The project
Funded by the UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Sustainable Warmth scheme is being delivered in the region through the Greater South East Net Zero Hub. The scheme is designed to ensure that people in fuel poverty have access to affordable, low-carbon warmth as we transition to net zero and work toward our fuel poverty target.
The challenge
The local resident in Luton lives in a 1930s semi detached house and found certain parts of the house were very cold, especially their bedroom. With three outside walls they found that half of the house was significantly colder, sometimes up to 4 degrees, even with the heating on. The walls were icy and they were finding it difficult waking up in such a cold bedroom.
Solution and benefits
The resident had heard about the Sustainable Warmth scheme through their local council and decided to look on the website for more information before arranging a meeting to discuss their energy needs.
It was confirmed they met the eligibility criteria and the house was surveyed. The assessor confirmed the home had an EPC rating of D with external wall insulation recommended for the entire house. This would help energy efficiency for the resident by providing an additional layer of protection to the walls, helping to block gaps where hot air can escape and cold air creeps in.
Installing the Energy Efficiency Measures
How long did it take?
The survey was carried out on the 7th May. After the recommended measures were agreed a site survey took place on the 18th May, scaffolding was installed on the 25th May, work started on the cladding on the 26th May and the entire installation was completed in just under a fortnight by the team of accredited installers.
The resident said “The installers were absolutely brilliant and we were so impressed with the quality and efficiency of the installation. We were kept informed at each stage and the workers were very careful with keeping everything clean with plastic sheeting. They were punctual, polite and very well organised, explaining everything carefully to me so I understood exactly what was happening. They worked very hard to get the job done, starting work at 7am and working through until 5.30pm every day”.
Were they happy with the result?
The resident was more than happy with the new cladding and how warm it keeps their house, noticing the huge difference it made.
Warmth and comfort
“The difference is absolutely amazing. It’s so lovely to wake up and not feel freezing cold. Whereas the front of the house used to be 4 degrees cooler, now the entire house feels warm and the walls no longer feel icy” says the resident.
Energy costs
At the time this case study was written, the resident confirmed they had been able to reduce the use of their central heating to just one hour a day, in stark contrast to before the measures were installed when they would need the heating on all day to try and stay warm.
“The cladding has made a huge difference to the warmth of the house. We have found we only need the heating on for a short period of time in the morning and the whole house stays warm all day. We read our meter every week and have already noticed that comparing our usage for gas this time last year, we are using 50% less each week, which will have a significant impact on our bills as well as reducing our carbon emissions”.