In the news

If there's no air gap then you'd need a vapour control layer on the inside of the rock wool which would ideally tape to the equivalent in the floor/wall below.

I've just done internal wall insulation for a 3-floor victorian terrace. Kind of wished I'd re-hung the joists on thermally broken wall hangers given plenty of them were rotten at the rear of the property, but hindsight is 20-20.

Ended up going down the air gap, 100mm PIR, air tight membrane plus heat recovery route... should be toasty, dew point calculator was happy too. EPC will go from E to B (eventually).

I'm in a rented flat, so not a lot I can do. Hooray for plastic film double glazing. And expanding foam to plug the huge holes in the kitchen wall left by a plumber 20 years ago.

plastic film double glazing

There was an eBay seller doing cuts of transparent 2 and 3mm plastic for cheap a couple of years ago. I used them to build a seedling greenhouse but I reckon they’d be useful for double glazing, if glued or sticky taped onto the sill.

Liz truss getting flippy floppy

Energy handouts

price cap could reach £6000 in April 2023

Trying to imagine a scenario where this happens and they don't do something universal to mitigate it.

If Truss is in power I’d half expect her to raise the cap further, party of business etc etc.

Good to see a change in leadership style from Boris.

vapour control layer on the inside of the rock wool

I'm not an engineer, but from experience I have reservations regarding plastic (or Tyvek) next to rock wool. I've seen massive blooms of fungus in rock wool that was covered with plastic. The plastic meant the humidity couldn't escape properly. Re-did the wall with the same amount of rock wool etc just without the plastic and that problem did not re-occur.
For that reason I am sceptical to the suggestion further up thread where someone wanted to add a layer of boards on top of the insulation in their attic. That insulation then becomes a sponge for all the steam rising from your shower and kitchen.

That being said, I am sure having vapour control layers can work wonderfullly, if we're talking new builds where the engineers know exactly what they are doing from the start.

Where there's an actual shortage I guess. If there's not enough gas to go round horrendous prices are one way to get people to limit their usage. Pure speculation/cynicism but I feel like this could be one reason next to no help has been forthcoming so far

For that reason I am sceptical to the suggestion further up thread where someone wanted to add a layer of boards on top of the insulation in their attic

If you're doing it properly you put the boards on stilts so there is still an air gap between the insulation and the board.

Probably more one for the DIY thread but if you are going to line externally facing walls in single skin brick wall stuff (aka victorian / Edwardian) you need to be careful about both vapour in the property being able to get out, and vapour coming through the brick and plasterwork being able to get out. That means either breathable materials, or very clever and thorough moisture barrier stuff.

I honestly have fantasies where a truck drives into our end-of-terrace victorian house, meaning we'd have to rebuild. Using the insurance to create a much more economic and ecological structure would be great.

The details matter, the risk of condensation/moisture build up on the inside of the exterior face is also important (if you allow moisture into the wall from the inside).

The scenario you describe suggests inappropriate rock wool use as the exterior face couldn't have been adequately vented/permeable?

Individual dew point/humidity calculations based on local climate and the different options you're considering should highlight what's best.

I think it is nailed on that they will intervene in the domestic market but the commercial market is grim, SME's face uncapped bills and are seeing 5 fold increases along with other inflationary pressures that they can't afford but the Government can't afford to intervene in in any meaningful way, as it would cost multiples of what furlough did

At least we’ve not completely lost our sense of humour
But I’m sure the next Home Secretary will be coming for that soon
(from The Gruniad this morning)

1 Attachment

You've got to wonder as well what's going to happen with schools, hospitals, etc. Are ever-increasing elements of their budget going to be going on power?

Tldr- it's all a con:

https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2022/08/29/we-could-massively-reduce-the-price-of-energy-in-the-uk-by-changing-the-way-we-regulate-energy-prices/comment-page-1/

Well, fuck me. When you think this government has found the bottom of the barrel and then hear that Rees-Mogg is likely to be the next minister in charge of energy. Jesus....

Coal chutes for everyone!

If you had a choice, would you want to use:
(i) steam power?
(ii) steam power alongside an electric equivalent?

Hah!

Well, for now... feck me. He is the joke that isn't funny anymore.

Ah, gotcha.

Yeah that makes it a lot easier. We need repointing, Stormdry cream and finding an installer that would say "no" if they think it's a risk.

"knock the house down and start again" or insulation on the outside with ventilation with heat recapture (or you get all the mould) but that's 10-15K for our 1952 semi. cough

This Guardian columnist saying practically the same thing:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2022/aug/30/wanted-a-new-energy-contract-for-renewables-and-nuclear-projects

; the share price of biomass-heavy Drax is up two-thirds in the past 12 months, for instance.

But Johnson was photographed in a hi Vis vest doing a double thumbs up and blaming Putin just yesterday. He's only got six days left as PM, who will keep us informed now?

Here is the market price chart from Bloomberg for German power 1 year forward. Anyone telling you that this is solely profiteering by UK energy companies is thick or lying

1 Attachment