A high performance internal wall insulation designed to slash energy bills in existing properties by 40% has become the first to gain Ofgem and Green Deal approval.
Roughly the thickness of a conventional radiator, Matilda’s Blanket is a heavy-duty hard board, gypsum and foil-coated panel, designed to boost installation in solid-walled properties that make up the majority of the UK’s existing housing stock.
Solid wall insulation is seen as the only way to make some types of older properties become energy efficient, and is earmarked for 60% of the subsidy under the Energy Company Obligation. ECO sits along side the green deal – and is worth £1.3bn a year in subsidy for energy efficient measures from energy suppliers.
Local Authority Building Control as well as heritage bodies have voiced concern that the ECO has placed too much emphasis on solid wall measures – particularly external cladding, which could ruin the appearance of older properties. With a certified U-value of 0.28, the panel is the first internal insulation product in the UK to gain OFGEM approval under CERT, CESP and the new ECO programme.
Manufacturer Matilda’s Planet – the firm founded to produce innovative green products by former EC Harris partner Paul Chapman, says this ‘internal skin’ can help the average three-bedroom Victorian home cut its annual fuel bill from £1,200 to just £700, a 42% saving, by reducing the amount of energy required for heating.
The product is targeted at Housing Associations and landlords and is currently being installed in properties owned by East Lothian Housing Association and the Guinness Trust. It is manufactured in Port Talbot, Wales with all materials sourced from local suppliers.
Meanwhile, LABC and heritage bodies, including English Heritage, are warning that ECO focuses far too much on external cladding and ignores other tried and tested energy saving measures.
Matilda’s Blanket is claimed to offer energy savings of 40% to existing properties
