A Green Building Council report stating that 25 million UK homes need to be retrofitted between now and 2050 has been welcomed by insulation expert Actis.
The report “Building Places that Work for Everyone – industry insights into key government priorities” says that more than one home a minute will need to be insulated over the next 33 years if the government is to achieve its target of cutting carbon emissions by 80% by 2050.
“The UK has amongst the worst housing stock in the whole of Europe when it comes to energy efficiency – and it’s responsible for a third of our carbon emissions,” says Mark Cooper, national sales director at pan European insulation specialist Actis.
“The collapse of the Green Deal and the removal of the zero carbon standard have not helped. And neither has the perception that retrofitting is disruptive. It can be, but it doesn’t have to be that bad – depending on the construction of the house and the type of insulation materials used.
“Loft insulation is particularly easy when using Actis Hybrid products. it’s quick, easy clean, dust free and involves minimal waste. And because it’s thin it doesn’t really impact on the headroom.”
Because all three Actis Hybrid products are flexible and straightforward to install, the margin for error is very small, making the risk of thermal bridging very slight.
Indeed, thermal modelling trials carried out by certification body BM TRADA have shown that they have a dramatic impact on counteracting thermal bridging and act as excellent thermal blankets.
“While some quarters point to installing renewables as a way to address inefficiency this is clearly not the answer. Leaky walls and roofs will continue to haemorrhage heat – so our motto is ‘fabric first.’ Without the core infrastructure in place there is simply no point in throwing money at alternative heating systems. Innovative insulation methods are key.”
