Sustainable Hockerton is launching a new offer to residents to help keep their homes warmer and their heating bills lower. This is to thank the village for hosting our wind turbine, to help develop the sustainability of its buildings and to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions.
Up until 31 March 2018, residents and local business can claim up to £200 for insulated curtains or up to £500 for insulation for the walls, lofts and floors of their home or premises.
We are focussing on insulation because it is the most cost-effective way to cut energy bills and improve comfort in a building. Works funded by our past offers, and our surveys of 3 Hockerton homes, show that homes in Hockerton could benefit from insulating lofts, walls, dormer windows, internal garages, over extensions, and roof-spaces. If you have bought or rented your home since 2008, check the advice on the energy performance register here. If a room is difficult to heat it is likely to be due to the lack of insulation, so we hope this can help!
The small print: Residents who want to take up this offer must register with Sustainable Hockerton in advance of getting works done; get at least two quotes where a professional installer is being used and agree works by end March 2018, complete work by end of 2018, and the offer is only available whilst funds last. Householders are advised but not required to use accredited installers. SHOCK reserves the right to check claims against advice on the Energy Performance Certificate or make other checks as appropriate. And see notes at end of page.
Ways to insulate your home
There are lots of ways that heat can leak out of a building. The biggest benefits will come from insulating your loft or walls. But also consider whether there is a room you find difficult to heat and investigate – we tend to find gaps in insulation in features such as the walls around bay or dormer windows, or in lofts or extensions where insulation was left incomplete.
Roof and loft
A quarter of heat is lost through the roof in an uninsulated home
- SHOCK will help fund the installation of, or top up to, 300mm or more loft insulation
- Estimated savings are between £130 and £240 a year
- DIY or use a professional installer
- Further advice from the Energy Saving Trust on loft insulation.
If you are using the loft for storage, we recommend installing a platform over the insulation, or it won’t work as well.
Cavity walls
Found in properties built from the 1930s onwards, a cavity wall is made up of two walls with a gap in between, known as the cavity; the outer leaf is usually made of brick, and the inner layer of brick or concrete block.
About a third of heat lost from an uninsulated home with cavity walls is lost through the walls.
- Estimated savings are between £110 and £275 a year
- Use a professional installer
- See if you can get funding from your energy company to help SHOCK funding go further!
- Further advice from the Energy Saving Trust on cavity wall insulation
Solid walls
About two-thirds of heat lost from an uninsulated home with solid walls is lost through the walls, making them twice as leaky as a house with cavity walls, and much harder to keep warm.
A solid wall has no cavity; each wall is a single solid wall, usually made of brick or stone.
- Insulation can be applied internally or externally
- Estimated savings are between £135 and £240 a year
- Use a professional installer
- See if you can get funding from your energy company
- Further advice from the Energy Saving Trust on solid wall insulation
- Some has been installed in the village – we can put you in touch if you want to know what the impact is on the look and feel of a room.
Hot water tank
Insulating your hot water tank will save you around £20 a year, which is more than the one-off cost of the jacket.
- The jacket should be 80mm thick
- Fitting insulation on your hot water pipes will keep the water hotter for longer.
- DIY, or use a professional particularly if pipes are difficult to access
For clarity; Residents who want to take up this offer must register with Sustainable Hockerton in advance of getting works donein in writing. (added 19/12/17)