Insulation free for 100 homes

IT may still be summer, but people throughout the county are being urged to think about their home’s insulation needs.
Clare Local Development Company has announced that 100 Clare homes will be able to benefit from free attic insulation under the Warmer Homes Scheme in the coming months and are encouraging householders to apply.
People in receipt of fuel allowance who own their own home, that was built before 2002, are eligible for the scheme, which is funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and should contact CLDC. According to CLDC, the free insulation will help people save energy and money on heating bills.
Under the supervision of John O’Connell, workers on the Rural Social Scheme provide an attic insulation, draught-proofing and pipe insulation service, as well as lagging jackets for boilers and water tanks. They also fit low-energy light bulbs where required.  From a base in Spanish Point, the scheme operated by CLDC covers all areas north and west of Ennis-Clarecastle.
One local woman who has already seen the benefits of the scheme is Teresa Purtill from Ennis.
“I had the work done two months ago, they came up and insulated the loft and they did a great job. I have no central heating in the house, there’s a coal fire in the kitchen. I bought this house and I wasn’t entitled to get the insulation done through the council, so I was told to apply for the scheme, as I was eligible. The house is definitely warmer now but I suppose I won’t feel the full effect until the winter. It was very cold last winter and I think this will make a big difference,” she told The Clare Champion.
Speaking about the work, Teresa said, “They did a spotless job. They were here around 10am and left at around 3pm, so they didn’t interrupt my day. I’m very happy with the job, it was definitely something that needed to be done.”
John O’Connell added, “Many of the people we have done work for have contacted us afterwards and they told us they have noticed an enormous difference in the heat in the house. The insulation we put in is 200mm, which is a good type and it definitely makes a difference in the winter.
“It’s a very good scheme, the workers do the work to a very high standard and it’s definitely a worthwhile exercise for the householder. There are a lot of people out there on low incomes who are receiving fuel allowance and they need to upgrade their insulation but can’t afford it. That’s what this scheme is for. I would urge anyone eligible for the scheme to apply, if you receive fuel allowance, own your own house and if it was built before 2002 then you can apply. A lot of houses built prior to 2002 would have poor insulation, if you just go back 10 years the standard was 100mm and it’s doubled now since then. A lot of even older houses would have no insulation at all, so all that heat is escaping through the roof. It’s estimated that 60% of heat escapes through the loft area, so it’s very important that the loft is well insulated,” he said.
He explained that once a householder applies to the scheme and fills all three criteria, John contacts them. A survey of the attic is carried out for health and safety issues and if the attic is suitable, then a four-page survey form is filled out with the householder. “It’s a very simple questionnaire and then we arrange a time and date for the actual work to be carried out,” said John.
“This is all done free of charge, it’s funded by SEAI with some funding from the ESB and to ensure that the work is done properly, there are random inspections. The work is done all in one day so there is no disruption to the householder and we try our best to accommodate people as much as possible with what times we do the work, we’re very flexible. We have done 70 houses already this year, and we are hoping to do 100 more before the end of the year.”
CLDC will have a new contract for 100 homes starting July 1 to the end of November. Anyone who fits the criteria should contact Clare Local Development Company, Westgate Business Park, Kilrush Road, Ennis on 065 6866800 or contact info@seai.ie