Insulate!!: Mass retrofit of houses in England and Wales done by clubs of owner-occupiers

This
book is written with the lay reader in mind. S/he is fearful, how will their
kids and their kids make out on a planet that is burning?

Whilst
others must do other things there is one thing an owner-occupier can do:
properly insulate their house. But since next door must be good too, first engage their neighbours so that clubs
of them can do what is necessary house-by-house along the street.

So, with
a view to reducing global warming, “Insulate!!” tells how owner-occupiers in a
street may club together to properly insulate their houses, not just the lofts.
It starts with words of comfort. It then advises on appointment of

·
professionals
eg architects, surveyors, engineers, physicists:

·
sourcing
finance and

·
appointing
insurers especially some to monitor workmanship.

Professionals
then help the club choose a retrofit builder.

Retrofit
will normally be done with people staying in their homes. Insulation suggested
for upper walls is external, in ground storeys it may best be internal, rooms being
surrendered for a working day for its installation.

Following consultation, construction
methods and specifications will be determined by the professionals.

Costs
will be met by mortgages paid off over some years, amounts being similar to previous
electricity and gas bills.

First
there will be some ‘trailblazing’ years following which mass retrofit in
England and Wales will be happening widely and completed by 2040. So retrofit will become an
industry bigger than the house construction industry now is.

Sometimes
houses will have defects that need repair first. So, surveys are carried out in
advance using methods old and new including drone theodolites. Then listings of bulging walls etc can be made and engineers can advise remedial measures.

The
social aspects of mass retrofit are considered including the appearance of
streets, the author shedding tears that English suburban streets will never
look the same again. However the book often has a light touch. Some may find
the “Cast List’ in an Appendix just too light-hearted!

The
sudden death of an owner or calamities that could not be foreseen means a house
drops out of the current programme with insurers paying for this work to be
done later. If there are unanticipated findings in a house, insurers pay for
the occupiers to move elsewhere for a month or three, the kids being taxied to school at insurer's
expense.

Five
chapters take the novice owner-occupiers through the stages, starting with
WhatsApp through to final tidy-up.

Following
mass retrofit an ‘Energy Passport’ is issued for each house. Houses that have
already stood for decades or even from Victorian times will then be ready for
the 22nd century.