Who qualifies for a government grant?
1. Your home must have an EPC rating of D-G. Unsure what your EPC rating is? You can find it here.
2. Your home must fall within council tax bands;
If your EPC rating is D-G, you may still qualify with a higher council tax band if you are in receipt of a means tested benefit.
More information on government grants can be found here.
Either request a call back or complete our online form
Let us know a little more detail regarding your home and we'll let you know whether you may be eligible for a government grant
We will arrange a survey & installation date with one of our approved local partners
Insulating your home’s cavity walls can reduce energy loss and lower heating bills. About a third of heat loss in an uninsulated home escapes through walls.
Houses built before the 1990s may lack wall insulation, while newer ones likely have it. UK houses typically have solid or cavity walls. Cavity walls, commonly found in homes built after the 1920s, have two walls with a gap in between, while solid walls, often found in pre-1920 homes, are a single solid layer of brick or stone.
To identify your home’s wall type, check the brick pattern or measure the wall width near a door or window. Cavity walls have an even pattern with lengthwise bricks, and a width over 260mm, while solid walls have an alternating pattern with smaller ends visible and a narrower width. Stone walls are usually solid and thicker. For non-traditional wall structures like steel-frame, timber-frame, or pre-fabricated concrete, consult a specialist insulation installer.
Cavity walls can be insulated by injecting insulation material from outside. Holes are drilled at 1m intervals, and insulation is blown in using special equipment. The installer then fills the holes with cement. Mineral wool or polystyrene beads are common insulation materials, while polyurethane foam may also be used. Hiring a registered installer is necessary, and the process takes around two hours for an average home with accessible walls.
Standard cavity wall insulation is suitable if your external walls are unfilled cavity walls, at least 50mm wide, in good condition, and not exposed to driving rain or at risk of flooding. An installer can assess your house and use mineral wool or polystyrene beads to insulate your walls if they are suitable. For narrow or uneven cavities, exposed sites, or a risk of flooding, polyurethane foam may be used by a specialist foam insulation installer. Damp patches on internal walls must be fixed before insulation. A cavity barrier may be needed if walls are joined to another house. For flats, agreement from all residents may be necessary to insulate the entire block.
Insulating solid walls can significantly reduce heating costs and improve home comfort, but it is more expensive than insulating cavity walls. Homes built before the 1920s likely have solid walls that cannot be filled with cavity wall insulation. However, solid walls can still be insulated from the inside or outside for larger energy savings.
Determining the type of walls you have is the first step in identifying whether or not your solid walls are insulated. To identify your home’s wall type, check the brick pattern or measure the wall width near a door or window. Cavity walls have an even pattern with lengthwise bricks, and a width over 260mm, while solid walls have an alternating pattern with smaller ends visible and a narrower width. Stone walls are usually solid and thicker. For non-traditional wall structures like steel-frame, timber-frame, or pre-fabricated concrete, consult a specialist insulation installer.
Internal wall insulation (IWI)
Internal wall insulation involves attaching rigid insulation boards to the wall or building a stud wall filled with insulation material like mineral wool fiber. It’s cheaper than external wall insulation, but reduces room floor area by about 100mm. The installation can be done room by room but requires removal and reattachment of skirting boards, door frames, and external fittings. It can make it hard to fix heavy items to the inside walls and cannot be done before fixing any damp problems.
External wall insulation (EWI)
External wall insulation adds a layer of insulation material to your wall, which is then covered with render or cladding. The finish can vary, including smooth, textured, painted, tiled, panelled, pebble-dashed, or finished with brick slips. It can improve weatherproofing, sound resistance, and the appearance of outer walls. It also fills cracks and gaps in the brickwork, reducing draughts, and can increase the lifespan of your walls. It may require planning permission and good access to outer walls, and is not recommended if the walls are structurally unsound.
Ventilation
When insulating older buildings with solid walls, water vapour can move freely through the building due to ventilation and the building materials. Insulation can reduce draughts, but may also create a barrier to vapour movement and make walls colder, leading to potential condensation problems. To avoid future damp issues, a moisture control strategy specific to the building may be needed, using breathable insulation or creating a continuous vapour barrier. An experienced specialist installer should be consulted, and an appropriate 25-year guarantee should be in place, such as those approved by Ofgem.
Insulating your loft, attic, or flat roof is an effective way to reduce heat loss and lower your heating bills, as a quarter of heat is lost through an uninsulated roof. Properly installed loft insulation can pay for itself many times over during its 40-year lifespan, preventing heat loss and cold air from entering, resulting in improved thermal efficiency. This means your heating system won’t have to work as hard, potentially extending its lifespan while also saving you money. Additionally, you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint.
