The Energy Audit Company (EAC) has managed a successful programme in which cavity wall insulation was installed free to all householders whose homes could benefit, in three districts of rural Northumberland. 1,700 cavity walls and 555 lofts were insulated through the programme.
This programme operated in the areas covered by Tynedale District, Alnwick District and Berwick Borough Councils. This impressively scenic area includes small towns, villages and isolated hamlets in an apparently idyllic setting. By contrast, the housing is largely old and much of it is off the gas grid so a high proportion is well below modern standards of heating. There is a large variation in local income levels, between people employed as farm labourers or seasonally in the tourist trade, and those commuting to better-paid work in Newcastle. Insulation companies are not enthusiastic about working in these areas: they have to drive long distances between each survey, often with a low level of take-up.
Many homes have been constructed with cavity walls in the North East for 100 years (longer than in the rest of the UK), and could benefit from cavity wall insulation. EAC set up a scheme, funded through Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) payments, where eligibility for free insulation is based on whether the property could benefit from cavity wall insulation, rather than on the financial means of the house-holder. They targeted one village at a time with a Council-backed publicity drive, offering free insulation. This was quickly followed by survey visits and installation achieving a very high take-up rate (over 80% of qualifying properties). The scheme brought the benefits of improved comfort, reduced energy bills and reduced carbon dioxide emissions.
