If you’ve seen news about the Green Homes Grant circulating then you’ll know that there are plenty of jobs you can take on under the scheme – one of them being loft insulation updates. The initiative provides homeowners with vouchers to carry out work that will help make their homes more energy efficient, so it’s the perfect time to be talking to your customers about this kind of work.
Knowing where to start can sometimes be tricky, so in this blog we’re going to take you through how to approach opportunities involving loft insulation with your customer and help you win more work.
Benefits for your client
Step one is selling the investment to your client. When it comes to loft insulation there are two main benefits; cost savings and helping the environment. According to the Simple Energy Advice website, on average around 25% of a home’s heat is lost through the roof, meaning bigger energy bills for your customers. Investing in loft insulation pays off over time as it lasts around 40 years and an initial outlay of £400 can result in energy savings of £200 per year. It really is a no-brainer!
Secondly, by making their house more energy efficient your customer will be helping the environment – something people are increasingly worried about. One of the largest contributors to carbon emissions is the energy used to heat buildings and if this is being wasted through poor insulation, then the carbon footprint of the house increases. Loft insulation can help reduce this wasted energy and reduce your customer’s contribution to carbon emissions.
Benefits for you
Loft insulation doesn’t just benefit your client, but you as well as it’s pretty simple and quick to install, meaning you can get through more jobs. Your customers may not think they need the work done, but after a quick inspection you’ll easily be able to tell if their existing loft insulation just needs a quick top-up rather than a brand-new installation. Getting their loft insulation sorted is extremely cost effective for your clients, as it’s the most affordable job listed on the Green Homes Grants, while providing the biggest impact.
When working on loft insulation installations, there is a wide range of products to choose from with various benefits. For example, ISOVER’s Spacesaver range offers a glass mineral wool solution and comes in varying thicknesses, making it suitable for all types of jobs. Alternatively, consider using Celotex PIR boards if your clients want to use the loft for storage, as you may be able to lay boarding across the joists rather than having to add new joists. The Celotex 4000 range provides the same insulating benefit as glass mineral wool, but it’s thinner.
Accreditation
Before you can start benefitting from the scheme, you’ll need to check your accreditation. To take part, all tradespeople must be MCS or PAS 2030 accredited as well as TrustMark registered.
For tradespeople who install insulation, one way to become accredited is to join the Insulation Assurance Authority (IAA), who can turn around an application in as little as 12 days. The IAA will provide you with several key services that are required under the TrustMark scheme, including guarantees for the insulation measures. As part of this accreditation, you’ll need to prove your competence to work to certain requirements with educational qualifications or manufacturer training and will need to be endorsed by a supplying member System Designer or manufacturer.
Because this can be tricky to prove, Saint-Gobain Insulation UK is offering an online training program on Loft Insulation Installation. The course is pre-accredited with the IAA, giving you all the evidence you need for your application. This training is due to be available in November.
For further information and to be kept updated on this, please register here: https://insulation-uk.com/technical-services/training/trustmark-contractor-training.
To find out more about how Jewson can support you with the Green Homes Grant scheme and how to get the accreditation needed to take part, head over to https://www.jewson.co.uk/promotions/green-homes-grant.
