Loft insulation grants - Nationwide Energy Services

[Sue]

Has anybody used this company?

Nationwide Energy Services

I was cold-called this morning, thought it was a scam and told them I wasn't interested, but having done a bit of research it seems they are bona fide.

I have a surveyor coming tomorrow for a "free, no-obligation blah blah blah" and as far as I understand it they act as middle men/women for an 80% government grant to bring my loft up to the recommended standard.

They've said I would pay around ?149 but that could vary up or down subject to the survey, and that this is cheaper than other companies (they quoted British Gas for one, as charging ?199).

Anyone used them? Were you happy? Can I get this done cheaper elsewhere?

My loft is currently part-insulated and part-boarded, I haven't done anything to it in the twenty years I've been here :-$ . It was on my very long house "to do" list (mainly getting previous builder's work done properly and/or finished (6)) but somewhere near the bottom :))

[ianr]

I looked up loft insulation when there was an earlier post about cold-calling. I concluded it was probably a whole set of private outfits all seeking work on the coat tails, as you suggest, of a government grant scheme - I assume Warm Front managed by Eaga plc, who describe themselves as an outsourcing company and appear to engage subcontractors to do the actual work. They do run a complaints system.

Some of the outfits advertising do seem to like to look as if they have some official status, using website names incorporating 'government', (eg government-grants.co.uk, registered to Internet Marketing Kent Ltd). Presumably any company offering Warm Front work is subcontracted to Eaga, but I'm not 100% sure of that.

Who knows, they might be offering a good and economic service. They are (if that's them) at least a long established company, even if not local. But I do look forward to hearing what you get from them about their stated place within any such scheme. And I'm not clear, from the Warm Front site, just what at all they can offer at the moment apart from maybe the chance of a ?300 rebate if over 60.

Actually, I've just looked up British Gas, and even they claim that "British Gas offer free loft and cavity wall insulation to anyone who is 70 or over or on one of the qualifying benefits below", with no mention of any government grants. The over 70s bit, btw, seems, according to another site, to be a grant offered since 2008 under the Government's Carbon Emissions Reduction Target, rather than a Warm Front thing.

[Sue]

I was previously under the impression that, as you say, there were only grants available to the over 70s, and that the government in any case was changing the scheme after April this year.

However NES say that anybody is entitled to a grant worth 80% of the cost of installation, both for labour and materials. They also do cavity wall insulation, also via a grant. However my walls are solid (I hope!) brick.

I'm going to check it out properly before I give them the go-ahead, will see what the surveyor says tomorrow.

[Sue]

I've found this, and I'm very tempted to get a second survey done to see if they say the same thing ....

http://www.government-grants.co.uk/loft-insulation-grants.shtml

[ianr]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I've found this, and I'm very tempted to get a second survey done to see if they say the same thing ....

>

> http://www.government-grants.co.uk/loft-insulation-grants.shtml

They're the people I mentioned in my second para, Internet Marketing Kent. I wish I could make out why/for whom they're providing the site. Are they doing it pro bono!!??? Anyway, their "Government Grant News" page does say "That does NOT however affect the grant funding offered via THIS website, as said funding is not provided by the government, but instead, is provided by various utility companies"; which, until I know more, just makes things even more opaque.

[Sue]

I've just had a really useful discussion with somebody from the Energy Saving Trust who gave me loads of information.

If you phone 0800 512 012 they can tell you which organisations are working in this area under the grants scheme.

I did have an online chat first but they asked me to phone.

I'm going to have the Nationwide Energy Services people come tomorrow to see what they say, but I might end up using someone else.

[jeanieg]

my contract for cavity wall and loft insulation was (I thought) with Nationwide energy saving, but was actually with Mark Group energy saving and this not explained to me by the surveyor. If the work that we agreed to was straight forward then I would not have any complaints. How-ever we have a kitchen extension and conservatory at the rear of the house (all of which were noted by the surveyor and detailed on the contract). When Mark group employees turned up to do the work thwy only did the gable end and front of the housesaying that the rear could not be carried out without scaffolding and their firm did not supply scaffoolding. We have had numerous phone calls with both Nationwide and Mark group, but no one is willing to complete the work, even though the contract was for all the work to be carried out. Nationwide was willing to give us a discount of ?25, but we want the job completed. The government grant has now been allocated to my property. I have now had to get in touch with Consumer Direct and may have to take court action against Mark Group Energy services.

Please ensure that you are made aware of who actually carries out the work and who your contracxt is with. Straight forward no nonsense properties my have no problems but mine has been going on for ages.

[TheArtfulDogger]

British gas were doing it for free to any householder who is a British gas customer..

for details click here

[SilverSurfer65]

We had our loft insulated on Tuesday by British Gas, for free. Owing to the back additon roof of the house being very low under the eaves, they had to blow the insulation and not roll it.

What we were NOT told before it was done, is that we are not now able to re-lay the boards, which are similar to hardboard but softer, as the insulation comes about 6" above the joists, so apart from the central part of the loft, which has wooden floorboards which were not lifted, that is the only bit of storage space we have left, about one third of what we had before it was done.

We were told that if we lay the boards back and flatten the insulation, it would stop the air circulating and could cause condensation and rot the joists.

The suggestion was that we could get some 4 x 2 timber, fix that to the joists and lay the boards on that.

Does anyone have any better/cheaper/sensible suggestions please?

Gina

[Sue]

I had a long discussion about this with the Energy Saving Trust, who gave me useful information over the phone and if memory serves also sent me some info (though it might have come from their website).

Energy Saving Trust

I think, however, that what you have been told by British Gas is more or less what the Energy Saving Trust told me. I therefore chose only to have the parts of my loft insulated where I didn't need storage space. I did have a major clear-out of my loft before I had the insulation done though!

The EST said that stuff stored above the existing boarded part of the loft (where there was a less deep layer of existing insulation below them than was being laid elsewhere) would act as insulation there anyway.

The EST may be able to tell you if it is true re the potential condensation and rot, but if so, I suppose one option you have if you need storage space but don't want to do what British Gas suggested is to remove the insulation that has just been laid, replace it with thinner insulation, and replace your boards. Then if you are storing stuff on top this will insulate the floor anyway (apart from gangways where you need to tread).

Good luck with sorting it all out - what a pain.

Did British Gas not come and do a survey before they carried out the insulation? If so, they should have explained all this to you then.

ETA: The British Gas system may be different, but with the government grant for insulsation, in theory, you have to have a certain (quite large) percentage of your loft covered with the "proper" depth of insulation in order to qualify for the grant.

[SilverSurfer65]

Thanks Sue. As we have a dry cellar, we're going to clear part of that and store some of the stuff down there, suitcases etc.

I cleared the loft out before Christmas, and did put some of the things on the Forum, and sold a few items, but there's still a lot more to go. What doesn't sell/get given away is going to the Charity shops.

The EST site was very helpful too.

Yes, the British Gas Surveyor came and did a survey, but he said nothing about losing the storage space, only that the insulation would have to be blown, due to the low height of the back additon roof. I'm in Silvester Road at the Barry Road end.

We did get the insulation free as we qualified on two counts - age and being British Gas customers, so I suppose I shouldn't complain. I'm going to be even more ruthless in not keeping all the stuff I planned to. The upside is that there will be less to take when we move!!

That's the next step, and that will really be a pain, as we've lived here since 1970!!!

Gina