Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

US: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved final amendments to its R-Value rule for domestic insulation products following a two-year review period. The changes are intended to reduce the regulation’s burden, clarify its requirements, and make it easier for the FTC to take action against deceptive R-value claims for non-insulation products.

The R-value rule originally came into effect in 1979. It requires home insulation manufacturers, professional installers, new home sellers, and retailers to provide R-value information, based on the results of standard tests, to help inform consumers. An insulation product’s ‘R-value’ represents the product’s ability to restrict heat flow and thus reduce energy costs.

New Zealand: Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods has officially launched the Warmer Kiwi Homes insulation programme in Christchurch. The US$96m programme is intended to give low income homeowners grants covering two thirds of the cost of ceiling and underfloor insulation. The first year of the programme will focus on insulation grants, with grants for heating available from July 2019.

Poland: Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says that his government will spend Euro7.2bn on measures to reduce air emissions including financing home insulation. Other measures in the programme include support for ‘green’ heating system, according to Radio Poland. The announcement follows the government’s support for a bill in March 2018 banning low-quality coal for domestic use.

According to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), 33 of Europe's 50 most polluted cities are in Poland. The WHO estimates that around 50,000 citizens die each year due to air pollution-related conditions.