Free insulation and in-home energy advice for Oxford

Even though it is still the middle of summer, now is the best time to prepare your house for winter if you live in Oxford.

Canterbury charity CEA Charitable Trust is offering free insulation to low-income owner-occupiers with a Community Services Card (CSC) and those living in eligible low-income Oxford areas. Free in-home energy advice sessions are also available to owner-occupiers with a CSC but they may only be available in the summer period.

“We know it can be tricky to get trades people to come to rural areas,” says Caroline Shone, Chief Executive of CEA and living in a rural area herself. “However, CEA Charitable Trust is a charity, and our aim is to make sure we help as many as we can to have a warm home no matter where they reside in Canterbury.”

Oxford can be a cold place in winter and a warm house is essential for good health.

With sufficient insulation, it is easier to heat up the house and you are likely to spend less on wood or power. Insulation also keeps the house cooler in summer.

Many homes have insulation, and you may think your insulation is OK.

However, CEA’s energy assessors have seen countless homes that have too little insulation to keep warm comfortably and the owners unaware. Not enough insulation means it takes longer to warm up the house and you end up paying more for heating than you need to.

Insulation can deteriorate over the years.

CEA assessors also discover insulation that was never installed properly, or which has been disturbed by tradesmen in the ceiling space or under the floor, meaning it is not very effective.

“We found out that the underfloor insulation that we did eight years ago was only partly done,” a customer told CEA after the assessor’s insulation check.

CEA installers rectified the insulation.

“Now we have proper underfloor insulation, which has made such a huge difference, it is much warmer in that area.”

For those who do not qualify for the free insulation, CEA can do a free, no-obligation insulation assessment and quote and CEA may be able to offer a discount.

An in-home energy advice session (‘Home Energy Check’, free for all Oxford owner-occupiers if they have a Community Services Card) includes an examination of insulation, heating, windows, curtains, lighting, hot water, and more.

CEA’s advisors will give you independent, objective and easy to understand advice which includes subsidies/discounts available. Doing a Home Energy Check in summer gives you time to follow up on the advice before winter.

A recent CEA survey has shown that the advice is very useful and over 95% homeowners find it very practical and easy to understand.

“It is interesting finding out things, you don't think about,” one customer commented.

For more information and to book an in-home advice session or an insulation assessment, call 0800 438 9276, email info@cea.co.nz or visit www.cea.co.nz.