"It gave us peace of mind”: A warmer, safer home for Anthony’s uncle

“He’s so happy with how his house looks now… it really has made him feel more comfortable, and I also feel a lot happier knowing that my uncle isn’t cold and is happy with his house.”

Installation: External wall insulation

Location: Derby
Scheme: Derby Levelling Up Fund
Date: December 2024
Delivery Partner: YES Energy Solutions, Derbyshire Dales District Council

Anthony, who lives in Doncaster and works in banking, has been supporting his uncle, who has autism and learning difficulties, with home improvements to make his property warmer and more comfortable. His uncle lives alone in a 1950s house in Derby, which had become increasingly cold and draughty.

“The house is my uncle’s; he has learning difficulties and has autism. He lives by himself, but he does need extra support.

“I heard about YES Energy Solutions from someone who had some work done by YES and they recommended that we get in touch.”

Through the Derby Levelling Up scheme, YES Energy Solutions installed external wall insulation to help improve the energy efficiency of the property.

Installation experience

The property, which lacked an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), was estimated to be at least an EPC band E due to its age and condition. Anthony described the challenges the home presented and how he came to contact YES Energy Solutions.

“My uncle’s house is very old, it’s from the 50s so it was really cold, his house didn’t originally have an EPC, but we’ve predicted that if it did it would be at least an EPC rating of E. My uncle had a bay window which was causing a lot of draft, and he also has concreted flooring which doesn’t help.

Given his uncle’s eligibility for benefits and the ongoing renovation work, Anthony saw the insulation as a natural next step.

“It really was a no brainer to get in touch about the external wall insulation. Because of his additional needs my uncle is on benefits which meant that he qualified for the scheme. We had already done the loft insulation and double glazing, so it felt like the external wall insulation was the next step.”

The condition of the home was having a direct impact on his uncle’s wellbeing, which was a major concern for Anthony.

“The house was really affecting my uncle. It was drafty and cold and it’s not safe as my uncle is in his 70’s and it also worried me a lot because I didn’t want him to feel cold and uncomfortable. So, getting the work done allowed me to feel a little bit more at peace.”

Anthony praised the professionalism and sensitivity of the contractors and the coordination from YES.

“I found the process really easy, and the contractors were very understanding and were very sensitive to my uncle’s situation, I felt very supported throughout the whole process, and I thought that YES worked extremely hard to fit us in before Christmas. I also found that everyone seemed to be on the same page which was very nice as it’s not often that third parties work together, they usually don’t communicate.”

After the installation

The completed work had a positive impact on both Anthony and his uncle. His uncle, who is usually reserved, expressed happiness with the results.

“My uncle is very particular about things, and he won’t tell you until after but he’s so happy with how his house looks now and it really has made him feel more comfortable, but I also feel a lot happier knowing that my uncle isn’t cold and is happy with his house.”

One of the most memorable moments came from a thoughtful gesture by one of the contractors, which left a lasting impression.

“I also wanted to mention that one of the contractors really made a difference, my uncle loves fish, he has an aquarium and loves them. This contractor also liked fish, and they seemed to bond over this. On the last day of the project, the contractor bought my uncle some tropical fish to add to his aquarium which I think was so lovely and made my uncle so happy. I really appreciated the contractors and felt that they took the time to talk to my uncle and were very understanding of his situation.”

Although it’s too early to measure the full energy savings, Anthony is optimistic about the long-term impact.

“It’s too early to tell how much it’s helped reduce the bills, but with the other projects we’ve been working on as well as the external wall insulation, I expect that the bill should reduce by half.”

He also offered a practical tip for others considering similar improvements.

“I really would like to say thank you!

“I would say that before getting external wall insulation get your windows double glazed if you’re thinking of doing that because it’s so much easier to put the cladding on after!”