States urged to subsidise costs of home insulation
HOME insulation is on the rise, as islanders try to reduce their carbon footprint.
But now the States is being urged to help subsidise some of the costs in a bid to reduce energy use and carbon emissions.
External wall insulation specialists P3 said it had completed more than 50 insulation projects in the island this year.
‘There’s a massive ground swell of interest,’ said managing director Jason Smith.
Up to 45% of heat can be lost from homes with poor insulation.
‘It needs to be addressed,’ Mr Smith said.
‘The housing stock in Guernsey is quite old and we’re not where we should be in comparison to the UK and Ireland.
‘A lot of our existing housing is post-war and a lot of Guernsey housing stock is solid wall and doesn’t have a cavity,’ he said.
His comments, and call for financial support for the such projects, come as the States this week discuss a raft of planning exemptions, including allowing external insulated render on the outside of many home or building containing flats without having to apply for planning permission.
Environment & Infrastructure President Lindsay de Sausmarez said that the States climate change action plan, which brings together a significant number of work streams, including ways to improve standards of energy efficiency, was currently under review.
Mr Smith said that if the States offered financial support it would make a big difference.
‘It would have tremendous impact, but we would need to see a lot of state intervention, they would need to offer grants,’ said Mr Smith.
Making buildings more energy-efficient by installing improved insulation was outlined as ‘critical’ in the climate change action plan, but firm plans for progressing this have not yet been determined.
‘There’s a massive appetite for it, we’d need a champion for it and investment put behind it,’ Mr Smith said.
‘If the States were to subsidise it or offer grants it would get it going and if they offered it to private home owners it would create movement.
‘However I do accept that there are other priorities for the States at the moment.’
A typical bungalow costs anywhere between £7,000 and £12,000 for full insulation to be installed, whereas a house would cost between £12,000 and £25,000.
Guernsey Housing Association Chief Executive Steve Williams said that all its homes built since 2009 have been built to a higher energy efficiency than building regulations require.
‘Primarily it’s to save our lower income residents money as fuel is expensive in Guernsey, but it also helps to reduce CO2 emissions so it’s good for the planet as well. We provide more, and higher performing, insulation and we make our properties airtight – dramatically reducing draughts, meaning less warmth escapes,’ said Mr Williams.
