No, don’t worry, there are precious few coal mines left to close. In fact, the current Conservative party, headed by the bicycle loving David Cameron, this week outlined its energy and climate change policies. Under the so-called ‘green deal’, every UK homeowner would benefit from an allowance of up to £6,500 to make their homes more energy efficient.

This may involve the installation of solar panels, upgrading the central heating system or fitting double glazing. In short, the green deal aims to provide homeowners with a cash injection so they are able to make a green contribution to the country’s carbon emission targets.

Domestic energy (power and heating) accounts for some 27% of the UK’s carbon emissions, so it seems sensible a future Conservative government would want to target homeowners, many of whom will be keen to accept the £6,500 allowance, to address the bigger picture. Of course, the Conservative plans are similar to those of the current Labour Government, which is in itself fairly unsurprising. Furthermore, following recent claims by Professor David MacKay, the Government’s new chief energy scientist, the UK is among the top three polluters in historical terms, it is clear that the country has an obligation to make significant environmentally friendly changes.

In fact, according to the Stockholm Environment Institute, it is estimated the average UK citizen is responsible for 15 tonnes per year of embedded carbon emissions, whilst the average Chinese person only pollutes some 3.1 tonnes annually. Ironically, the Conservative proposals also include the approval of coal-fired  power stations worth around 5GW of electricity. These power stations will comprise carbon capture and storage technology to reduce carbon emissions by a further 90% whilst providing a relatively clean form of power that will be available for domestic energy consumers.

We’ve just added a few new guides around the availability of heating and insulation grants in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland whilst the England Warm Front guide has been updated.

Take a look at the ‘Am I eligible ‘ section in the guides to see if you can apply…

• Warm Front Scheme in England
• Warm Homes Grants in Northern Ireland
• Energy Assistance Package in Scotland
• Home Energy Efficiency Scheme in Wales

If you live in England and your home is not properly insulated or your boiler and heating system is not as good as it should be, the Warm Front Scheme may be just what you need. With heating costs on the rise, it could save you a lot of money and at the same time give you a warmer home, there are a range heating grants and rebates. If you’re not eligble for a WarmFront grant then you may qualify for a rebate and could save you £300.

If you don’t qualify for a grant because you do not receive one of the listed benefits, you may be entitled to a £300 rebate instead. This rebate can be put towards the cost of installing or repairing central heating. You are eligible for a rebate if you:

own your own home or rent from a private landlord and are aged 60 or over and have no central heating or it is not working. You can find out your entitlement by applying to the Warm Front Scheme manager, EAGA, on 0800 3162805.

How the Scheme Operates

• If you are entitled to a rebate, you will be sent a letter and voucher/claim form. You will also be provided with a list of six registered installers in your area who can do the work. The rebate is only valid for three months from the date of the letter and so the work needs to be completed within that period. If the voucher is not used within the time, you can reapply but there is no guarantee that the offer will still be available.
• Contact one or more of the installers and arrange a visit. Note that:

you should always arrange a visit from at least two installers, possibly more, so that you can compare what they are offering and the costs; this will enable you to make a proper choice.

the rebate can only be used with installers who are registered with EAGA; these installers will be approved by Gas Safe, NICEIC and OFTEC and so will be qualified to handle the installation or repair.

• Each installer will carry out a technical survey and provide a quotation for the work.
• Go through the quotations and select the installer you prefer based on what they are offering and the price to be charged.
• Contact the selected installer and arrange for the work to be done.
• On completion of the work, the installer will give you an invoice. This should be for the quoted value of the work less the £300 rebate.
• If you are not satisfied with what has been done, contact the installer to get the matter put right. Do not hand over the voucher/claim form until you are satisfied.
• If you are happy with the work, pay the amount due and hand over the signed voucher/claim form so that the installer can claim the rebate value.
• EAGA may check the installation to verify that you are satisfied and the work has been done properly. This ensures that the registered installers are operating to the required standard.

The ‘Here to HELP’ scheme run by British Gas subsidises home insulation projects such as cavity wall and loft insulation. It’s suitable for the elderly and for those of us receiving benefits, the grant could be worth up to £474 (the cost of insulating your home) and significantly reduce your heating bills by up to £365 per year.

You can find out more at British Gas Insulation

The Importance of Cavity Wall Insulation

Walls, if not properly insulated, can be a major source of heat loss in any building. In fact, roughly 33% of the total heat loss from a domestic dwelling with no cavity wall insulation of any kind is through the walls. The importance of cavity wall insulation therefore cannot be underestimated. Not only can it reduce the amount of energy required to heat your home and the associated costs by 15% or more, but it can, in turn, reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main “greenhouse” gas.

To install cavity wall insulation your home must, of course, have cavity walls in the first place. These comprise an outer and an inner leave of brickwork with a gap or “cavity” in between. Houses built after c.1930 and before c.1995 are likely to have walls of this type.

Cavity wall insulation – usually mineral wool or polystyrene beads or some other material guaranteed by CIGA (”Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency”) – is injected from the outside of your home into the cavity. In combination with the air already present in the cavity the material forms an effective barrier against heat loss. Cavity wall insulation also creates an even distribution of heat throughout your home so that condensation and damp patches on walls, ceilings, etc. become a thing of the past. Cavity wall insulation keeps your home cooler in the summer as well as warmer and more energy efficient in the winter.

