Blogs

Green Deal or no Green Deal - which do you prefer?

Fri, 11 May 2012 18:54:56 GMT

There is an incredible amount of whingeing about the Green Deal going on. Whether you work in insulation as I do or simply believe we should be hitting our carbon saving targets ask yourself...

Do I want the Green Deal to ahead? – answer with a simple yes or no - right – that was easy.

I was at Greenbuild Expo and it is quite clear that some companies are determined to make the Green Deal work - and guess what they don’t expect things to be handed to them on a plate. These are companies like Mark Group and others who are:

•    Running trials to understand how householders respond to different offers
•    Asking householders what they think at every stage of major work
•    Pro-actively engaging with industry bodies and the Government
•    Investing in training their employees in readiness for the Green Deal
•    Actually selling the benefits of a particular energy saving measure to householders

Unfortunately too many in the industry have become addicted to schemes like CERT allowing them to deliver energy saving measures for nothing or nearly nothing. Householders have also got used to getting insulation and other measures for nothing.

Yep – getting people to actually pay will be more difficult than giving your products away for free. It will sort the companies that actually listen to their customers from those out to make a quick buck.

And the government is getting the message, they announced this week:

•    An extra £200 million in funding to encourage multiple property projects
•    In a housing association it really does not make sense to survey dozens or even hundreds of identical properties

But there is a lack conviction – a squeal of complaint from the Daily Mail meant consequential improvements - dubbed the ‘conservatory tax’ by the media were dropped, but the Mail forgot to mention that:

•    It wouldn’t apply to a typical ‘normal’ sized conservatory
•    Those spending £10k on an extension would have to get a Green Deal for £200 loft insulation – would this really stop an extension?
•    This would have kick started the Green Deal as there are around 200,000 extensions per year that would be covered.

The Green Deal was always going to be a carrot and stick scheme to ensure take up – if all the sticks are removed it just won’t get going fast enough.

Energy Efficiency: the hidden fuel of the future

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:53:22 GMT

1 in 4 households in the UK are now in fuel poverty, meaning they need to spend more than 10% of their income on keeping their homes warm. The problem is likely to get worse, with 1 in 3 households projected to be in fuel poverty by 2016.

The main reasons for this crisis are that gas, oil and coal prices are high, and the UK’s homes are some of the most energy inefficient in Europe – leaking heat from their doors, walls and windows. This means they cost much more than they should to heat and power, and they contribute to climate change too.

Cold homes are damaging the health of vulnerable members of society, including children, older people and people with disabilities. Cardio-vascular and respiratory diseases are made worse. Increased incidences of colds and flu exacerbate existing conditions such as arthritis and rheumatisms.

In total, illnesses caused by cold homes cost the NHS £850,000 each year.

The only permanent solution is to make all UK homes much more energy efficient – making them so easy and cheap to heat they effectively become fuel poverty proof. But to make this happen the Government must give much more financial support to energy efficiency programmes.

The carbon floor price and emissions trading scheme will raise £640,000 in the next two years and are expected to be worth £4 billion by 2027.

If these tax revenues are combined with the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) 9.1 million homes could be upgraded with £6,500 of energy efficiency measures by 2027.

The Energy Bill Revolution is calling on the Government to use the money it gets from carbon taxes to make our homes super-energy efficient. It is the permanent solution to get families and vulnerable citizens out of fuel poverty.

http://www.energybillrevolution.org/

Anti-Green deal or "Secret anti-insulation lobby?" - Kevin McCloud

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A number of stories have been flying around about the Green Deal. Most are misleading and some are downright wrong. The debate was about consequential improvements – this applies to significant improvements to a property.

If you have an extension or change over 50% of the windows

It would become mandatory to meet a minimum level of insulation in your home
These would not be high cost – typically simple measures like cavity wall or loft insulation
You don’t have to pay for the measure at the time – it’s paid back through the meter through the energy bill savings made – you won’t notice any change

If you have a typical conservatory or upgrade a couple of your windows

You need do nothing

The government appears to be backing down - I agree whole heartedly with Kevin McCloud’s comments

“Government plans to require homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their home when they build an extension are about as sensible as sensible gets, especially when the homeowner doesn’t have to pay for those improvements,” he said in a statement.

“Reading recent coverage I began to wonder if there was a secret anti-insulation lobby rabidly bent on increasing our domestic fuel bills.

"However, government departments today insisted the policy, known as “Part L” of building regulations, is still open for consultation". (Guardian 17th April 2012)

The idea of the green deal is that is a ‘carrot and stick’ – it always has been. Removing all the sticks just means that easy carbon savings will be lost. Typical payback on these measures is under two years so you’re just helping householders to do what’s in their interests anyway.

