Foil insulation has been in the news for all the wrong reasons lately, and reports are emerging that it could potentially cause serious harm to homeowners and installers. If you have foil insulation and you are worried, you will be relieved to know that the Federal Government has just announced that it will be providing free safety checks. Here’s what you need to know.

The Problems with Foil Insulation

Under the Federal Government’s insulation rebate scheme, more than 48,000 homes have been fitted with foil insulation. Of these homes, 1,000 or more could have electrically “live” roofs, meaning that going into the roof cavity could be extremely hazardous.

In October of last year, the insulation rebate was reduced from $1600 to $1200 after the death of a Queensland installer while installing foil insulation. Three more installers have since died. The issue is that the foil insulation was being incorrectly installed and had come into contact with electrical fittings, causing it to become “live” and thus giving installers or homeowners potentially lethal shocks.

The use of foil insulation products as part of the government insulation scheme has been suspended by Environment Minister Peter Garrett meaning that it cannot be installed in any more homes. Free safety checks have also been introduced so homeowners can ensure that their insulation is not electrically live and thus a hazard.

If you have foil insulation, do not go into the roof and attempt to check the safety of the insulation yourself.

How to Claim Your Free Safety Check

The following applies to get your free check:

• you must have installed your insulation as part of the Federal Government’s insulation rebate program
• you must use a licensed electrician
• you do not have to pay upfront - the electrician can claim the money back.
• the rebate covers costs upto $400

To obtain your check, you will need to first call the Foil Insulation Hotline on 131 792 in order to get a reference number. You can also choose to wait until you get the reference number in the mail. This number is important as it will allow you to get the check done for free.

The electrician will come to your home and inspect the foil insulation that has been installed. Simply provide the electrician with your reference number on the day to ensure that the test is free of charge for you. Be aware that if you don’t have the reference number, you will be charged at the full rate.

Find a licensed Electrician to perform your safety check:

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