Fitting insulation is one of the most effective ways of reducing a home’s carbon footprint while simultaneously cutting back on utilities bills.
That’s the message being given out by a new project in the north of England, which has so far seen dozens of ex-miners, as well as the widows of former coal industry workers, benefit from free loft insulation.
With many of the beneficiaries are too old to carry out the home improvement work, they have been receiving DIY help from the National Union of Mineworkers Housing Association (NUMHA), which has teamed up with the Northumberland Warm Zone scheme to fit the energy-efficient insulation in 50 homes to date.
Speaking to the north-east’s Journal newspaper, Bill Smith, the Northumberland manager of the NUMHA, explained that offering DIY help for insulation fitting makes excellent sense.
"In this day and age of rising fuel costs it is essential that as responsible landlords we make sure our tenants not only have good quality housing but also a warm home," he said.
Meanwhile, the growing importance of home energy-efficiency has been highlighted with the news that Centrica has snapped up a family-run insulation firm based in Cheshire for £5 million.
Posted by Thomas Morris