Save carbon and money with insulation

The National Insulation Association explains the efficiency savings that can be made through upgrading insulation.

The National Insulation Association (NIA) is highlighting that many energy saving insulation solutions are readily available for domestic, commercial and public sector buildings and it is therefore a good time for local authorities and housing associations to upgrade and insulate their housing and building stock.

The NIA represents the UK’s manufacturers and installers of cavity wall, solid wall and loft insulation as well as draught proofing. As a membership organisation, it actively supports government policies for insulation to reduce energy bills, tackle fuel poverty and climate change and aims to raise awareness of the benefits of insulation.

The NIA is working with the Department of Energy and Climate Change and is highlighting that more needs to be done to encourage everyone to install insulation measures.

Carbon Emissions
The way a building is constructed, insulated, ventilated and the type of fuel used, all contribute to its carbon emissions. A worrying fact is that a significant proportion of the money spent on energy is literally being thrown out of the window as a result of inadequate levels of insulation, with around 58 per cent of heat being lost through the roof and walls alone.

There are still millions of households that are yet to be properly insulated - over seven million solid walls and five million cavity walls still need insulating. There are also seven million lofts that have inadequate insulation and are still in need of topping up.

Home insulation is the single most effective method of saving carbon – a detached home fitted with solid wall insulation could save up to two tonnes of carbon per year – as well as money on domestic energy bills, with savings continuing year on year and the payback period can be as little as five years.

The amounts that can be saved on fuel bills are substantial; The Energy Saving Trust reports that by simply installing cavity wall insulation (CWI) savings from £90 up to £275 per year can be made on your energy bills, depending on the size of the property. If the loft is currently uninsulated, insulation could save from £135 up to £240 a year – even if it has some loft insulation topping up to 270mm could save money.

The savings are even greater for insulating solid walls, from £145 per year in a typical gas-heated flat, up to £455 per year in a detached home. Draught‑proofing windows and doors can save between £15 and £50 per year and when installed with other measures will greatly increase the comfort in a home.

Making the right choice
The National Insulation Association (NIA) is advising why its members are the preferred choice for local authorities and housing associations looking for support in the design and delivery of their upcoming refurbishment and new build projects on both domestic, commercial and public sector buildings.

NIA registered members have considerable experience of working with energy suppliers, private and social housing managers, funders, builders and other specifiers in delivering high quality energy efficiency schemes. The NIA has around 200 members including the leading manufacturers/system suppliers and installers of cavity wall insulation, solid wall insulation (both external and internal), loft/roof insulation and draught proofing so we are able offer a one stop shop.

The NIA and its members offer a range of support including: information, advice and guidance on the funding opportunities; assistance with the design, specification and delivery of multi property, multi measure upgrades including bespoke solutions; access to a national network of qualified installers who can all be found on the NIA website; issue expressions of interest and requests to tender for installation work to NIA members; and an online member directory via its website www.nia-uk.org.

Neil Marshall, chief executive of the NIA commented: “Companies have to meet our strict membership criteria to join the NIA which includes appropriate levels of insurance, relevant accreditations and approvals, health and safety and customer care policies and procedures and statutory accounts. This provides specifiers and project managers with assurance and peace of mind when choosing an NIA member.

“Along with our established Code of Professional Practice (CoPP) for domestic consumers, last year we launched a CoPP for our members operating in the new build and commercial markets designed to provide clients and specifiers in these sectors with additional reassurance by setting out the quality, standards and professionalism they can expect from an NIA registered member.

“We had an increasing number of local authorities and housing associations contacting us asking for help in finding insulation companies to carry out work on their behalf.

“Therefore we have an ‘expressions of interest and tender request’ service. Through this free service we will issue expressions of interest and tender requests to our members on behalf of local authorities, housing associations, other specifiers and project managers, which provides them with the benefit of avoiding the need to contact lots of different companies and is immediate saving time and money.”

Organisations interested in these services should contact Bev Hodson at the NIA bev.hodson@nia-uk.org or call 01525 383313.

Further Information
www.nia-uk.org