It’s a question of balance; if you are going to insulate, you must also ventilate. And that is why the government as a matter of urgency, needs to roll out a properly funded, expert and independent advisory service, to help people plan their home and business retrofit, to meet zero carbon targets.
On the 25th of January, Wymondham was treated to free expert advice at Central Hall by Simeon Jackson of Nicholas Vanbrugh Ltd, Architectural technician, and retrofit adviser, as organised by the South Norfolk Green Party. Nor is it enough to insulate, argued Simeon, but to ensure that the embodied carbon in the retrofit materials used are low, because the most expensive high insulating material may have cost the most in carbon emissions to manufacture. Building regulations need to include embodied carbon in their guidelines, he stressed again, to help us achieve our zero carbon ambition.
There is no one fix which is suitable for every situation unfortunately. In the absence of independent assessment prior to the installation of insulation, or the money to pay for expert advice, know this: insulation without ventilation can cause damp, and subsequent problems with mould are known to be dangerous for health. Know too, that loft insulation needs to be thick enough, evenly installed and continuous across timbers. Also, loft storage will compromise the insulation if it compresses it.
Reduce your energy use first, before investing in an air source heat pump which is the most efficient source of heat. This ensures you do not over specify for the heat pump, which would then cost more.
The scale of the challenge is big, and will require individual as well as collective action. If we get our insulation/ventilation balance right, and cut down our use of energy overall because of improved ENERGY PERFORMANCE, (Energy Performance Certificates are required when selling or renting) our energy costs will decrease, our overall cost to the National Health Service will decrease, and we will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Win Win Win. Personally our lives will improve, collectively our lives will improve. Government, take note.
