Indinature, who have pioneered the use of industrial hemp as an insulation material for construction, is the first UK natural fibre company to be fully approved for two of Ofgem’s home insulation schemes.
ECO4 and GBIS are Government backed grant schemes aimed at improving energy efficiency in UK homes. ECO4 primarily targets low-income households and vulnerable groups. The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) offers insulation grants to a broader range of households, including middle income families. This includes EPC B band houses which aren’t normally eligible for funding with typical loft insulation materials.
The company’s IndiBreathe product can replace conventional loft insulation materials and has several advantages such as being formaldehyde and VOC free making it safer to work with. Installers love working with the product as it is soft to the touch and doesn’t irritate the skin. It offers superior heat retention compared to traditional glass fibre products and it is also fully sustainable as hemp is a fast-growing and plentiful crop and the material can be recycled or re-purposed at the end of life.
Brian Monaghan, sales director, Indinature said: “We are absolutely delighted that Ofgem has approved our materials for their loft insulation schemes as it opens up a whole new domestic market for the company. We would like to thank Scottish Power for successfully sponsoring the application to Ofgem for IndiBreathe Flex to be registered as an innovation measure for the ECO and GBIS schemes.”
He added: “It now means that builders and contractors can now specify a natural, sustainable and healthy high-performance insulation product when installing loft insulation under the Government schemes.”
This is a second UK first for Indinature. In 2004, the company was the first company manufacturing industrial hemp insulation to achieve a full agrément certificate from the British Board of Agrément (BBA). This meant that the product could be used at scale for both new build and retrofit projects. BBA agrément certificates are a valuable and trustworthy symbol of excellence, recognised in the industry as a differentiating mark of product quality and suitability for meeting UK building regulations.
Indinature’s products are manufactured at its purpose designed Hemp Mill in Jedburgh, Scottish Borders.
For further information about Indinature, products and distributors please visit: www.indinature.co
