Insulation Industry Spotlight: Enviroflex 08 December 2023
For more than 50 years, Enviroflex has been providing insulation services for Victorians.
In 2017, Felicia Richardson joined the company as Chief Executive Officer, and saw an industry with an incredible opportunity to professionalise. Enviroflex has recognised the significant size of the insulation retrofit market, with most homes built prior to 2002 having little to no insulation, and many of those built since still requiring ‘top ups’ to meet current standards.
For the retrofit market to be capitalised on, Victoria – and indeed the whole country – needs a workforce capable of high-quality installation.
Felicia, who is also a current board member of Insulation Australasia, explains that “it has been common in the industry to have a casual workforce, paid piece rates, incentivised to go through jobs quickly, often sacrificing quality.”
To combat this, Enviroflex employs their installers full time, providing industry training and certifications, and incentivising them for quality of install, rather than speed.
“To maximise the benefit of any insulation installation, work must be carried out with care, skill, and attention to detail,” Felicia says. “We provide our installers with job security and full-time employment, treat them as skilled professionals, and create real opportunities for career progression.”
Enviroflex didn’t stop at improving conditions for installers. They also raised the bar for what homeowners can expect in an install.
“We treat customers’ homes with great care and respect, as we would our own homes,” says Felicia.
In addition to being industry trained, installers hold current police and working with children checks, providing customers with security and peace of mind while installers are in their homes.
Felicia is also passionate about improving acoustics in learning, working and entertainment spaces, creating attractive surroundings, and optimising potential for listening, resting, and communicating.
Equally as important is providing thermal comfort and minimising costs, both for people and the environment.
“We process cellulose destined for landfill and upcycle news print, paper, cardboard and release liner (sticker backings). We turn these lower-value waste items into higher value thermal and acoustic insulation, components for hydromulch and hydroseeding solutions, as well as oil spill kits,” explains Felicia.
While the opportunities for both the company and the wider industry are huge, there are still bumps in the road.
“Lately, the high cost of living has been a real challenge,” Felicia says. “Unfortunately, we’ve had clients who know they need to improve the efficiency of their homes to make them healthier, more comfortable, and more energy efficient – but interest rates and other cost of living pressures, including energy bills, have seen them delay the work. This is obviously not a great outcome for them, or us,” says Felicia.
“We’d really like to see governments provide more support to help homeowners upgrade their insulation so they can access the health, comfort and energy savings available.”
“There are already government rebates to switch to energy efficient appliances and install alternate energy sources like solar. But homes could be better supported to reduce energy consumption through improvements to their thermal envelope.”
Given the need to retrofit millions of homes to bring them up to date with the current standards we see in new builds, the demand for skilled, certified insulation installers can only grow, and businesses like Enviroflex are rising to the challenge.