Extra Inches Do Make a Difference

16/07/2007

A few extra inches do make a big difference. This is certainly the verdict when it comes to extra inches of loft insulation.  
 
You may have lofty ideas that your home will be kept nice and cosy come the colder weather but Northern Ireland Electricity has some news for us all. 27cms and no less of loft insulation makes all the difference when it comes to keeping the heat in your home.  
 
Nearly half of all heat lost in an average home in Northern Ireland goes out through the loft or roof space and walls. Installing or indeed topping up your loft insulation is one of the simplest energy saving measures to save you money. If you currently have no loft insulation and you install the recommended 27cms depth, you could save between £180-£220 a year off your heating bills and nearly 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per year*. Even if you already have some insulation installed, you will still save between £50-60 a year by increasing the insulation you have from 5cms to 27cms.  
 
NIE’s Chris Bell says that he knows for a fact a few extra inches pays off, he said: “27cms or 10.5 inches in old money will do the trick and it is easy for all you guys out there to measure up. The insulation acts as a blanket, trapping the heat from the house below.”  
 
Northern Ireland Electricity can come to your rescue. The company has one scheme giving out free insulation to those on lower incomes and another, open to anyone regardless of income, giving cashback to people who install insulation.  
 
There are in fact 1,500 free energy saving packs available from NIE for people on lower incomes to put in not only insulation but also heating controls such as thermostatic radiator valves, room thermostats and hot water heating separate controls. Maybe you are an older person who has retired, has a small work pension, and doesn’t get benefits. Or, if you earn less than £12,000 a year if you are a single person, or £18,000 if you are a couple, or indeed a single parent, all irrespective of age you will qualify. These NIE grants are 100% funded, totally free of charge. You just have to own your own house.  
 
The other NIE scheme open to everyone gives £150 cashback when you have loft insulation installed and another £150 cashback when you have cavity wall insulation installed, all helping you add those extra vital inches.  
 
“Around a third of all the heat lost in an un-insulated home is lost through the walls. If you have cavity walls, insulating them will make a great difference, “Chris added. “You can save between £130 and £160 per year by putting in cavity wall insulation. By helping with the cost, NIE is hoping as many people as possible will add a few inches to their loft insulation and keep the heat in this winter.”  
 
An average cost for a contractor installing loft insulation in a semi-detached house is around £470 so with savings of around *£180-£220, it pays for itself in just over two year. Cavity wall insulation costs around £450 and with savings of *£130-£160 per year, it pays for itself in around three years.  
 
Funded through NIE’s Energy Efficiency Programme, there are many schemes to help people here in Northern Ireland reduce their energy use.  
 
To apply for either insulation deal from NIE call the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre on freephone 0800 512 012. For a full list of energy saving grants available from NIE visit  
www.nie-yourenergy.co.uk  

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