Insulate Sherborne’s first public meeting was held at the Cheap Street Church Hall, the popular venue for Sherborne’s Repair Cafe on Thursday 29th September, with an enthusiastic and inquisitive audience, ready to hear from Peter Bywater of Ridgewater Energy.
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Rdgewater Energy is the appointed delivery partner for Healthy Homes Dorset, working with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole BCP) Council and Public Health Dorset.
The purpose of the meeting was to introduce local people to the possibilities of improving the thermal efficiency of our homes, in view of the forthcoming price increases in energy costs . . . and the longer term, though no less urgent, need to reduce our commitment to fossil fuels if we’re to meet UK commitments to combatting climate change.
Peter began his presentation by asking the obvious question; ‘why does insulation matter – and how can we do it?’
The need for insulation cannot be underestimated. The UK housing stock is the oldest and least energy-efficient in Europe, wit more than half of homes being built before 1965 and 20% before 1919. consequently, homes leak heat away through the building fabric. And that heat costs money. It’s also a major cause of carbon in the atmosphere.
Every surface in the home can be better insulated, but some interventions are more effective than others in reducing energy loss.
30-40% of energy is lost through walls.
Walls can be insulated in three ways: on the outside of the building; on the inside of the building; and the better-known technique of insulating cavity walls.
Whichever technique a householder looks at its vital that professional advice is sought. Each of the options brings with potential headaches with it, including possible issues with the local authority. But this the intervention that brings the best result, so it’s worth persevering.
25-30% of energy is lost through the roof.
Loft insulation should be simple for the overwhelming number of houses; yet its surprising how little work has been done at
government level to encourage the practice.
Peter warned that, because its a simple process, it’s the practice that is most open to fraudulent behaviour by ‘installers’. We should ignore scam messages from companies promising energy discounts following loft insulation. It’s far better to contact the house’s energy provider, where there are a number of insulation schemes running.
Again – seek professional advice, especially if you’ve extended your home into the loft space. There is a degree of complexity to insulating a pitched roof and a reliable company will carry out a proper survey and explain how the work should be handled.
15% of energy is lost through doors and windows.
Peter reminded us; ‘Heat will find the easiest way to escape a building’. And that is often through gaps in windows and around doors.
Stopping draughts has two benefits; the gaps bring in cold air which can make life uncomfortable – or downright miserable, and the gap allows expensive heat to escape.
Stopping gaps is the easiest action that the householder can take. Draught excluders at the foot of a door can be made at home; gaps around windows can be stopped using a filler and bigger gaps in floorboards can even be stopped using scrunched up paper and filler.
Its at this point that Peter first mentioned the importance of ventilation. and perhaps an extra lining for curtains in mina rooms.
10% of energy is lost through the ground floor (or basement).
Many ground floors have a void space beneath the floor and the main issue here is not the installation of insulation but, again, the importance of maintaining ventilation is a key factor in ensuring that a home remains healthy.
Ventilation.
Lack of bventilation is a chief cause of condensation. condensation, in turn, results in damp and black mould. The NHS website has a section on the impact of damp and black mould on health.
The NHS says: ‘Moulds produce allergens (substances that can cause an allergic reaction), irritants and, sometimes, toxic substances. Inhaling or touching mould spores may cause an allergic reaction, such as sneezing, a runny nose, red eyes and skin rash. Moulds can also cause asthma attacks’. so its important to get the balance right between the production of water vapour (steam from kettles, baths, showers), the amount of fresh air that you’re able to bring into the home, and the temperature of the air, because room heating is also a factor in the prevention of condensation.
In the second part of his presentation Peter talked about the work of Healthy Homes Dorset (HHD).
HHD provides free, impartial, advice for everyone, not just for those who are eligible for grant support.
If someone in a household meets the following criteria, HHD can arrange to install free cavity wall insulation and free loft insulation and may even be able to install new, or replacement, heating systems (subject to an initial telephone interview and then if necessary a survey) free of charge. In some cases there may other support we can refer you to or help you with directly.
A household may be eligible for support if someone in the home:
- Has a cardiovascular condition
- Has a respiratory condition
- Has a mental health condition
- Has a disability
- Is aged 65 or over
- Has a child under 5 living in the property
- Is pregnant
- Is living with addiction
- Has attended hospital due to a fall
- Is a recent immigrant or asylum seeker
- Has a low income
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Ridgewater Energy also provides advice via the Dorset LEAP scheme (Local Energy Advice Partnership). LEAP is a FREE home visit scheme to assist residents throughout Dorset with free energy advice, energy saving devices, along with access to other improvements like heating upgrades, insulation, free appliances and replacement boilers.
Anyone receiving one of the following is probably eligible for LEAP support:
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Support
- Pension Guarantee Credit
- Pension Savings Credit
- Child Tax Credit / Work Tax Credit
- Universal Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Reductions
- A Disability Benefit (Incl. Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, DLA, PIP, Severe Disablement Allowance)
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- or has a total annual household income of less than £31,000
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The evening finished off with a quick review of heating systems, as we are all looking for ways to move away from fossil-fuel systems.
Most conversations are around heat pumps, usually the air-source variety as these units make the fewest demands on the building owner. Designs are improving and the network of installers is growing – though there is currently a supply-chain issue around availability. This is a global problem.
Finally: the message is clear: DO YOUR RESEARCH – GET MORE THAN ONE QUOTATION – LOOK AT COMPANIES THAT OFFER MORE THAN ONE HEATING SOLUTION. We might add to that: talks to those who’ve already started on this journey. A good place to start is Dorset Greener Homes.