Jablite customer service keeps getting better!

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:52:29 GMT

As customer service manager for Jablite, it is my responsibility to ensure that we deliver the best customer service possible.

I am supported by an exemplary team of internal sales coordinators who are all fully trained, putting us in a good position to ensure that all customer queries are dealt with professionally and efficiently.

In addition, the installation of a new telephone management system in the sales office is helping us to improve on our response times and call proficiency.

My team is often the first point of contact for our customers and we work closely with everyone inside Jablite to deliver an excellent service to customers. I believe that the key to achieving excellent customer service is good communication – both internally and externally.

The customer service team strives to excel in all areas. We aim to build on our successes by conducting ongoing reviews of our systems and innovating to improve them.

We are here to help!

The Green Deal and the Housing Market

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:17:51 GMT

Since the Green Deal consultation was announced the Department for Energy and Climate Change, amongst others, has commissioned a number of surveys to assess take-up within the general public. Undoubtedly, the same will also be done with businesses when we get to that point.

One thing that I have never seen though, is a study of the impact on house prices or saleability of homes following the green deal.

Let’s take homeowner Jack. He owns a house that he lives in with his wife and two children. Jack decides to take advantage of a 25 year Green Deal loan by installing some energy efficient measures on his property. Five years after doing this, Jack’s wife gets an amazing offer to work in a dream job at the other end of the country, so Jack and his wife decide to sell their house.

Will a house buyer feel happy about the remaining 20 year loan attached to the house, or will this put them off?

We already have a precedent on this: The Feed in Tariff (FIT) scheme for solar panels. With this scheme, in a similar way to the Green Deal, a contract is agreed between an energy company and a homeowner to provide money over a 25 year period. At the moment, there isn’t any clear evidence that it has affected house prices, but some mortgage companies are nervous about lending, particularly in cases when a third party originally provided funding for the panels. Guidance from the Council of Mortgage Lenders has clarified this somewhat, but the issue of the loan still remains.

Furthermore, Green Deal payback plans are based around the original energy cost of the property – not necessarily the costs that will be incurred by a new owner.

As an example:

Jack and family use £100 of energy each month. They install some energy saving measures that save them £25 per month and their repayment period is 25 years.

£100 – £25 = £75 £25 goes to paying off the loan total bill is £100

The new owners, who work long hours and enjoy weekends away, have a different profile. Their bill is only £30 after the energy saving measures, but they still have to repay the £25 per month for the energy saving measures.

£30 bill £25 goes to paying off the loan total bill is £55

If they hadn’t taken out the measures – or had bought a house without any measures having already been taken - their original bill would probably only have been £40 - £15 less than they are currently paying!

Will this put them off buying such a property? Maybe, but as a colleague rightly pointed out to me, it’ll probably just form an extra component to the overall negotiation process.

The twitter feed of Jablite's resident housing and economics expert, Damien Pooley, can be found at www.twitter.com/damienpooley

Why did Jablite take on two designers-in-residence?

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:10:26 GMT

It is, undoubtedly, an unusual step to take, but for Jablite it is part of a cunning plan – to do things our own way.

Jablite appointed Silo a new design studio – two Royal College of Art MA graduates, Attua Aparicio and Oscar Wanless - as designers-in-residence in January 2012.

As well as being product designers, Silo is interested in developing and re-defining materials and their work at Jablite has led them to create a new material that they have dubbed Not So Expanded Polystyrene (NSEPS).

NSEPS, the result of Silo’s explorations is an extraordinary material that is lightweight, dense and feels almost like fabric to touch. They have used it to make a beautiful table and other products such as bracelets and strangely organically-shaped chairs and shelves.

For Jablite the process of iteration that Silo undertake and the ‘craft’ approach give us a different way of looking at manufacturing processes.

We find it interesting and stimulating to have two young designers on our site. We invite them to become our involved in our innovations processes and when we want some ‘out of the box’ thinking we know we can go to them for a fresh viewpoint.

Today, Jablite is a leading manufacturer of EPS insulation products, tomorrow we may looking at a completely new focus that is not even a twinkle in our company’s eye yet – that is the beauty and the challenge of taking on Silo as our designers-in-residence.

Roofing Design Considerations

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:20:11 GMT

Roofing can be an extremely complex area of construction with a multitude of materials and methods to choose from...so what does an architect or contractor need to consider when choosing a product?

