessarily) draft proof. Just a layer of paper under the underlay can stop any drafts coming through.

webjaved

Chickereeeee said:

webjaved said:

The floor is carpeted and the underlay is decent too, nice and thick. 

Sadly, neither underlay nor carpet is (necessarily) draft proof. Just a layer of paper under the underlay can stop any drafts coming through.

To be honest, it's like the draft is coming anywhere where there is a window. So if you place your hand towards the window sill you can feel a cold draught. I'm going to look at getting the sealings redone from the inside and out. 

I may just have to look at doing the loft myself, going through the grant just feels like it will take forever. 

twopenny

I used newspaper in between the floorboards, around where the skirting meets them and layers under carpet and underlay. That made a huge difference.
Not so easy to get newspaper now but if you own it you could use cheap  silicone which would be quickest.

The draughts from the windows, is it just the cold coming through the glass pulled in by the warmer inside?
I've also used clingfilm over windows across the frame so there's a gap between it and the glass. the devil to get on but much warmer.

Curtains lined with thermal lining, cheap from a fabric shop, adhere with double sided tape to the curtains - or use double sided, self adhesive velchro on lining and window frame for a quick fix night time which I'm doing now till i can get around to making something better.

It all works for instant results for very little money. 
I'm using some of this now, did the whole lot in hard times and maybe more the way things are going.