If your home is not properly insulated or your heating system is not as good as it should be, the Warm Front Scheme may be just what you need. With heating costs on the rise, it could save you a lot of money and at the same time give you a warmer home. And if you qualify for a grant, it might not cost you a penny.

What is Warm Front?

Warm Front is a government-funded initiative that aims to make homes warmer, more comfortable and more energy efficient. It provides a package of home insulation and central heating / boiler improvements up to a maximum value of £2,700 (or, if oil fired central heating is recommended, up to £4,000). Refer to the Warm Front Grants – What Do They Cover? article for a description of what can be provided.

The scheme is only available in England but similar schemes operate in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Who Runs the Scheme?

The Warm Front Scheme is managed by EAGA, a company that runs various government programmes that tackle fuel poverty. You can contact EAGA by:

• calling 0800 3162805 for advice
• accessing their Warm Front web site (www.warmfront.co.uk) to obtain full and up-to-date information about the scheme
• sending an email to bec@eaga.com to check your eligibility or to enquiry@eaga.com for advice.

How Do I Apply?

You first need to find out if you qualify for a grant — see the Warm Front Scheme – Do You Qualify? article or check the list on the web site www.warmfront.co.uk. If you do qualify, you can apply by telephone or directly from the web site.

What Happens Next?

If your application for a grant is successful, a trained assessor will visit your home, at a convenient time for you, to find out what is required. The visit will normally take place within three weeks of your application for a grant being approved and should last no longer than one hour.
The assessor will:

• need to see proof of your benefits in order to check that your claim is valid
• carry out a survey of your home
• tell you about the energy improvements that are available under the scheme
• recommend what needs to be done.

If the recommended work costs more than the available grant, you will be told the figure because you will have to pay the excess amount.
If you decide to go ahead, the work will be done at a pre-arranged time.

And that’s it. Providing the cost of the work is covered by the grant, there’s nothing to pay!

Insulating your loft is a simple, fast and relatively inexpensive way of reducing heating bills and CO2 emissions, without it as much as 15% of your home’s heat is lost through it’s roof.

Even if you have some form of insulation at present it could probably benefit from being topped up, loft insulation works like a blanket on your house, retaining the heat inside, the thicker the blanket, the greater the benefit.

The recommended thickness is 270mm, most older homes typically have around 50-100mm, with the addition of a second layer significant benefits can still be achieved. In fact most households will see a payback wihtin 2-6 years depending on the level of insulation already in the loft.

Types of Insulation

Traditional insulation has been through the use of mineral fibre or fiberglass rolls laid between the joists, newer methods of insulation consist of blowing granular insulation material such as vermiculite and mineral fibre into the loft space which can be a quicker method, rolls of insulation can be installed by most DIYers but blown insulation will require the use of special equipment and is best left to a specialist contractor.

Another type of insulation is roof boards, these are applied to the internal pitch of the roof and act as an additonal insulator between the loft and the outside world.

Most UK homes that have been built since the 1920s have cavity walls. These external walls consist of two layers of brick with a gap or cavity left between them. By filling this cavity with insulating material, you can greatly reduce the amount of heat which is lost through the walls of your home. Cavity wall insulation is one of the most simple and cost efficient ways of insulating your home, saving the average home 15% on energy bills. This works out at around £90 per year and will reduce carbon emissions by 750kg annually.

It is estimated that around a third of the heat in your home may escape in this way, so by insulating the cavity walls you stand to make large savings on your home energy bills. Not only will it save you money but also it regulates the temperature within your home, retaining heat and keeping you warm during the cold winter months and keeping you cool during the summer. Cavity wall insulation will also help prevent condensation gathering on the walls of your home and put a stop to any instances of rising damp. Another advantage is how well it acts as soundproofing!

Installing cavity wall insulation is a simple and quick job which can be carried out by a skilled technician at a reasonable cost. The gap between the walls is injected with insulating material, usually foam, polybeads or rock wool, through a series of holes, which are drilled into the walls from the outside. For an average size semi-detached house the process will usually only take around 3 hours and leaves no mess either inside or outside the home.

The average cost of cavity wall insulation is around £500, but with the savings you will make on your annual heating bills, it should pay for itself in around 5 years.

Mike O’Brien, the Minister for Pensions Reform is calling for all elderly people receiving Pension Credit to apply for Home Insulation Grants. Insulating your home against heat loss is the single most important measure you can make to reduce energy bills and significantly improves quality of life.

“If you own your own home or rent it from a private landlord, you may be eligible for a free grant to insulate your walls and loft.” Mike O’Brien goes on to say “£1 in every £3 spent on heating bills is wasted in poorly insulated homes.”

Grants are available through the Governments Warm Front Heating and Insulation scheme. The minister is urging pensioners to call the free Energy Advice Line on 0800 316 2805.

With ever increasing energy prices it’s more important than ever to ensure every penny available is used to help in reducing heating bills.