Our guestblogger this month, roofing expert Luke Treadwell, offers some thoughts.

Key Questions

•    What is the required thermal performance of the roofing system?
•    What is the required environmental performance?
•    Cost/budget – How does the designer meet all requirements within budget?
•    Warranty – What is the life expectancy of the products used?
•    What is the extra loading to a existing roof structure from additional insulation, ballast etc?
•    What is the required compressive strength of the insulation for permanent plant on the roof?
•    What is the required fire resistance?
•    What are the condensation risks?
•    What will determine the method of adhesion - fixing or ballasting?
•    What are the fall requirements for water drainage?
•    Are there any specific acoustic requirements?

How to avoid problems

If the architect designs the roof in collaboration with the manufacturers of the construction components, it helps to ensure that compatibility, correct sizing and fixing are all appropriate, which will avoid premature failure of the roofing system.

Different roofing components and what to consider

Vapour Control Layer (VCL)

In warm roof construction, the VCL should always be located on the warm side of the insulation. The material specified should be a metal-foil laminated, polyethylene or reinforced bitumen sheet. All penetrations of the VCL should be sealed, and the membrane turned up to all vertical surfaces by the thickness of the insulation.

Insulation

Thermal performance, compressive strength and the method of fixing is all critical when choosing insulation. Different types of membranes and fixing methods will denote the type of insulation used.

At Jablite we have a versatile range of insulation options and our products are approved by waterproofing manufacturers.

Roof membranes and coverings

Single ply membrane: EPDM or TPO membranes can be either loosely laid or fixed directly to the deck. These membranes can be quickly installed and are easy to repair.

Single ply can be either fleeced or unfleeced. For fleeced backed membranes Jablite would supply 150 Jabroof unfaced. For unfleeced membranes Jablite would need to include a separation layer, this could be foil bonded to the board or loose laid and mechanically fixed.

Built-up felt: Reinforced Bitumen Membranes should comprise of polyester fibre-based bitumen sheets tested to BS EN 13707. Guidance to suitability of material application is provided by BS 8747.

See also: ‘Durability – High performance roofing’ for more information (though please note ref. to BS 747 has now been replaced by BS 8747)

Polymer modified mastic asphalt: Mastic asphalt should be applied in accordance with BS 8218 and BS 8000: Part 4.

Isolating layers should be used below and above the asphalt as required. When used as the finished surface to the roof, consideration should be made to reducing solar gain through solar reflective paint or chippings, aggregate, paving tiles or slabs.

Ballast

Ballast is usually required in the construction of ‘inverted’ warm roofs to prevent the insulation boards from being lifted by high winds or floating as water drains from the roof. It would be placed above the Jablite Flat Roof Inverted insulation and filter membrane and it normally consists of graded pebbles or concrete paving slabs.

Filter membrane

A filter membrane should be used in the build-up of an inverted warm roof.
It can give significant benefit for the thermal performance of the system by limiting the amount of water penetration. Located between the insulation and the ballast, it can also prevent grit being washed down to the waterproof layer where it may damage the membrane or block outlets.

Typical U-values of 'warm' and 'inverted' constructions

Insulation Type & Thickness (mm)	U-value W/m²K
Dow
180mm	0.20
200mm	0.18
230mm	0.15
PIR Fully Bonded***
110mm	0.20
120mm	0.18
150mm	0.15
150 Grade Jabroof Fully Bonded*
165mm	0.20
185mm	0.18
220mm	0.15
Jablite Flat Roof Inverted
160mm	0.20
180mm	0.18
210mm	0.15

Sources: Kingspan, Dow, Jablite.
Thicknesses based on concrete slabs of 150mm.

Jablite's Ecobuild 2012

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:33:28 GMT

Ecobuild is just huge this year and as always there are some really interesting stands. But here are some top tips on orientation:

• Most people enter from the West side of Excel (Custom House station)
• Remember if the stand you are visiting is North (left ) or South (Right)
• Doors have number and letter e.g. N1 is North 1 – the first door on the left

We are getting lots of interest in our Jablite Dynamic Insulation and you’ll see us in several different areas of Ecobuild. Jablite can achieve U-values as low as 0.20W/m²K on retrofit and typically 0.15W/m²K on new build.

Firstly we will be on the E-on stand, the largest at Ecobuild. This will feature E-on’s sustainable city complete with a life size energy-efficient home. Jablite Dynamic External will be featured as one of the innovative options for high performance external wall insulation. You will find E-on through door N3 about halfway down the aisle (N840).

