ENERGY SAVING SYSTEMS DIVISION
There are a number of UK Government bodies and EU directives, accompanied by Funding and Support programmes, which have the objective of reducing the Nation's carbon emissions drastically by the year 2050. Whilst that sounds a long way off, to even have a chance of achieving the challenging target reductions, we must all be taking action now.
How does this affect us?
In the UK there are around 7 million Solid Wall Properties that cannot improve their Carbon Footprint by the conventional method for reducing heat loss through the walls, by cavity wall insulation; and for this reason the Energy Saving Trust and the Community Energy Saving Programme term these properties as "Hard To Treat Homes".
Hard To Treat Homes tend to have high heating bills, therefore families who would otherwise cope relatively well in a more energy efficient home could find themselves in fuel poverty, especially in these times of higher energy prices. Cold, damp living conditions can have an adverse effect on the health of the fuel poor, including chest, respiratory and joint problems, along with the mental distress of not being able to afford to maintain a comfortable environment for your family.
If you have solid wall properties in your housing stock, you are able to have a direct influence on your tenants ability to afford to keep warm, by improving the Energy Efficiency of these homes, and by integrating this objective into your repair and maintenance programme.
The Environment
Of course "global Warming" is a phrase we've all been hearing for some time now, and no one can have failed to notice the changes that we are seeing to our seasons and the increasing regularity of flooding in coastal areas and those in the proximity of rivers and waterways. The consequence of not taking responsibility for reducing Carbon Dioxide emissions and maximising fuel economies will be borne by all of us and by future generations.
Unfortunately, "Hard to Treat Homes" are the ones most likely to be pushed to the bottom of the list when reviewing what energy efficiencies can be installed and with around seven million homes in the UK of non-cavity wall construction, this is an area we, as an enviromentally aware nation, cannot afford to ignore.
How Can We Help?
The External Wall Insulation Systems that M21 Systems Ltd can install will apply an insulation layer to the outside of the existing property, which is then covered with a render or cladding method (ie brick slips or timber cladding). The "thermal envelope" we wrap around the property will reduce the heat loss through the walls and reduce the fuel bills of the residents. The choice of finishes available will enhance the aesthetics of the property, but also enable it to remain in keeping with surrounding properties.
The render finishes are self coloured and anti crack, and the completed system carries a warranty from the System Supplier. We undertake all the associated envelope works required to incorporate the External Wall Insulation system onto the property, for instance extending out pipes and relocating satellite dishes, and whereever possible we use local labour.
We would be pleased to discuss any "hard to treat homes" with you, and offer our expertise and experience to show you the benefits these systems can provide. We are an approved installer for all the major System Suppliers and our consultants are only too happy to explore which system we feel is best suited to your housing stock. From this exploration, we would provide you with a project specific specification and any necessary feasibility data.
We have experience of working on occupied properties, so you can rest assurred that your tenants welfare is high on our list of priorities, and we appoint a named Tenant Liaison Officer for them within the company to whom they can address any concerns that they may have.
We are a member of Constructionline and CHAS accredited.
Further Help?
There are a number of Government bodies with targets to tackle fuel poverty and improve energy efficiencies, which administer a number of grants for projects that work towards these goals. Why not let M21 Systems' Energy Saving Division help you identify which of these grants from these funding and support programmes are available to you, to assist with the costs associated with these works. These grants will make energy saving improvements more economically viable for you.
Why not contact us now to discuss your options? Click on this link for our contact information.
To see an example of a completed property, please see our social housing page and a recently renovated apartment block can be seen at Brindley House Project
To read some of the Government papers on this subject, please click on the following links:
Energy Saving Trust, Hard to Treat Homes report
