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Neighbourly way to cut bills at heat-loss homes
• MANY of us living in Islington’s Victorian terraces are baffled about what to do about insulation, knowing we have no cavity walls to be filled.
There’s a great new chance to grasp the nettle and get financial support for some of those improvements which cause disruption as well as costing money (replacing windows, fixing insulation inside external walls). January will see the launch of the Green Neighbourhoods scheme, run by the Energy Saving Trust, which is the first step by the government to deal with awkward houses like ours, which lose two-thirds of their heat through the walls, windows, roof and floors.
I’m looking for another 15 homeowners to join the little group I have gathered in Highbury, to get together and make an application in January. If we are one of the successful 100 neighbourhoods, there could be as much as £20,000 per house available (part grant, part interest-free loan) to do serious insulation work, and reduce energy use by 60 per cent – just do the calculation on your bills. And you’re reducing your carbon emissions by that amount as well.
It’s also a good investment: a full range of energy-efficiency measures has been shown to add up to six per cent to the value of a house, and while no one may be buying or selling now the day will come when there’s a market again, and your energy performance certificate will get a close inspection from prospective buyers.
Cutting your bills while adding value to your house surely makes the grind of installing insulation worth the trouble.
If you’re interested in joining the Green Neighbourhood application, contact me, preferably by email at antonymelville@dsl.pipex.org or by phone on 7607 1540.
Antony Melville
Director, Victorian Terrace Energy Reduction Initiative
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