Right next to Eon you’ll find the innovation zone on N530 (TSB/MBE KTN). Jablite have a model of dynamic insulation with our partners Energyflo who have been shortlisted for an award. Please vote for us here.

If you want to find out how Jablite dynamic insulation works in more detail you can attend one of our RIBA approved CPDs these will run in the South Gallery at 10.30am in Room 4 on Wednesday and Room 3 on Thursday. You’ll find the rooms in the South hall at the far end of the hall – enter from door S1.

Jablite Dynamic uses a positive input mechanical ventilation system to achieve its exceptionally low U-values. This eliminates the need for extensive ducting - to find out more go to the Nuaire stand at S2920. Jablite Dynamic uses a positive input mechanical ventilation system to achieve its exceptionally low u values. This eliminates the need for extensive ducting - to find out more go to the Nuaire stand at S2920.

What's happening with interest rates?

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:55:36 GMT

As a business analyst in the construction industry I am often asked whether mortgage interest rates will increase.

Over the last few weeks a number of building societies and banks have announced increases in their standard variable rates (SVR). At the same time, the Bank of England has kept its base rate at 0.5% for the 36th consecutive month.

So is it fair that banks increase their SVRs at a time when interest rates appear unchanged? Well, no... and yes.

The simplest thing to check is LIBOR (London Inter Bank Offered Rate). LIBOR is set daily by the British Bankers Association and represents the interest charged for banks in the UK to lend to each other.

As can be seen from the graph below, over the last three years, LIBOR has been pretty much on a par with the Bank of England Base Rate. The interest rate that banks pay to borrow money hasn’t really changed.

Sources: Bank of England, FedPrimeRate.com and Business-Money.com

So how does an SVR fit into this? Well, if we compare the Halifax SVR (I use Halifax as it is the largest mortgage lender in the UK – the same comparison would apply to others) against LIBOR, we can actually see the gap between the two increasing over the last three years.

Does this mean that mortgage lenders are ripping us off? Not exactly. Banks are all going through a process of recapitalisation – trying to rebalance the books after the battering they received during the credit crunch.

Secondly, the number of mortgages approved has fallen dramatically, meaning that management costs have increased compared with the loans themselves.

Finally, there has been a significant increase in the number of mortgage holders that have fallen onto SVRs after their fixed deals have come to an end. This creates a problem for banks as it makes it increasingly difficult to forecast their own profitability as customers are not locked into SVRs. A bank has a vested interest in signing people up for several years so they can guarantee their own revenue stream.

So, will interest rates increase? Yes, it’s safe to say they will.

The twitter feed of Jablite's resident housing and economics expert, Damien Pooley, can be found at www.twitter.com/damienpooley

The good, the bad and the ugly about insulation

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:27:40 GMT

The good thing about insulation is that it works! If you put Jablite insulation in or on your wall, floor or roof, it will be working silently and invisibly – for the entire lifetime of your property – to make it more energy efficient.

The bad thing about insulation is that the key role it can play to cut our carbon use and emissions is too often hidden from homeowners, landlords and businesses. Insulation becomes part of a building’s fabric, to all intents and purposes, it is invisible – and so it gets forgotten.

Residents in houses that we have retrofitted with external wall insulation report that they immediately felt warmer. But, how fast does that warmth level become normal and the role played by the insulation forgotten?

Perhaps smart meters will help. The Government plans to equip every British home with a smart meter by 2020 – that means installing about 46 million of them – no small task.

The idea is that a smart meter will increase our understanding and awareness of how and when we consume energy. Hopefully it will motivate us to change our habits and perhaps encourage us to upgrade our homes with the support of Government initiatives like the Green Deal and ECO.

But, the Green Deal and ECO are to be launched in October 2012 and, our current understanding of our energy use is not good. By the way, this week Minister Greg Barker, told us to expect a ‘soft launch’ for the Green Deal. Nevertheless, we can expect a drive to encourage uptake of the Green Deal to start later this year, increasing into 2013.

So, the ugly truth is that very few of us, understand the important role insulation can play in cutting our energy use and costs. The uptake of cavity and loft insulation under CERT and CESP was slower than hoped and now we have the largest home improvement programme since World War II about to be launched.

How can we make sure this unique opportunity to upgrade our housing stock – the oldest and 'leakiest’ – in the world, that is responsible for 24 per cent of the UK’s total CO2 emissions, is not wasted?

Unfortunately I don’t have the answer to that.

Does world class manufacturing always equal excellent customer service?

