It has been a bit of a debacle, hasn't it. Such great intentions, such a great concept but a little bit lacking in the thing that our government should be so good at - detail, legislation and bureaucracy.
I don't think the government is entirely to blame for the tragedies as well as the stuff ups. Regulating the industry would have been a great idea, training installers and certifying them another good one, but surely businesses - who stood to make a fortune from this scheme - should take responsibility for good old-fashioned shoddy workmanship and putting their staff at risk by not training them properly.
The whole green thing has gone a bit mouldy now - no one really likes the smell of it. So much so that the government has withdrawn the rebate and gone back to the drawing board until June 2010.
Both bulk and foil insulation, when put in correctly with all the safety measures in place (NOT stapling metal staples through aluminum foil and electrical wiring and ensuring insulation does not touch halogen down lights and hot flues) really works. It cuts down on energy use and keeps your house comfortable without having to continually pump heat or cool into it.
It makes me mad that it has been so badly done and I urge you, if you haven't had it done, to apply when the new improved version comes out in June. It is very worthwhile.
You will have to pay the fee up-front and then claim up to $1000 back, just as you would with a doctor's bill. It is meant to put the householders back in control - but you need to be armed with a bit more knowledge. Here it goes...
Unless you have a giant house, or something special like a flat roof, $1000 should easily cover the cost of insulating a standard, garden-variety 3-bedroom house. It'll be less for smaller houses. You might pay a bit extra for having down-light covers installed over your halogen lights - as I understand it, most insulation installers only leave the required gap around halogen lights, or fire retardant barriers if it is blow-in insulation. Ask them about getting them installed, otherwise the effectiveness of your fabbo insulation is greatly reduced. If you like stats, a 5% gap in insulation can mean a 30% loss in effectiveness.
If you have had it done and want to know if it is a good job, get a torch, turn off the power at the mains and poke your head up through the man/woman hole in the ceiling and have a look.
Look for:- Good, uniform coverage across the ceiling fitting tightly into all holes. - At least a 10cm gap around recessed down-lights and hot flues or a fire-retardent barrier around them if it is blow-in insulation. If you have down-light covers the insulation can be butted up right against the covers. - For bulk insulation, check that the correct R-value has been installed. It is roughly 10cm thickness of batt for every R. eg if you have R 4 batts in your roof it should be roughly 40cm thick.
If you have had foil insulation installed, wait for the Government safety check to give you the all clear.
And be careful on the ladder - I take no responsibility for vertigo, wobbles, hitting your head or other nasties that occur but still encourage you to do it. A well-insulated house, filled with someone who is aware of what is going on up there, is a beautiful thing to behold.
For more up to date stuff on the Government Insulation Program, you can check it out here. If you want more info on any of this, write a comment below and I can tell you more but I didn't want to bamboozle too much.