Month: March 2023

Insulation is commonly known for keeping your home warmer by retaining heat within your property, but did you know that it can also help keep your home cooler in the summer?

Hear from the team at Arktek with our ideas for how insulation can help maintain a more stable temperature in your property and learn about the best type of insulation to keep your house cool in the warmer months:

How does insulation affect the temperature of your home?

The temperature within your home is affected by both internal and external factors, which are often referred to as ‘internal gains’ and ‘external gains.’ Internal gains include any heat that is generated from within the home, for example from heating systems or appliances like the tumble dryer. External gains happen when the sun hits the roof and walls of the property, heating it up from the outside.

Insulation is mandatory for retaining internal gains, but it can also help reduce external gains in the summer months. The added barrier of insulation can prevent heat from the sun permeating inside your home.

Which type of insulation will help keep my property cool?

Roofs tend to be darker than other external walls, and since heat rises, more heat is typically absorbed in homes that have multiple levels and a loft or attic. This makes the top floors of the house hotter in summer months if not protected by an insulated barrier, meaning that loft insulation is the most effective method of insulating your home to benefit from cooler rooms in the summer. It will help prevent the heat from the sun from permeating your home and keep the loft cooler – which is often the hottest room in the summer!  

The barrier has a dual purpose and can also save you a significant amount of money on heating expenses in the winter by retaining heat. A typical British property can lose up to one quarter of its heat through an uninsulated loft or room in roof, so loft insulation is a smart investment that will pay for itself many times over, for decades.

You may also be eligible for funding for the cost and installation of loft insulation – simply get in touch with our team who can advise you on government schemes that provide funding for home energy improvements.

Arktek are a team of North East based Gas Safe engineers, accredited insulation installers, and a proud installer of ECO4 and LA Flex funded measures to help you save on energy bills.

Get in touch to discuss how we can help you apply for funding for energy improvements in your home.

Arktek is partnering with local authorities in the North East, Yorkshire and Wales to secure funding for home energy improvements under the LA Flex scheme.

Learn about the LA Flex scheme, which helps UK households reduce their energy bills and carbon footprint by offering free energy saving measures to households who require them.

What is LA Flex and who can qualify for funding?

LA Flex stands for Local Authority Flexible Criteria. It is an extension of the Government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme that subsidises the cost of installing energy saving measures. The scheme provides customers who are not in receipt of a qualifying benefit under the ECO4 scheme with the chance to receive funding towards the cost of ECO4 measures.

The funding covers numerous types of insulation, such as loft insulation and underfloor insulation, as well as heating installations such as air source heat pumps. It is available for owner occupied households and private rented sector properties.

To qualify, the individual must:

• live in an area governed by a local authority who has published an ECO4 Flex Statement of Intent
• have personal circumstances that fall into one of the LA Flex qualifying routes

In brief, the routes include households that are considered energy inefficient and that meet one of the following requirements:

• have occupants who are vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home, for example, if an individual has a severe and/or long-term health condition
• have a combined household income of under £31,000
• receive a Council Tax Reduction
• receive free school meals due to low income
• are on a debt repayment plan to their energy supplier
• have been referred to their local authority for support by their energy supplier or Citizens Advice because they have been identified as struggling to pay their energy bills

The requirements to qualify for ECO Flex very depending on your local authority, but if you fall into one of the above categories, simply get in touch with the experienced team at Arktek who can help advise on your eligibility.    

If you think you may be eligible for LA Flex funding, contact the team at Arktek to find out if we work with your local authority. We can help you determine if you qualify, assist with the entire application process, and then install the energy improvement measures to help you heat your home more effectively.

Support for Local Authorities with LA Flex Eligibility

If you represent a Local Authority that is interested in ECO and would like to drive referrals through the Flexible Eligibility route, Arktek can help.

As an ECO-accredited, pre-approved partner, Arktek Group Limited can help residents in your local area become more energy efficient and reduce their heating bills.

Get in touch to discuss the possibility of working together under LA Flex.