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:20:03 GMT

Many would consider Jablite - a supplier of insulation products to the construction sector – as a “low tech” industry. Yet, we routinely supply customers with made-to-order products, that 3-4 days earlier were still just raw material.

If we benchmark ourselves using traditional automotive standards our processes might not seem to measure up. However, if ‘excelling’ is making a car in 4-5hrs, why when you order even a standard model does it regularly take 3-4 months to be supplied?

Which is the better service?

And, let’s not forget that at Jablite, we go through several stages of production, each one requiring expertise and a focus on quality and consistency. Although we recognise there are always improvements that can be made to our process, we often overlook what a high level of service we achieve.

What we do at Jablite is the equivalent of a restaurant with no menu, making whatever the customer wants, and serving it up in the same timeframe as a restaurant with a menu, where they insist on advance orders and are able to prepare a lot of the meal in advance.

In fact, the analogy of baking bread to explain our manufacturing process is a good one. At each stage we can make choices about the final product exactly as you might with bread – think of the huge range of breads you can choose from.

The raw materials/ingredients are selected and mixed together, the dough is put somewhere warm to rise and then it is baked. Once cooled, it is ready to be sliced up and made into a bespoke item which might be anything from plain bread and butter, toast, sandwiches or even bread and butter pudding!

By that reckoning I have the largest baking set in the world to play with…

So, yes of course, automotive is world class. But, our bespoke manufacturing is a challenge we strive to achieve every day and I am very proud of what we accomplish.

The consequence was we saved the planet...

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:39:58 GMT

... or The consequence was we didn’t get the extension done.

There are two sides to every story and that’s the case with 'consequential improvements'.

But what are 'conseqeuential improvements'? If you extend your property, not only does the new extension have to achieve current Building Regulations, but the rest of the house must too.

This applies from the Green Deal start in October 2012. But, the devil is in the detail, because of the clause ‘where these are technically, economically and functionally feasible’.

In 2014 these same rules will apply to non-domestic buildings.

And, from 2014, there is the possibility of further regulation; the replacement of a domestic boiler or multiple domestic windows (typically 50% or more) could trigger a requirement for consequential improvements.

This will probably turn local authorities in to one of the biggest drivers of carbon reducing activity. Upgrading the windows may also mean upgrading the insulation - it is certainly more cost effective to do this when the workers are already on site.

It should drive carbon reduction in private homes and means that consumers can put the extra costs on the Green Deal – on the negative side it may encourage cowboy builders and cash in hand to avoid making the consequential changes.

But the changes required are relatively modest - loft and cavity wall insulation, hot water cylinder insulation and draftproofing.

Speaking to BusinessGreen, one government source said that the rules would require people to take up the Green Deal when adding an extension to their home. He added that it could result in an additional 200,000 homes taking up the scheme.

Conservatories will continue to be exempt if they are less than 30 square metres.

Does anyone wanna buy a house?

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:13:07 GMT

In my last blog, I wrote about how the number of first-time buyers is actually greater than it seems.

This time round, I’m going to talk about property transaction levels and what this actually means for us.

I use Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Land registry data - neither source is perfect. Land Registry only shows after approval and HMRC only show properties over £40,000. Even including this, the graph profiles are pretty consistent with each other.

Both sets are non-seasonally adjusted, so the fall in December of each year is probably down to, at least partly, the Christmas break.

What’s clear is how low the numbers have fallen since the peak in 2007. What this actually means, apart from the obvious (that fewer properties are being sold), is that there is a likelihood that there are also fewer forced sales – people who have to sell their property because they are unable to pay their mortgage. This in turn leads to more stable prices, leaving fewer people to think they can get a bargain, in turn leading to fewer transactions.

Housebuilders have obviously cottoned on to this and have reduced the amount of properties they try to bring to market each year, focusing more on costs and margins rather than volumes to sustain their businesses.

With interest rates set to remain low for the foreseeable and relatively small changes in the labour market, this is probably going to be a familiar pattern throughout 2012. Maybe it’s a good opportunity to take advantage of the impending Green Deal to make those all important improvements to increase value?

The twitter feed of Jablite's resident housing and economics expert, Damien Pooley, can be found at www.twitter.com/damienpooley

"Green Wash" and the games people play.

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:40:34 GMT

“Green Wash” and the games people play…

The annoying thing about “green wash” is that makes us all so damn cynical – hang on – there other annoying things about it.

Like the fact that giant brands can say what they like; use their huge marketing budgets to give their product a fake green halo – even though said product might be banned in mainland Europe and be completely unsustainable in terms of performance, production and environmental impact.