Professional installers can use specialised equipment to blow insulation material into hard-to-access areas of your loft. The insulation material can include mineral wool fibre, treated cellulose, or polyurethane foam.
To insulate a flat roof, it is recommended to add a layer of rigid insulation board on top of the weatherproof layer or directly on top of the timber roof surface. It’s best to do this when replacing the roof covering. Insulating from underneath can lead to condensation problems if not done correctly. Comply with building regulations by insulating flat roofs that need replacement. This could save you similar amounts on your heating bills to loft insulation, depending on how much of the property has a flat roof.
Insulating the ground floor of your property is an excellent method to maintain warmth. Typically, insulating the ground floor is sufficient, and there is usually no need to insulate the floors on upper levels. Nevertheless, it is advisable to insulate any floors located above unheated areas, such as garages, as significant heat loss can occur through those spaces.
Insulating your home’s ground floor depends on its construction. In newer homes, which often have solid concrete floors, insulation can be incorporated during replacement or by adding rigid insulation on top. For older homes with suspended timber floors, look for air bricks or ventilation bricks below floor level on the exterior walls. These indicate the presence of a suspended timber floor. It’s important not to block these air bricks, as they help ventilate the space under the floor and prevent floorboard decay.
To determine the floor type, access the basement or cellar if available and examine the floor. Suspended wooden floors reveal wooden joists and the undersides of the floorboards. If access is not possible, lift a corner of the carpet and underlay to inspect. Insulating timber floors involves lifting the floorboards and placing mineral wool insulation with netting between the joists. This insulation method on the ground floor can save approximately £110 per year in an average property, and up to £180 for detached houses. An innovative alternative is the use of a robot that applies spray foam insulation to the underside of the floorboards, eliminating the need to remove them entirely.
If you’re unsure about lifting your floorboards, a professional installer can handle the task of lifting, insulating, and replacing them. Costs will depend on the size of your house and the complexity of the floorboard removal.
When replacing solid concrete floors, ensure that insulation is included to comply with building regulations. Rigid insulation foam is commonly used to insulate solid floors and can be positioned above or below the concrete. Placing the insulation below the concrete allows it to store heat during the day, providing warmth at night. Conversely, if the insulation is above the concrete, the room will warm up faster in the morning.
Even if your solid floor doesn’t require replacement, you can still insulate it. Lay rigid insulation on top of the existing floor, followed by chipboard flooring. This will raise the floor level, necessitating adjustments such as trimming doors shorter to accommodate the insulation. Skirting boards and certain electrical sockets may need to be relocated.
The Great British Insulation Scheme (previously known as ECO+) is a government backed initiative that aims to help homeowners and tenants across the UK improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Through the scheme, eligible homeowners and tenants are able to access funding to cover some or all of the cost of installing insulation in their homes.
If you live in a home that falls within Council Tax bands A-D in England, A-E in Scotland and A-E in Wales and have an EPC rating of D or below or receive means tested benefits and have an EPC rating of D or below you may be eligible for funding.
Further information can be found on our blog.
The ECO 4 scheme is a government initiative aimed at promoting energy efficiency and is managed by Ofgem. The scheme was created to aid low-income households and vulnerable individuals living in fuel-poor homes categorised as bands E, F, and G in enhancing their energy efficiency.
It aims to enhance the warmth of homes, reduce household emissions and hold large energy companies responsible for assisting income-restricted households. You must be in receipt of specific government benefits in order to qualify, although under certain circumstances your local authority may be able to release funding.
Further information can be found here.
Government incentives –
Energy Efficiency – Home insulation acts as a barrier to heat flow, keeping your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. According to the Energy Saving Trust, installing insulation in a typical semi-detached house with three bedrooms can potentially save you up to £310 annually Typically, walls are the biggest culprit in heat loss, accounting for 30-40%. Roofs come second at 25%, followed by windows and doors at 20%, and floors last.
Comfort – Heat flows from warmer to cooler areas until there is no longer a temperature difference. This means that in winter, heat flows directly to unheated lofts, garages and especially outdoors. Insulation helps keep the temperature in your home more consistent, so you won’t experience cold spots or drafts. This makes your home more comfortable to live in.
Noise Reduction – Insulation helps reduce noise from outside or between rooms in your home, making it a quieter and more peaceful place to live. Indeed, if outside noises seem louder than they should be, it may indicate you don’t have sufficient insulation
Environmental Benefits – By reducing your energy consumption it helps reduce your carbon footprint and helps contribute to a more sustainable future. Insulation also helps your heating systems operate more efficiently. This reduces the need for frequent maintenance and replacement, which can have a significant environmental impact and bills.
Increased Home Value – A well insulated home can be more attractive to potential buyers, as it demonstrates that the home is energy-efficient and well-maintained.
