Cavity Wall Insulation Case Studies

Insulation Measures

Case Study 1 Mrs Bell, Derry/Londonderry, Co Londonderry

Mrs Bell lives in a 4 bedroom semi-detached, oil fired central heating bungalow in Derry/Londonderry. She contacted the Energy Saving Trust advice centre as she thought that her home could be warmer.

Following her initial contact with the advice centre Mrs Bell decided to install cavity wall insulation. Commenting on her house, Mrs Bell stated that ?we always had a damp mustiness in one of our bedrooms, the cavity wall insulation cured this unpleasant problem and we noticed the improved warmness of our home almost immediately.?

Mrs Bell received a £150 grant for installing the cavity wall insulation, which may encourage more people to consider both cavity wall and loft insulation as methods of saving energy.

Cavity wall insulation is only one of the energy saving measures adopted by Mrs Bell as she also fitted a cylinder jacket back in 1980. An energy saving measure Mrs Bell is considering doing in the future is that of renewing and topping up her loft insulation.

Overall Mrs Bell is very happy with the work that has been done; she stated that the changes made to her home were not difficult and only took half a day.

Case Study 2 Miss Monteith, Omagh, Co Tyrone

Summary

Jill Monteith from Omagh took up NIE's insulation cash-back offer in January 2006.
Jill after moving into her house last October felt the house to be cold particularly during the winter months. She attributed this to the fact there was no cavity wall insulation. The Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre provided Jill with a list of accredited installers and the grant application forms to apply for the insulation cash-back.
Commenting on the installation Jill states "the installer came and to be honest, you wouldn't even have known he was there. I didn't even have to be home when they did the work. There is a real difference in the house since we've had the insulation. It's much warmer as the heat is staying in the house for longer. I know we are already saving on our fuel bills".

How does it work?

Cavity wall insulation material is injected into the cavity between the outer and inner layers of brick or block-work via several drilled holes on the external wall.

Key points

• Jill availed of a cash-back of £150 for cavity-wall insulation through NIE's insulation cash-back scheme run by the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre and EAGA Partnership Ltd.

• If you do have cavity walls, then cavity wall insulation is a must for saving energy. It's a straightforward, inexpensive and a low disruption job and although the work has to be carried out by a professional, you could save between £130-£160 a year on your fuel bill so you're likely to recover your costs within 2 years (Figures based on a gas heated semi-detached house with 3 bedrooms - Energy Saving Trust).

• The work should be carried out by a registered installer and if done so will come with a 25-year guarantee from the Cavity Wall Insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA).

• Cavity wall insulation means you are able to turn down the heating and live in a healthier and more comfortable environment.

Case Study 3 Mr & Mrs Ferron, Ballymena, Co Antrim

Summary

Mr Ferron and his wife live in a 4 bedroom detached house in Ballymena, Co Antrim. They contacted the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre back in August 2005 with a recommendation from a friend who had availed of NIE's insulation cashback offer.
As a result Mr Ferron had his cavity walls filled and loft insulation topped up in February this year. Commenting on cavity wall insulation Mr Ferron states "it has definitely made a good improvement. It has made the house much more comfortable which we find to be a very important factor particularly as you get older. It has also undoubtedly been a fuel saver particularly with the price of oil rising our running costs are markedly reduced". He also pointed out that with the rise in oil prices, the payback time for carrying out the work is even less.
With regards the installation process Mr Ferron states "it was no bother, they were very tidy, with no mess. It took them 1 day to do the cavity-wall insulation and I was actually surprised at the cost, I expected it to be more". Mr Ferron received a £225 cash-back for installing both cavity wall and loft insulation, through NIE's insulation cashback offer.
Overall Mr Ferron has noticed a remarkable difference "the house is holding much more heat for longer periods of time. The heat is evenly spread out so that the whole house remains warm and not as before with just parts of it. Particularly on the colder days with oil fired central heating, we would have had the boiler running for most of the day, now we have it on a couple of hours and the house is toasting, even getting up in the morning, the heat is retained. It has increased our comfort a 100 fold extra, that being the most important factor for us".
Cavity wall and loft insulation are but a few of the energy saving measures adopted in the Ferron house as low energy light bulbs are also fitted throughout the home.
Mr Ferron hasn't stopped there he is considering in the near future to install a more energy efficient boiler.

Case Study 4 Mr McSorley, Belfast

Summary

Mr McSorley lives in a 3 bedroom semi-detached house in Belfast. He contacted the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre as a result of seeing one of our adverts in his local paper.
The house built in 1964 did not have cavity wall insulation. As a result of speaking with one of our advisors in the advice centre, he had cavity wall insulation installed in May of this year and received a £150 cash-back through NIE's insulation cashback scheme.
Mr McSorley states "We do not use our gas central heating system to the same extent as before. As the heat builds up it stays there. We have turned down our thermostats as a result and ultimately we see this as savings on our fuel bills".
With regards to the installation process "there was minimal disruption. It took them just 1 day and cost around £400, then with the £150 cash-back, it cost just £250".
When asked about claiming his cashback Mr McSorley commented "I made a phone call, got a pack sent out, filled in a simple form and sent it off. The process was more than straightforward, nothing to put anyone off. There is no reason for people to be hesitant".
Overall Mr McSorley would "recommend it to everyone. The benefits are fantastic especially for the elderly and young children".
Mr McSorley is now looking into topping up his loft to the recommended level.

Case Study 5 Mrs Simpson, Ederney, Co Fermanagh

Summary

Mrs Simpson from Ederney, Co Fermanagh lives in a 3 bedroom detached bungalow, built in 1976. After visiting our stand at the Ideal Home Exhibition back in 2005, Mrs Simpson proceeded to contact the advice centre for more information on insulation in the home.
Last November she topped up her loft insulation and in May 2006 after availing of NIE's insulation cash-back offer had cavity wall insulation installed.
Commenting on the insulation Mrs Simpson states "I am very pleased with the outcome, there is definitely a big improvement, a notable difference, it is a lot warmer".
With reference to the installer "I was very satisfied with the work undertaken by the installer, it took less than 2 hours".
Overall "I am very happy I have even been telling all my friends to get it done".
Mrs Simpson is also very keen to save energy in other ways by having low energy light bulbs in the light fittings in her home.
For further Information on insulation measures and the grants that may be available contact the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre on freephone 0800 512 012.

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