The thing is we are all suspicious, doubting Thomases and that is partly because it is so hard to find out the facts. So here are some tips on how to spot green wash games.

The first and easiest green wash to spot is the fatuous uses of words like green, eco and enviro – they mean nothing, so are impossible to challenge. Companies that have solid credentials to back up their statements use them – those that don’t blather.

If a material is said to be recyclable, ask if it is being recycled and find out what the company is doing to encourage or assist its customers to recycle its products.

Watch out for wishy-washy claims like ‘natural’ – everything in our world is natural, even things that perhaps we don’t like much like greenhouse gases and deadly poisons.

On a more positive note, look out for UK manufacturers that have ISO 14001, this is an ongoing environmental management system that is certified by an outside body and it can’t be faked.

Another great tool for the construction sector is the BRE Green Guide to Specification, which provides information on the environmental impact of building materials.

Despite the use of the word Green, the Guide takes a rigorous approach, containing assessments of over 1500 specifications that are soundly based on numerical data..

So perhaps we don’t have to be totally cynical all the time, maybe it’s a case of being informed sceptics – with a little effort, we can learn to scratch the surface of green wash and find out what is underneath.

Anyone want to know about insulation on inverted roofs?

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:18:44 GMT

As the newest member of Jablite’s roof insulation team, I have been compiling useful information about various roofs and the insulation options available.

Here is a list I put together about inverted roofs, my colleagues suggested that I should blog it, in the hope that others might just find it a handy list too - so here it is - if you would like to know more, please get in touch!

USEFUL FACTS ABOUT INVERTED ROOFS AND INSULATION

Inverted roofs are a good option when more traffic than usual is expected on the roof. This might be for plant maintenance or to provide an area for relaxation like a roof garden.
The structure of an inverted roof is opposite to the norm. The weatherproof membrane is laid first, followed by the insulation, a filter medium and lastly the ballast (typically gravel or paving slabs).
This roof structure protects the weatherproof membrane from being damaged when the roof is being used.
An inverted roof is sometimes called a ’protected membrane roof’ because the membrane is protected by the layer of insulation.
Up to a quarter of a building’s heat can be lost through a poorly insulated roof; so the roof insulation is a vital part of the building’s energy management planning and can help to reduce CRC (Carbon Reduction Commitment) liability.
The insulation on an inverted roof is not just an insulator; it also protects the membrane from the elements. That means the insulation specified must be able to withstand this exposure and continue to provide a good insulating performance.
An inverted roof will typically last much longer than a traditional flat roof.

You can find out about Jablite’s Flat Roof Inverted (FRI) insulation here.

Lisa Morris
Regional Roofing Manager, Jablite
sales@jablite.co.uk

The Truth about First-Time Buyers

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

I’m always intrigued when I speak to housing ‘experts’ about how they consistently claim that the number of first-time buyer mortgage approvals is preventing them from selling properties. Is this really true or is this just another quick answer to something that may go a bit deeper?

Well, I’ve done the analysis. According to Council of Mortgage Lenders figures, the real number of first-time buyer approvals has fallen since the beginning of the economic crisis.

The trouble is, when we then overlay this data with the overall number of mortgage approvals, our perception of the market changes drastically.

In fact, when we actually compare the percentages of total approvals and mortgages for first time-buyers, we see that the number of first-time buyers is either flat or growing! (I’ve removed the figures for January 2010 as this does seem to have been an extreme month (probably due to the weather).

Of course, what this analysis doesn’t consider is the number of people who purchase property in cash (who typically are not buying the kinds of properties that are built for first-timers) but I still think it shows that perception can sometimes be very different from reality.

Perhaps the real problem to consider isn’t that there aren’t enough first time-buyers obtaining mortgages per se, it’s more that the total number of house buyers has plummeted since the 2007 peak. More on that in my next blog post…

The twitter feed of Jablite's resident housing and economics expert, Damien Pooley, can be found at www.twitter.com/damienpooley

How the Green Deal will affect you

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:10:21 GMT

Currently, there are two major schemes that provide energy saving measures free or at subsidised prices CERT* and CESP**

CERT includes schemes like subsidised insulation for lofts and cavity walls and energy saving devices

CESP subsidises external wall insulation – where insulation is attached to the property exterior and then a render finish added

Both these schemes will finish at the end of 2012 and be replaced by the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO)

Vulnerable and low income households will still be helped

Everyone will be able to benefit from the Green Deal by borrowing money for energy saving measures which are repaid through your energy bill in a ‘pay as you save’ scheme. Only measures that payback in a reasonable time will be acceptable

Some measures, including external wall insulation, will be subsidised by energy companies because of ECO.

