Free or subsidised insulation through CERT.

The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) scheme provides reduced cost and sometimes free loft and cavity wall insulation and is paid for by the ‘big six’ energy companies (British Gas, EDF Energy, nPower, E.ON, Scottish and Southern Energy, and Scottish Power) but you don’t have to be one of their customers to benefit. Anybody can qualify for a discount for the total cost of cavity wall and loft insulation under this scheme regardless of their income or savings, typically there is around a third or more off the cost. Applicants must be home owners or have the permission of their landlord and are designated as being in one of two groups: ‘Able to Pay’ or ‘Priority’.

Able to Pay

If the applicant is not on benefits and/or under 70 they are classed as Able to Pay. This means that the client, if a homeowner, pays an amount towards the cost of the insulation (see Table 1) with the remainder being subsidised by the energy companies.

Priority

Under the CERT scheme, people over 70 or on various benefits and allowances qualify to have cavity wall and/or loft insulation for free unless the property is larger than average for its type (see Table 2 for sizes). The following benefits and allowances qualify for Priority funding:

Council Tax benefit (not 25% single occupancy discount)

Housing benefit

Income support

Income-based job seekers allowance

Attendance allowance

Disability living allowance

War disablement pension (must include a mobility supplement or a constant attendance allowance)

Disablement pension (must include constant attendance allowance)

State pension credit

Child tax credit and the household income is £15, 592 or less

Working tax credit and the household income is £15, 592 or less

or

Aged at least 70

Insulation

The tables below detail the pricing policy of our preferred third party insulation installer for Able to Pay and Priority clients. The prices are for cavity wall and loft insulation (including lagging of water pipes and cold water tank if situated in the loft) and lofts will be insulated to the recommended minimum depth of 270mm.

Table 1: CERT Able to Pay pricelist

For details of excess please see bottom of Table 2.

Table 2: CERT Priority pricelist

There is an excess of £4.21 (inc. VAT) per additional square metre for cavity wall insulation and £5.26 (inc. VAT) per additional square metre for loft insulation. This means there is an additional £5.26 for every square metre over the free square metre allowance. Some examples will help explain what this means:

• Example 1 (using Table 1).

A homeowner – classified as Able to Pay – could have 95m² of cavity wall insulation or 50m² of loft insulation installed for £129 if the depth of the loft insulation they have currently is less than 60mm (2.63”).

• Example 2

If their loft had an area of 50m² but an existing depth greater than 60mm it would cost £199.

N.B. Because the loft had more than 60mm of insulation, increasing its depth to 270mm is classed as a top-up. The reason why a top-up is more expensive than getting the full 270mm is that although both procedures are subsidised by the ‘big six’ energy companies, top-up saves less carbon and so it is subsidised less. This means the installer get less money from the energy companies when doing a top-up and has to pass the cost onto the customer.

• Example 3

A loft with an area of 60m² and a current depth greater than 60mm would cost (60-50) x £5.26 + £199 =£251.60.

• Example 4 (using Table 2).

If the homeowner is given Priority status and lives in a semi-detached, three bedroomed house and has a loft with an area of 50m² with less than 60mm/2.63” of insulation, they would get the loft insulation for free.

• Example 5

If all the parameters remain the same except we increase the area to 75m² they would get the first 50m² for free as before, but they would have to pay the loft insulation excess of £5.26 for each m² over the 50m² limit. Meaning they would pay (75-50) x £5.26 which is £131.50.

Draught-proofing

Our preferred insulation installer will also draught-proof one external door for free for Priority customers if insulation is installed on the same day. To draught-proof a second external door (Priority) costs £20. Able to Pay customers pay £20 per door.

To find out if you qualify for CERT or if you want more information you can call REAP free on 0800 085 4008 or pop into our office at 177 Mid Street, Keith, and we can go through the check list with you. And if you would like a no obligation survey, we can arrange that too.