FabSwingers.com forum: Insulate Britain just made me remember something.

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

In 2013 I worked in a call centre where we had to cold call thousands of people a day telling them that there’s a government grant that entitles them to have free loft and or cavity wall insulation. We were on commission for each person that uses the grant to get their homes done but I’d say roughly 90% of people we called told us to fuck off and they didn’t want it.

We said that there is a time limit for when these government grants would be around but nobody wanted their home insulated because it can cause problems. It only leaves you with a small amount of loft space around the hatch so bad news for people who have a shit tonne of stuff in their attics. Plus non cavity walls (so older houses before 1970) sometimes filling the cavity with insulation pushed damp through to the inside walls.

What I’m saying is there was a free government incentive years ago to get your home done but nobody wanted it. Now these protestors are kicking off for something that was already available for free years ago!

Rant over!

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By *UGGYBEAR2015Man
over a year ago

BRIDPORT

You are correct.

I was wondering when someone was going to bring this up.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Are you sure nobody wanted it? Or was the sales pitch a bit lacking?

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By *UGGYBEAR2015Man
over a year ago

BRIDPORT

"Are you sure nobody wanted it? Or was the sales pitch a bit lacking?"

Some did take up the offer. My uncle had the loft insulation done.

But huge numbers of people who were eligible declined the offers.

People declined for a variety of reasons

Ask around in the building trade and hear some of the horror stories of people getting cavity wall insulation only to find it gave them terrible problems with damp bridging from external walls to internal.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Are you sure nobody wanted it? Or was the sales pitch a bit lacking?"

We were all on commission for each person that did used the grant. It was not an individual problem with the pitch. You know what it’s like being cold called, everybody hates it.

Was you ever called between 2011 and 2014 and asked if you want loft or cavity insulation?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"You know what it’s like being cold called, everybody hates it.

I think you've just solved the mystery there

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By *dwalu2Couple
over a year ago

Bristol

Is the insulation being proposed today the same as what was being offered in 2013?

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"You know what it’s like being cold called, everybody hates it.

I think you've just solved the mystery there"

But it was massive at the time. Adverts on local radio stations, leaflets put through doors, plus the countless call centres who were going through the whole of the uk telling them about these grants available. What else could be done to tell peoplelook this is a grant that the government has provided for you to get your home insulated if you wish to. The grants won’t be around forever so if you want it, get it done.

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By *ollydoesWoman
over a year ago

Shangri-La

I took them up on this. The first 2 times they said they couldnt do it, but the 3rd lot of guys had no problem. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Is the insulation being proposed today the same as what was being offered in 2013?"

I believe the loft insulation thickness back then was 270mm and think it’s the same now.

As for cavity wall insulation I think there’s only one way to do it and it was the same then as it is now. Having cavity wall insulation used to give older homes a lot of issues with damp.

There’s grants available here in Wales that help you remove cavity wall insulation

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Lot off people did get it done can’t say how I know but trust me loads got it

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By *ewrocksWoman
over a year ago

button moon

I ignored the cold calls. Fucking hate them so they don't really get a chance to explain why they're calling, just get told to remove my number and don't call again.

I did read up on it when I got a leaflet thing, but landlord said no

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By *dwalu2Couple
over a year ago

Bristol

Looking into this, it seems Insulate Britain are calling for all social housing to be insulated by 2025.

So not something of a matter of choice for private householders at all.

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By *immyinreadingMan
over a year ago

henley on thames

"In 2013 I worked in a call centre where we had to cold call thousands of people a day telling them that there’s a government grant that entitles them to have free loft and or cavity wall insulation. We were on commission for each person that uses the grant to get their homes done but I’d say roughly 90% of people we called told us to fuck off and they didn’t want it.

Rant over! "

I respond badly to cold calls, I shut right down. Better ways to share information and publicise, eg tv adverts, radio adverts, supported by postal info and magazine / internet campaigns. Someone phoning me up trying to tell me about a scheme always sounds like a scam or a lie, that ultimately they are just going to end up trying to sell me something

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By *xydadbodMan
over a year ago

Milton keynes

I didn't get cold called but when my ex and I were living in a council place, the council just told us they are doing it regardless

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By *lirtymr_mrsCouple
over a year ago

Stockton-on-Tees

We used a different free scheme to get loft insulation, we had to call them, only found out about it because of the neighbors. Wasn't the most expert of installs, but got more insulation up there without us getting messy doing DIY.

This was when companies like British Gas had some targets to insulate a certain number of houses as part of some scheme or other.

Thing that gets me is that even if you have to pay for it insulation is a no brainer. Loft insulation is super cheap to do DIY and will usually pay for itself in a year or two, you also get a warmer feeling house. Cavity insulation costs more but is still worth it, insulated floors and new windows never make financial sense to retrofit unless you need new windows anyway.

There were problems with inappropriate types of cavity wall insulation being used which caused damp problems, which has given the whole insulation industry a dodgy vibe when it comes to public perception.

Hopefully a positive out of sky high energy prices is people will finally do something about energy efficiency... But a lot of people will suffer as many families can't afford their energy bills doubling and the most vulnerable are renters who don't control the insulation in their houses.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Lot off people did get it done can’t say how I know but trust me loads got it "

Yeah of course. The majority didn’t though.

Either in rented accommodation and landlord wouldn’t give permission or they had too much stuff in their attic to have the loft insulation. Or the very real risk of cavity wall insulation causing damp.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Lot off people did get it done can’t say how I know but trust me loads got it

Yeah of course. The majority didn’t though.

That’s true

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By *ad NannaWoman
over a year ago

East London

"Is the insulation being proposed today the same as what was being offered in 2013?

I believe the loft insulation thickness back then was 270mm and think it’s the same now.