External wall insulation, the only solution for houses with solid walls (typically those built before 1920), will be subsidised to make the payback period acceptable.

* carbon emissions reduction target

**community energy saving programme

Easy guide to the Green Deal

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:33:56 GMT

Many of you will already have heard of the Green Deal but will not clear exactly what it is and why the government is introducing it.

Britain has some of the oldest building stock in Europe. Many of us live in draughty, poorly insulated homes. Consumers pay a high price for this in terms of energy bills and so does the planet. A quarter of UK’s carbon emissions result from heating our homes and a similar amount from businesses.

The Green Deal will mean that energy bill payers will be able to get energy efficiency measures without having to pay cash up front. Businesses will provide the capital getting their money back from a charge on the energy bill.

The golden rule is that estimated savings on bills will always be equal or greater than the cost of the work.

Millions of homes and businesses could benefit from improvements under the green deal. Both owner–occupiers and tenants can get the benefits of better energy efficiency. There will be extra help for the most vulnerable, those on low incomes and those with hard to treat homes.

The Green Deal is also a big opportunity for businesses. Retailers, tradespeople, energy companies and investors will have access to a new growing market. Estimates of ‘green jobs’ are between 100,000 and 500,000 over the next 5 years.

The aim will to be make UK homes and businesses more energy efficient and cut our carbon emissions helping us to reach the 2050 emissions reduction target

Why is the green deal needed?

Most of us pay energy bills but after the bill is paid we don’t thnk too much about why our bills are so high. The more motivated might switch energy suppliers but this will not fix the underlying problem. Unless you live in a house built in the 21st century (which are already very efficient) it is relatively cost effective to make changes that can significantly reduce energy bills.

But most of us have other things to think about and more interesting things to spend our money on. In addition most of us don’t know how long we will stay in our current home so risk losing money if we move soon after investing in energy saving measures.

The aim of the Green Deal is to solve these problems and also give us a nudge in the right direction – helping us to help ourselves. Also don’t delay as energy bills are set to increase even faster in the future.

How will the Green Deal work?

Private firms will offer energy efficiency measures to homes and businesses with no upfront costs – firms will recoup the cost from instalments on the energy bill. The costs will not exceed the saving so bill will either be the same or lower.

Bill payers will see the Green Deal charge alongside the reduction in energy use and savings on their bill.

If you move out and stop paying the bill the green deal loan stays with old property and the new bill payer will continue to pay the green deal costs.

The simple principle is that you pay as you save - so when you stop saving, you stop paying.

Green Deal – stopping the rogue traders

With any new opportunity there are a small number of companies and individual that can be ‘rogue traders.’ This happened in the past with double glazing and Solar panels where unrealistically fast pavback periods were claimed.

These key rules will prevent this abuse

The Golden rule - The expected financial savings must be equal to or greater than the costs attached to the energy bill
Measures must be approved - the claimed bill savings must be those applied to the bill
Accredited Independent Adviser – measures must have been recommended for that property
Accredited Installer –measures must be installed by an accredited installer
Consumer credit act – Green Deal providers must give advice according to the CCA and take account of individual circumstances
Consent gained – consent of the current energy bill payer must be obtained
Green Deal disclosure – Subsequent bill payers eg new owners or tenants must be made aware of the green deal cost and savings
Existing Regulatory Safeguards – Energy companies must collect the Green Deal and pass it on within the safeguards - which include protection for the vulnerable

What do I do if the energy savings will not cover costs?

There will be additional help for those who need it most

Lower income and vulnerable households may not save money through energy efficiency because they cannot afford to have the heating on long enough to heat the home properly.
These people will enjoy warmer homes but may not see cash savings
Homes that need major measures which are currently more expensive will need additional support to bring down the cost enough to meet the Golden Rule

External wall insulation is one of these major measures requiring extra help. EWI is typically used for solid wall homes that do not have a cavity eg Victorian houses.

The Green Deal Process

(Source: Department of Energy and Climate Change 10D/996)

What’s in it for me?

Around a quarter of all heat can be lost from a loft – and walls are even worse losing about a third. So the sooner home improvements like insulation are made the sooner you can cut fuel bills.

(Source: Based on CERT information for an average 3 bed semi from DECC leaflet Ref. 10D/973)

Timing

The Green Deal is due to start at the end of 2012

More information

If you want to find out more about the Green Deal please follow this link

Ten things you need to know about the Green Deal

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:59:32 GMT

The Green Deal aims to retrofit 14 million homes in a decade and create 250,000 green jobs in the process.

