A spokesman from Insulation Rebate for Homes said the response to the Government's giveaway has been greatly received by the public. People can see the benefit of installing the insulation to help reduce the Energy use of homes. The fact that it helps save homeowners on Energy bills is an added bonus…
Too bloody right it is the $4 billion plan has already taken up a tad over $2.5 billion and looks like reaching the $4 billion program much sooner than expected. Will go like the solar rebate of up to $8,000 which was suddenly halted on June 9.
Greg Hunt the opposition spokesperson on the Environment said that insulation fitters are rigging prices what about the person who does the quotes. What about the insulation companies. … A $4 billion trough for the insulation industry is the opportunity that many a snout had found too hard to refuse.
In Albury Wodonga the $1,600 rebate for homeowners and a $1,000 for landlords which is not means tested has been taken up with considerable enthusiasm. Mr Garrett, the Minister for the Environment, has said the program has been rigorously audited.
Apparently Mr Garrett's departmental letter has been sent to all households who have received home insulation to see if "any issues" had arisen. It's a bit like plumbing isn't it or doctors though we mean no disrespect to both plumbers and doctors that usually their mistakes - at their most extreme of course are buried. How would the average householder be aware of any issues as far as pricing is concerned. Unless you get under the roof to inspect the job. One particular company said they don't lay insulation in houses with flat roofs. They'll do the part of the house that has got a pitched roof. One can understand why. You would probably have to put a bit more roof up to get the insulation in. Pitched roofs can be done a lot faster turnover. That's the secret. You can do a pitched roof in a few hours. Should the person have insisted that they get a quote for the job including the flat part? Perhaps that could be 'an issue' that Mr Garrett would be keen to receive.
Another person who has 'an issue' received a quote which included the small room detached from the house. When the installers arrived to work they said that the small room was not included and 'dropped off' two large bags of insulation and would be around the following morning to install the insulation for $150. That was a few weeks ago. The uninstalled insulation (pictured) still remains bagged awaiting attention.
What really might be 'an issue' was that the householder rang up a builder and asked for a quote to install insulation and gave the approximate dimensions "Three or four hundred should do the trick but why don't you take advantage of the rebate you can get $1,600 what do you mean the quote was over $1600 to do the whole house?"
"No it was under the quote - It was about $ 1300. I've got the insulation though."
"What you mean the quote was under the $1600 rebate and you've got the insulation…?"
Not that he was enthusiastic about doing the job in the first place, but when the facts were explained to him he was even less enthusiastic about doing the job.
Mr Garrett has said "The Government takes a very dim view of anyone abusing the ceiling insulation program," he said and has appointed more auditors to do onsite inspections.
Apparently six hundred inspections are being done a week and with over two hundred thousand people having taken up the offer there is a chance that those who have rorted the system through overcharging or poor workmanship will be brought to account. It is not known if any inspections have been done in Albury Wodonga.
This is not to suggest that the whole industry has succumbed to get as much of the action as possible before the trough is finally exhausted. Most of them do the right thing.
The irony is the insulation for the detached room which is cold in winter and excessively hot in summer. It was for this reason that they agreed to get the insulation done in the first place.
