Decarbonisation
Here is everything you need to know about the energy-saving works planned for your home.
The proposed energy-saving works are necessary as part of the Government’s drive toward zero carbon, and to ensure that all rented properties are rated at a minimum energy efficiency band C before 2030.
By making your home more energy efficient, it will help to reduce your energy costs, by reducing the energy required to run your home. This will benefit you as energy costs continue to rise.
Example of a completed property in Bootle.
“I want to say a big thank you, not only for the work that has taken place in our homes in Bootle but for improving them - the finished work looks fantastic. Mine is nearly finished. From the joiner to the plasterer, scaffolding being erected, new pipes in the yard, new front and back doors fitted - all the staff have been respectful to me and my property, and their work standard is amazing.
Personally, I think they have gone above and beyond what their jobs entail. As for Emma, she is a treasure. I’m slightly disabled, and her help to me has been truly exceptional. Thank you, Prima. Thank you, Emma. Thank you, lads. You have done an excellent job and been superb. By next week the inside will be finished, and I’ll be lovely and warm this winter.”
About Our Contractor
Our contractor, Ecogee, will carry out the energy-saving work. Ecogee’s operatives are all DBS checked, they carry identification and wear high visibility jackets whilst working in your home. Their operative’s clothing includes their logo and they will use appropriate safety wear. They will continue to observe social distancing measures in your home, and we ask for your cooperation.
Please do not let anyone into your home without checking their ID. If they are an official member of staff, they will be happy to show you their ID.
About the energy-saving improvement works
Insulation - The work will mainly include insulating external walls and roof spaces, and may also include some additional works to help improve energy efficiency. A ‘Retrofit Survey’ will be carried out first to assess the works needed for your home. This will be followed up by a detailed technical survey to set out how the work will be carried out and plan a timetable for the work.
Front of your home - For terraced homes built with solid walls, insulation will be applied to the inside of the external walls at the front of your home, this will help to keep the external look and character of the property, whilst reducing energy loss from the front wall. As the insulation will be on the inside of your home, this means that the room will be reduced slightly in size by the thickness of the insulation applied to the wall. We will leave a freshly plastered finish on the internal surfaces of the external wall to all rooms that look out to the front of the property.
Before any work is undertaken, we will agree with you about the redecoration of the walls at the front of your home, and how we propose to refit existing floor coverings around the newly insulated walls.
Back of your home - The rear external wall of homes (and the gable end of your home is an end-terrace) will have insulation applied to the outside of the external walls. To facilitate this, the roof lines in these locations will be extended to ensure that the newly installed insulation is fully protected and effective for energy efficiency for years to come.
Any Cavity walls discovered during the surveys will be filled with insulation material, with minimum disruption, and these areas will not show any aesthetic difference either internally or externally when works are completed.
Roof spaces – We will make sure roof spaces are insulated to the current Government guidelines, with 300mm deep insulation, this will help ensure coverage of any previous cold bridging areas.
Timescales – We expect work to take 12 to 15 working days. Ecogee will agree on the dates for the work to your home directly with you. Before any work starts, we will provide you with more specific information about the timeline for the work, this will show start and expected completion dates, to help you plan around the work and make suitable alternative arrangements if needed. We will try to make sure that work goes as smoothly as possible.
The energy efficiency works will give you a fully insulated home, this will help reduce the energy required to warm your house which can reduce your heating costs, which we know is very important to you in these times of rising energy costs.
Before the energy efficiency improvement works begin
What to expect - An asbestos survey must be completed before any work can begin. If a survey has not already been undertaken, we will be in contact with you directly to arrange this. You must allow access to this survey. We will not be able to work on your property until a full asbestos survey report is obtained.
If asbestos-containing materials are found in your home and we are likely to disturb these materials during the work, we will consult with you on how this will be dealt with, as it may need to be removed. Any removal will be undertaken strictly in accordance with safety regulations. Asbestos-containing materials are perfectly safe if left undisturbed.
The First Step to Energy Efficiency | Survey Visits
Ecogee’s Retrofit Surveyor will visit your home to assess the work needed to best improve the energy efficiency of your home. This will be followed up by a Technical Survey to set out how the work will be carried out and plan a timetable for the works. Each survey should take no longer than one hour to complete.
After the survey visits
Ecogee will carry out a home visit to discuss the plans with you, they will explain the details of the work and how it will affect you, the dates for the works to commence, and the likely timescale and provide you with the contact details of the site team, who will be available if you have any further questions.
If you are not in when we call to carry out the surveys
They will post a calling card through your door to let you know they have called. Please call the telephone number on the card to arrange another appointment at the earliest opportunity.
If we cannot gain access to your home
Your Tenancy Agreement says you must allow access for necessary works and inspection. If we are unable to gain access to your home, unfortunately, there is a risk that your home may be removed from this improvement programme, and you will miss out on this opportunity to have the energy-saving work carried out. This may leave the future work plans for your home uncertain (including any planned improvement and component replacement works).
As your Landlord, we are obliged to undertake these works to ensure that we meet the Government’s directive to ensure that all rented properties have an energy efficiency rating of a minimum band C by 2030 and we will be unable to rent a property that does not achieve this rating from that date.
Before the work begins – what you need to do
Clear the proposed working areas of any belongings - The areas where work is planned will be explained when Ecogee visit you. Before work is due to start, please ensure that you have removed everything from the areas where work is to take place. Work may be delayed if this has not happened, and it may need to be re-scheduled.
Inside - Remove any furniture and floor covering back from the areas where insulation is to be applied to walls internally to provide a clear area for Ecogee to undertake the work.
Outside/Roof space - You should also clear any items from your roof space and rear yard areas should have enough space to allow Ecogee unrestricted access and for any scaffolding to be put up.
