JS wrote:

VERY APPROXIMATELY, HOW MUCH WOULD LOFT INSULATION COST TO COVER
64 SQUARE METRES ?

Depends on how thick you want it...

£120 for 100mm perhaps.

A coupl eof years ago I saw some pink loft insulation which seemed
to be made in such a way that it was a lot "friendlier" (less
problems with skin and repisration as it as softer and more
flexible) than the insulation I saw about 15 years ago.

None of them are nice... rockwool is perhaps a little nicer than the
yellow fiberglass. Wickes do that.

QUESTION: Does this reflect a new minumum standard for loft
insulation or have the regulations changed and this is the minumum
quality permitted for sale?

There is no "minimum quality permitted for sale" as such... The thinnest
stuff usually available (of the soft quited types) these days is 100mm.

QUESTION: Would a top floor flat which is occupied 24 hours and
heated by gas central heated be likely to recover its costs in a
single winter? My neighbour may not stay for two years and
doesn't want to spend time and money of it is not worth their
effort.

It is a law of dimishing returns. Some insulation is massively better
than none. So you may find that by adding 100mm the cost is recovered
quite quickly. Whether they could do this in a year would depend on
circumstances and how much they are spending on gas in the first place.
100mm on its own may yield 10 - 15% savings in gas.

Adding another 100mm doubles the cost of installing it (assuming DIY
install), and best case will give you half as much in energy savings
again. So the payback time for the second 100mm will be double that of
the first.

One thing that may make a *big* difference to the capital cost however
is a grant. These are frequently available for adding insulation to lofts.

A quick google turned up:

http://www.easington.gov.uk/services/energy/egrants.asp

Might be worth checking your own local authority web site.

--
Cheers,

John.

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