1) The Green deal will offer up to £10,000 per household for energy efficiency measures – you will pay it back via energy bills over 25 years

2) Loans will be private sector at around mortgage rates. They will be attached to your home not to you so will stay with the property when you move.

3) The Green Deal will aim to encourage innovation by recognising higher performing products and encouraging take up.

4) Green Deal funding will not cover solar or other renewable as they are already covered by the Feed in Tariff and the Renewable Heat Incentive.

5) There will be help for hard to treat homes where savings may not cover loans. If you are in fuel poverty or simply can’t afford to heat your home properly you will get extra help.

6) There will be ‘carrot and stick’ approach but these are yet to be confirmed – discounted council taxes have been rumoured ?

7) Private rented sector will also be covered – not clear what the incentive will be for Landlords. So if you rent privately look out for announcements that may reduce your energy bills.

8) Green Deal is not dependent on income or credit score

9) The Scheme will be introduced at the end of 2012 – replacing other schemes like CERT and CESP

10) To access the Green Deal an independent assessment of your home will be required. This will recommend the right measures for your home. You can then shop round accredited suppliers to complete the work

Tapping into creative thinking

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:15:53 GMT

At Jablite we are actively seeking out way to innovate our business; our thinking, our processes, our product range – the whole kit and caboodle.

So, when we were approached by a couple of talented young designers studying for an MA in Design Products at the Royal College of Art in London, we were interested to hear what they had to say.

Attua Aparicio and Oscar Wanless, now known as the research and design studio, Silo, set to find new ways of working with some free material provided to them by Jablite. And, as these two photographs show, I think it is fair to say they have found a new way of working with the raw material.

The table and chair feel and look more like stone or hardwood than EPS. Being handmade, they are both essentially unique products that demonstrate the creativity of the Silo approach.

“We design the form to give it a dark, but playful quality. They are emotive, quite limb like, which is something we choose to embrace. We want furniture and the spaces we use to be more expressive of us and our personalities,” say Silo.

This is certainly EPS as we have never seen it before; we look forward to seeing what Silo comes up with next…

Blogs

Green Deal or no Green Deal - which do you prefer?

There is an incredible amount of whingeing about the Green Deal going on. Whether you work in insulation as I do or simply believe we should be hitting our carbon saving targets ask yourself...Do I want the Green Deal to ahead? – answer with a simple yes or no - right – that was easy.

Energy Efficiency: the hidden fuel of the future

1 in 4 households in the UK are now in fuel poverty, meaning they need to spend more than 10% of their income on keeping their homes warm. The problem is likely to get worse, with 1 in 3 households projected to be in fuel poverty by 2016.

Anti-Green deal or "Secret anti-insulation lobby?" - Kevin McCloud

Jablite customer service keeps getting better!

The Green Deal and the Housing Market

Why did Jablite take on two designers-in-residence?

Roofing Design Considerations

Key Questions

How to avoid problems

Different roofing components and what to consider

Vapour Control Layer (VCL)

Insulation

Roof membranes and coverings

Ballast

Filter membrane

Typical U-values of 'warm' and 'inverted' constructions

Jablite's Ecobuild 2012

What's happening with interest rates?

Sources: Bank of England, FedPrimeRate.com and Business-Money.com

The good, the bad and the ugly about insulation

Does world class manufacturing always equal excellent customer service?

The consequence was we saved the planet...

Does anyone wanna buy a house?

"Green Wash" and the games people play.

“Green Wash” and the games people play…

Anyone want to know about insulation on inverted roofs?

USEFUL FACTS ABOUT INVERTED ROOFS AND INSULATION

You can find out about Jablite’s Flat Roof Inverted (FRI) insulation here.

The Truth about First-Time Buyers

How the Green Deal will affect you

Easy guide to the Green Deal

Why is the green deal needed?

How will the Green Deal work?

Green Deal – stopping the rogue traders

These key rules will prevent this abuse

What do I do if the energy savings will not cover costs?

The Green Deal Process

(Source: Department of Energy and Climate Change 10D/996)

What’s in it for me?

(Source: Based on CERT information for an average 3 bed semi from DECC leaflet Ref. 10D/973)

Timing

More information

Ten things you need to know about the Green Deal

Tapping into creative thinking

There is an incredible amount of whingeing about the Green Deal going on. Whether you work in insulation as I do or simply believe we should be hitting our carbon saving targets ask yourself...

Do I want the Green Deal to ahead? – answer with a simple yes or no - right – that was easy.