Attic Insulation & CFL Bulbs

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Private Business
Doing more to Promote
Energy Efficiency
than highly funded
Government Agencies

I received a letter from Change.ie in reply to mine of 16th December last. I guess 7 weeks is not bad for a government funded agency to reply in.


from: info@change.ie
to: thenewoil@gmail.com
date: Tue, Jan 27, 2009 at 9:54 AM
subject: RE: Reducing coal usage

Dear Tony,

There are a number of Government schemes currently in place which do support low tech – low cost ways of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and lowering ones carbon number. Details of these and other Government initiatives taken to tackle the problem of climate change can be found on the following page of the Change.ie website:

http://www.change.ie/en/Whats-Happening/National-Level/

We look forward to hearing from you.

Regards
The Change Team



My Reply:

Many thanks for your reply to my e-letter of 16th December last. I have looked at the schemes you have indicated, and indeed there would appear to be some available incentives on low-tech energy saving.

However, for such schemes to be in any way effective, they must be (1) very attractive, and (2) very simple to adopt. The schemes you indicate meet neither of these criteria.

I personally started my own DIY attic insulation job recently, to double the existing amount of insulation. I did it DIY and without any grants, because there was simply too much hassle going the routes you indicated. Additionally, by doing it DIY, I still ended up with more savings than going any grant route.




Ignore the Grants GO-TO HomeBase instead.

Homebase hardware store recently had a special offer on an improved type of fibreglass insulation called “SpaceBlanket”. This insulation is especially suitable for DIY installation.

“SpaceBlanket” is fibreglass enclosed in a plastic sheath and it also has a thermal reflective layer on one side, making it more efficient.

HomeBase were offering 50% price reduction. The Killarney branch was repeatedly selling out their stock, I had to ring several times to get my requirements.

Homebase were also offering Philips CFL bulbs at 79 cent each for a 60 watt equivalent and 1.49 for a 100 watt equivalent. I encouraged a dozen friends to take advantage of these excellent prices and completely change all their household bulbs.

In order to have any real effect schemes must be VERY simple and must be ATTRACTIVE.

Offer people a box of CFL for €20 or attic insulation materials at 50% or 60% reduction and large numbers of people will go for it. Ask HomeBase how many CFL’s they sold in the promotion, and how much of the “SpaceBlanket” insulation they shifted?

Now if Government money and Government agencies like SEI and Change.ie were doing as much to promote CFL bulbs and attic Insulation as HomeBase wouldn't it be great!!!!

Reducing Coal Usage by 50%

Government agencies are almost completely ignoring a simple, inexpensive, and effective way of reducing coal usage and making open fires safer at the same time. Fireplace doors are worth looking at.





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