Understand the likely disruption
When major improvements are carried out there is always some inconvenience, Ecogee will try their best to ensure that disruption is kept to an absolute minimum. They will ensure that all access routes are covered with dust sheets and protect items of furniture and floor coverings with protective screens or covers where practicable. They will also try to make sure that dust is kept to a minimum and will tidy up at the end of each working day before they leave your home.
Energy Efficiency Improvement Works Timescales
Works should be completed over 15 working days. A typical timetable for the works is shown below, this is only a guide to help give you an idea of what is involved. Your Site Supervisor will let you know in advance if work to your home will not follow this plan and will inform you of any changes or delays during the work.
Ventilation works
Fit new fans to all wet areas (kitchen, bathroom, WC)
Check any other existing fans on the property & replace any non-compliant units.
Undercuts to internal doors.
Trickle vents to all windows if required.
Internal wall insulation process (Duration up to 7 Working Days)
Using dust sheets to protect affected areas
Take down fixtures and fittings and safely store
Electrical alteration work 1st fix (installing replacement wiring)
Plumbing/Heating alteration work 1st fix (installing replacement pipes)
Joinery alteration work as needed to the floorboard, skirting board, window sills etc
Prepare timber frames on the internal walls to receive insulated plasterboards.
Fit insulated plasterboards to timber frame.
Skim-finish insulated plasterboards
Fit new skirting board and any other fixtures and fittings.
Reinstate the radiator and any associated pipework.
Electrical 2nd fix (socket plates, switches etc)
Full decoration of affected areas.
De-sheet affected areas.
Customer handover.
External wall insulation process (Duration up to 15 Working Days)
Scaffold to required areas
Preparation works (Plumbing, electrics, soil stacks/gutters, flu extensions, roof line extensions)
Below damp works – XPS boards and render
Installation of insulation boards
Apply base coat and mesh walls.
Apply top-level coat to walls
Silicone top-coat walls
Reinstatement works (new soil stacks, gutters, fixtures, electrics, plumbing)
Dismantle scaffolding.
Full clean-up
Customer handover
When the Energy Efficiency work is finished
On the last day of work at your home, both Ecogee and a Prima Group representative will visit your home to inspect the works and to find out if you are happy with how things have gone during the project. If at the inspection there is any work that has not been completed or needs improvement, Ecogee will aim to do this at the earliest opportunity.
We will contact you again at a later date and ask you to complete a satisfaction survey online or over the phone. Your feedback will help us to continuously improve our service.
As part of the decarbonisation works a Switchee smart thermostat will be installed in your home to optimise energy use, lower heating bills and reduce energy consumption. Each device automatically creates an occupancy profile for the home and then it adjusts the heating to save you money. Switchee learns and continuously adapts to reduce your bills. It doesn’t require anyone to set or touch it to work. Of course, we hope you will want to use Switchee. It has a large, intuitive touchscreen: the heating controls are easy to use and designed so that you can use Switchee easily, if you want to, without the need for an instruction manual. It’s also a two-way communication device. We can send you messages and energy-saving tips and use the sensory data to provide building and welfare performance indicators, e.g. mould and fuel poverty risk.
Frequently asked questions
Why are these works necessary now?
The Government have set a target of 2030 for all rented properties to achieve an energy efficiency rating of band C. This will require works to be undertaken, all over the country, over several years, to ensure that all landlords are given the time and opportunity to complete the work in good time for the deadline. The Government have created a Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to assist landlords to implement energy-saving measures, beginning with those homes most in need of energy-saving work. This will have the bonus of allowing your home to be amongst the first to achieve savings on energy usage via this scheme.
Can the work be postponed for a date in the future?
Unfortunately, we cannot postpone the works until a later date. Your home has been identified and prioritised by need and funding for these works has been made available for a limited period. Completing these works alongside neighbouring properties also assists in reducing our carbon footprint.
Can I be removed from the proposed work programme or refuse to allow access?
No, your Tenancy Agreement states that you must allow access to necessary works and inspection. As your Landlord, we are obliged to undertake these works to ensure that we meet the Government’s directive to ensure that all rented properties have an energy efficiency rating of a minimum band C by 2030 and we will be unable to rent a property that does not achieve this rating. Therefore, these works are essential for the future of your home as a rented property.
Can I choose only certain parts of the improvement work to be carried out?
Unfortunately, we are unable to complete partial elements of the works. All of the work recommended must be fully implemented to achieve the required Energy Efficiency rating.
What about my floor covering (carpet/laminate) for rooms with proposed internal works?
We will review and discuss this with you when we visit, so you know what to expect and what may need to be altered, such as refitting carpet or laminate flooring. We will arrange to protect the existing floor coverings and arrange for them to be refitted to match the new dimensions of the room.
I have not long decorated these rooms. What will happen to rooms affected by internal works?
We will review existing decoration and discuss proposals with you at the pre-start visit and we will agree to arrange to protect existing decoration and make good to any areas affected by the works, and/or agree on a reasonable redecoration package.
What happens if I am not happy with the work in progress?
You will have a designated Ecogee Liaison Officer whilst the works are in progress. They will provide you with their contact details and you can contact them in the first instance if you encounter any problems with the work and they will help work through any concerns you have.
Following this, if the issues cannot be reasonably resolved to your satisfaction, you can contact Prima Group directly at 0151 452 0202.
Remember, sometimes things can go wrong!
We aim to provide an excellent service and keep disruption to an absolute minimum. However, there are occasions when certain situations beyond our control will cause some delays or a minor inconvenience, such as:
Manufacturing delays
Delays in delivering materials.
Equipment breakdowns
Access issues and system/scaffolding alterations and adjustments
Please be assured that we will strive to resolve any issues at the earliest opportunity and get things back on track as soon as possible.