Insulation or solar tubes and boiler

burrous2

Hi, Could you please give me your opinion on how I should spend my insulation/heating upgrade budget. I will have circa €15k to spend. I live a very old cottage built with very thick solid mass walls. I have no insulation except for a 150mm layer of Fibre glass in the attic. I thought insulation would be a good investment so I sought a quote. A well reputed insulation company recommended external insulation and quoted €13.5K. He said external insulation is a better choice than drylining. He seemed to know his stuff and I think this is a fair price but I would get other quotes if I opt for external insulation. An energy company cold called me last week. They visited my home today and argued external insulation should not be my priority (they don't sell it). They say I will get maximum value by upgrading my 20 year old boiler and radiators and by installing a 30 tube solar panel, a new insulated hot tank and a power shower. They quoted €11k for this. Who is right? What would you prioritize?

MicktheMan

Forget that conpany that cold called you.

The ewi probably is the best bang for your energy buck.
Make sure the insulation is breathable and that it is continued up past the soffit to meet your attic insulation.

I said "probably" above because in order to determine the best value for your budget, you really need a full independent heat loss survey to be done first by a company not trying to sell you something... i.e. pay for the survey.

burrous2

Thanks for the advice Mick

Sleeper12

Solar is a waste of money. If you have lots of spare cash and want to save the planet fine but don't do it to save money. It takes 15 years or longer before you get your investment back and at that stage you'll be updating the panels. Being a plumber I could fit them for myself labour free but I wouldn't think it worth while. I know plenty of plumbers but haven't met yet with solar in their home.
Upgrading the heating, boiler and great installation is where you should spend your money.
I am hearing about solar to power your home rather than just to heat water. These pay for themselves after only 7 years and can cut your electricity bill by up to a third.

burrous2

Sleeper12,
I would like to save the planet but I don't have any spare cash and really need to make best use of that €15k.
Thanks for the advice

ted1

If you internally insulated your house , you could also upgrade your heating system. And quite possibly your windows . I can't imagine the price would be much different than externally insulating.

Is the cottage a bungalow? If it is that means scaffolding isn't needed and the prices you got for externally insulting is on the high side

burrous2

ted1 wrote: »

If you internally insulated your house , you could also upgrade your heating system. And quite possibly your windows . I can't imagine the price would be much different than externally insulating.

Is the cottage a bungalow? If it is that means scaffolding isn't needed and the prices you got for externally insulting is on the high side

I think their quote works out at around €130 per m2
It is a bungalow but the gable is very high, so they would require a little scaffolding there.

Is internal cheaper or better?

antoinolachtnai

The main 'generic' recommendation anyone can make without having seen the house is to get more insulation in the attic.

Beyond that, I think the next thing is really to get the basic stuff in the house in as good order as possible. I am thinking of good doors that are reasonably airtight, windows that are double-glazed, making sure there are no holes in the building that let air in (other than required ventilation), making sure that the central heating is in good order with a reasonable boiler and is a sealed system if possible.

I would also be making sure that the plumbing (and for that matter, electrical wiring) is in reasonably good order. Making sure that you have a good solid roof is worthwhile too. There is no sense spending your savings on upgrades and then finding that you have basic problems that need urgent fixing.

As you are just looking at insulation or other energy saving measures, you really need to look at what you are currently spending per year on heating. What reduction could you realistically expect? That will give you a guide as to how many years it will take to get a return. Fuel is pretty cheap at the moment, so after you do the basic things (boiler, controls, roof insulation) it is hard to justify projects on a pure money basis alone. But often, it is the added comfort that really makes these things worthwhile.

Sleeper12

antoinolachtnai wrote:

As you are just looking at insulation or other energy saving measures, you really need to look at what you are currently spending per year on heating. What reduction could you realistically expect? That will give you a guide as to how many years it will take to get a return. Fuel is pretty cheap at the moment, so after you do the basic things (boiler, controls, roof insulation) it is hard to justify projects on a pure money basis alone. But often, it is the added comfort that really makes these things worthwhile.

I totally agree with what is said above but would like to add that there is more to insulation than saving money. It's the comfort level that's just as important.
I insulated the inside of my house a few years ago. I'm sure I'm saving money but don't notice as prices go up each year. I do notice the comfort level regardless of the cost of heating.

burrous2

antoinolachtnai, Sleeper12,
Thanks for the sound advice