Foil Insulation Safety Program
The Australian Government’s Foil Insulation Safety Program (FISP) is for the 50,000 households that had foil insulation installed between 3 February 2009 and 9 February 2010 under the discontinued Home Insulation Program.
Under this Program, households with foil insulation are entitled to a safety inspection by a licensed electrical contractor. Households will then have the option of having the foil removed, or alternatively on the advice of a licensed electrician, having safety switches installed and related works to reduce the residual risks posed by the presence of conductive foil insulation laid in proximity to electrical cabling.
Due to the scale of the Foil Insulation Safety Program it is expected that the inspections will take approximately six months to complete.
With the rollout of the Foil Insulation Safety Program, the interim arrangements – under which householders were able to engage any licensed electrical contractor to conduct safety inspections – have ended.
Householders who require an urgent safety inspection ahead of the one being scheduled by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the Government’s program broker, are able contact PwC through the safety inspection hotline 13 17 92 to arrange a priority inspection.
Information relating to inspections that are carried out, including personal information, may be provided to State and Territory Fair Trading Offices and to State and Territory agencies responsible for building standards or electrical safety, for law enforcement and safety purposes.
Eligibility and Assistance
- Only householders that had foil insulation installed under the Home Insulation Program are eligible for this Program.
- Letters will be sent to all households known to have had foil insulation installed under the Home Insulation Program. The letter will provide information on the Foil Insulation Safety Program and details of the booking process.
- PwC, the program broker engaged by the government to roll out the Program, will contact householders to organise the inspection. The Government will meet the costs of removal and disposal of foil insulation or the installation of safety switches and the repair of any electrical faults caused by the installation or the removal of insulation.
- The removal of foil, or alternatively the installation of safety switches and related works, will be a decision for the householder informed by advice from a licensed electrical contractor.
Householders will need to meet the cost of repairing pre-existing electrical faults that are not related to the installation of foil insulation.
Further information for:
Information for households about the Australian Government’s Foil Insulation Safety Program for homes insulated with foil products under the Home Insulation Program between 3 February 2009 and 9 February 2010, when foil products were suspended from the program.
Letters will be sent to all households known to have had foil insulation installed under the Home Insulation Program. The letter will provide information on the Foil Insulation Safety Program and details of the booking process.
There is a safety risk if foil insulation comes into contact with electrical installations in the ceiling space. It is important that you DO NOT enter the ceiling space until the licensed electrical contractor has carried out this safety inspection and given the all-clear.
Under this Program, every householder that had foil insulation installed under the Home Insulation Program is entitled to receive a free electrical safety inspection. The government will also pay for the cost of rectification works resulting from the foil insulation installed under the Home Insulation Program.
Rectification works are restricted to electrical problems that have been caused by the installation of ceiling foil insulation, plus either:
- Removal of ceiling foil insulation
or
- On the advice of a licensed electrician, installation of safety switches for all final sub-circuits and sub-mains located in the ceiling space.
The householder will be required to pay for any additional cost associated with pre-existing electrical problems. A pre-existing fault means one that existed prior to the installation of ceiling foil insulation under the Home Insulation Program, or is not related to insulation.
About the inspection and rectification work
The site inspection and works will be carried out by a minimum of two electrical inspectors.
The electrical safety inspection and rectification may take up to eight hours to complete.
During the inspection you will need to elect what work will be done. The electrician will discuss the results of their inspection and provide you with a recommendation to assist you.
- The ceiling foil insulation can be removed from your ceiling (if removed the inspectors will be doing this on the same day and will dispose of the foil in the correct manner)
or
- You can have safety switches installed for all final sub-circuits and sub-mains located in the ceiling space
or
- You could choose for there to be no work, although this is NOT recommended.
In some but not all cases the foil insulation will need to be removed. The Department is working to remove foil insulation or alternatively install safety switches to reduce risks.
It remains a decision for you based on the recommendation by the licensed electrical contractor to determine whether the removal of the existing foil insulation or the installation of safety switches is required to enhance electrical safety. This recommendation will be made by the electrician on a case-by-case approach and will be based only on electrical safety considerations.
Please be advised that you, the householder, have the final decision on what, if any, work is done. The Government will not fund both the removal of foil and installation of safety switches.
The electrical contractor will advise you of these options on the day of the inspection.
What to expect with the inspection
- An inspector will attend to conduct a ceiling foil insulation electrical safety inspection within your roof. There will be a minimum of two electrical inspectors, one of whom will be a safety observer.
- Inspectors will carry an ID and a copy of the job number for your premises if you wish to further verify them. This number will be provided to you at the time that your inspection is booked.
- To conduct the inspection, the inspectors will be required to turn off the power to your house in order to prevent any electrical hazards whilst in the ceiling cavity. This will mean that there will be no power to the residence for up to eight hours.
- Photos may be taken inside your roof cavity and the roof to record the installation and any damage caused by the ceiling foil installation.
- Inspectors will be immediately rectifying any safety issues identified with the insulation.
- The inspector will notify you of any pre-existing electrical faults found but it will be your responsibility to pay for any work required to repair pre-existing electrical issues. The inspectors can undertake minor repairs of pre-existing electrical faults if the cost is less than $150. If more extensive work is required you will need to arrange this via another licensed electrical contractor.
- Under some circumstances the power may not be able to be reinstated if it is unsafe to do so until pre-existing electrical faults are repaired.
Foil Insulation Safety Program – information for licensed electrical contractors
Information for electricians about the Australian Government's Foil Insulation Safety Program for homes insulated with foil products under the Home Insulation Program between 3 February 2009 and 9 February 2010, when foil products were suspended from the program.
The Government has engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as program brokers to roll out the Foil Insulation Safety Program. PwC have engaged UGL Services to manage the electrical safety work.
The contract with PwC brings to an immediate end the interim arrangements whereby eligible households could obtain a Program Reference Number and arrange a safety inspection by a licenced electrical contractor of their choice. No further Program Reference Numbers will be issued. However, inspections already booked by a householder and carried out before 14 May 2010 will be paid by the Government under the interim arrangements.
Payment timeframe for foil safety inspections and rectification work
The Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency has processed all correctly rendered invoices for foil insulation electrical safety inspection and rectification work submitted to the Department prior to the 10th May 2010. Due to the end of the financial year the Department will be suspending payments until the week commencing the 5th July 2010.
Approximately 19,000 of the 24,000 claims received have been processed and paid, but some delays have occurred due to the volume of claims received, a high proportion of incorrectly completed claims and extra workload generated from duplicate claims. In some cases, licensed electrical contractors have submitted claims for the same job multiple times, necessitating the verification of claims to ensure that each inspection being claimed is eligible and is not duplicated. The Department is concerned to reduce the potential for overpayments or duplicate payments which would require recovery action. In the meantime, we will continue to process claims for electrical safety inspections, keeping in mind the 30-day timeframe.
Please note that after the Department has processed an invoice, the time taken to receive final payment will depend on the processes of each licensed electrical contractor's nominated financial institution. Depending on the institution involved, it may take up to 7 days for payment to be received after you have received notice that your invoice has been processed.
If you submitted a correctly rendered safety inspection invoice prior to the 10th May 2010 and have either not received payment or a request for more information, please email the Foil Insulation Safety Team at electricalinspections@environment.gov.au with the Subject Title: Safety Inspection Payment Enquiry. To ensure a timely response to your enquiry, please include the invoice numbers of claims you say are late in your request for a payment update.