Householders who are
least able to pay for their heating bills are to be targeted to receive energy
efficiency support.
The Government’s
Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme is to be extended to September 2018, as
outlined by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy at
the end of January 2017.
Many homes which are
the most difficult to heat are classed as hard to treat and these tend to be
occupied by those least able to pay.
Standard forms of
cavity wall insulation may not be possible for a number of reasons. These
properties may have irregular or narrow cavities which restricts the use of
conventional blown cavity wall insulation, or have defective/corroded wall
ties, or be unsuitable for external wall insulation due to planning
restrictions.
Other reasons could be
where internal wall insulation may disrupt tenants, or those located in high or
severe wind driven rain exposure zones, or where properties are at risk of
flooding.
The use of injected
polyurethane foam can provide the best solution for these properties. The
process can easily be used for walls or sprayed in as roof insulation to
effectively insulate most housing. Closed cell polyurethane foam has been
around for over 30 years. The polyurethane insulant is a two-component liquid
system which produces a highly-efficient blanket of insulation with an
exceptional thermal conductivity figure. Systems can be applied to various
depths and have K-values in the range of 0.025 to 0.028W/mK.
For cavity wall
insulation, injected polyurethane foam provides a superior performing insulant
which also helps to bond the inner and outer leaves providing strength to the
building. Air leakage through the cavity can be reduced to zero. Because of the
greater thermal performance and the reduced air leakage polyurethane foam
outperforms all other forms of cavity fill. Injected polyurethane cavity wall
insulation can be used in flood-plain areas to provide an additional barrier
against water ingress through the walls.
Often occupiers living
in hard-to-treat properties may be classed as living in fuel poverty, whereby a
large proportion of their income is required for heating their homes. They may
be elderly or vulnerable and would particularly benefit from well insulated
homes. In fact, it is often these people who end up in hospital with
cold-related illnesses. If all homes were brought up to a decent standard of
energy efficiency this could certainly relieve some of the pressure on
hospitals both in terms of admissions and the resultant cost savings.
Polyurethane foam is
often the most cost effective solution for uninsulated cavity walled
properties, including those classed as hard-to-treat. The British Urethane Foam
Contractors Association represents professional installers of sprayed and
injected polyurethane foam systems. A BUFCA twenty-five year insurance warranty
is available for cavity wall insulation projects.