As for cavity wall insulation I think there’s only one way to do it and it was the same then as it is now. Having cavity wall insulation used to give older homes a lot of issues with damp.

There’s grants available here in Wales that help you remove cavity wall insulation

I have cavity wall insulation. They drilled holes in my outside walls and pumped some kind of expanding foam into it.

I have a problem with damp now.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Is the insulation being proposed today the same as what was being offered in 2013?"

No it’s different now. It used to be foam now it’s tiny styrofoam balls.

I do retrofit surveys for it to prevent the previous issues that occurred where foam insulation caused damp. Lots of cowboys went round putting in insulation to unsuitable properties.

Now all firms doing insulation are heavily regulated and the survey I do takes into account wall condition, thermal bridging issues, if there is enough/correct ventilation and suitable dpc. Weather exposure etc.

There is still a lot of eco funding available for this & loft insulation and replacement boilers.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Is the insulation being proposed today the same as what was being offered in 2013?

I believe the loft insulation thickness back then was 270mm and think it’s the same now.

As for cavity wall insulation I think there’s only one way to do it and it was the same then as it is now. Having cavity wall insulation used to give older homes a lot of issues with damp.

There’s grants available here in Wales that help you remove cavity wall insulation

I have cavity wall insulation. They drilled holes in my outside walls and pumped some kind of expanding foam into it.

I have a problem with damp now."

I can give you some advice wrt that if you would like just pm me.

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By *wisted999Man
over a year ago

North Bucks

"Is the insulation being proposed today the same as what was being offered in 2013?

I believe the loft insulation thickness back then was 270mm and think it’s the same now.

As for cavity wall insulation I think there’s only one way to do it and it was the same then as it is now. Having cavity wall insulation used to give older homes a lot of issues with damp.

There’s grants available here in Wales that help you remove cavity wall insulation

I have cavity wall insulation. They drilled holes in my outside walls and pumped some kind of expanding foam into it.

I have a problem with damp now."

Same here just one corner wall where they drilled.

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By *agneto.Man
over a year ago

Bham

"Are you sure nobody wanted it? Or was the sales pitch a bit lacking?"

I've made calls on behalf of the government before. No one pissing believes you, they all think it's a scam

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I didn't have a cold call but did get a leaflet through the door and took them up on it . Had the roof and walls done and it did made massive difference to our bills

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By *tue555Man
over a year ago

Passed Beyond Reach

Watched an Insulate Britain spokesperson on GMB. Sorry she was a lunatic, wouldn't answer any questions, she was hysterically reciting nonsense and some rhetoric which didn't make any iota of sense (reminded me of the virus and politics forum)

They tried so hard to to get her to answer even tbe simplest of questions, she just kept ranting the same thing.

She really didn't do them any favours or even put any kind or point across.

Really after seeing that any support i might of had for their case has gone. And judging by comments so have for many people

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By *uminsiderMKMan
over a year ago

St Austell

Back where we used to live, we had a couple of surveys done for cavity wall insulation that was being offered under incentive/grant schemes...

....in one instance, what was potentially 100% free under a local government grant scheme would have resulted in us paying over 50% because of various 'issues' - one being access to the gable end due to a ground-floor extension...

....with the other, the guy who came to inspect the house declared we already had it, due to a handful of 'balls' of expanding foam on both the gable end and rear exterior walls...

....when we later had solar panels fitted, the installers dropped cables down inside the gable end wall from the loft to the meter - which was when we discovered the visible foam balls were actually just where the previous occupants had used the stuff to fill holes they'd made through the walls...

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Insulation is reasonably cheap, especially loft insulation. You can do that yourself easily. Wall insulation a bit trickier but still not too costly. Could always put stucko on the outside as that helps somewhat.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Watched an Insulate Britain spokesperson on GMB. Sorry she was a lunatic, wouldn't answer any questions, she was hysterically reciting nonsense and some rhetoric which didn't make any iota of sense (reminded me of the virus and politics forum)

They tried so hard to to get her to answer even tbe simplest of questions, she just kept ranting the same thing.

She really didn't do them any favours or even put any kind or point across.

Really after seeing that any support i might of had for their case has gone. And judging by comments so have for many people

It really does seem like they have no clue about their 'cause' and they just want to cause trouble. Absolute fuckwits.

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By *aitonelMan
over a year ago

Travelling

They tried so hard to to get her to answer even tbe simplest of questions, she just kept ranting the same thing.

She really didn't do them any favours or even put any kind or point across.

Really after seeing that any support i might of had for their case has gone. And judging by comments so have for many people

I'm in no way in support of them at all (well their point I get, as most others, but their methods push support away).

Rarely will you see a reasonable interview "victim" on mainstream shows being interviewed. Rarely will it be somebody who is any good in front of the camera, or in on the spot positions. Just all around weak interviewees. The dramatic and theatrical tend to get the most attention for the interviewer and the show.

I highly doubt that she was the best they could offer in terms of a spokesperson, there will be people who are part of their cause out there that can give rationale and informative interviews.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I actually did have it done insulated the whole outside of my house for £150

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By *lex46TV/TS
over a year ago

Near Wells

I had a grant for insulation in the early 2000's, can't remember how much but it was probably 50% of the total bill.

Lived there for about 5 years after and it seemed OK.

I never ever buy anything from cold callers even if I'm thinking about buying what they're selling.

I prefer to do some research, decide for myself and buy at my own leisure without pressure. Even if I'm told its a limited offer / price whatever I put the phone down on them if I start feeling pressure.

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By *pertureTV/TS
over a year ago

New Ferry, wirral in stockings and sussies

most of the grants were for people on benefits, and if you had no benefits you couldnt get the grant.

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