Cavity Wall Insulation

Having cavity wall insulation professionally installed can help to reduce the amount of heat lost in your home by up to 35% and will save you up to £145 per year on heating bills.

All private households qualify for a 100% Cavity Wall Insulation grant, regardless of income or other circumstances. There is no catch and you will never have to repay the grant.

The UK Government has set the six major energy suppliers a target to reduce carbon emissions. The scheme is known as ECO (the Energy Companies Obligation) and is available to occupiers of private domestic households.

Who qualifies?
Anyone who owns their own property or is renting from a private landlord, can claim free Cavity Wall Insulation.

If your property is larger than average or special access equipment is required, you may be asked for a contribution towards the work. A surveyor will advise if this is the case during your free survey.

What Is Cavity Wall Insulation?
If your home has cavity walls, Insulation can be fitted between the two layers of brickwork or between brick and breeze block. The material typically used by Installers on the Grant scheme is a shredded mineral wool (glass fibre).

Small holes are drilled through the T joints in the mortar and the Insulation is blown in. Once the cavity is filled to the correct density, the machine cuts off. The Insulation must be installed from the bottom of the walls to the top so if you live in a flat, your neighbours above and/or below will also need Insulation.

Is My Property Suitable For Cavity Wall Insulation?
Most properties constructed from 1924 onwards were built of two layers of brickwork separated by a cavity. The two bricklayers are tied together using wire to prevent the walls from buckling.

Prior to 1924, the walls were of solid construction type with no cavity. The bricks were turned inwards to tie the two layers together. The reason for the change to cavity construction was purely down to cost, as it was cheaper to build a cavity wall than a solid wall. Another good indicator is that a cavity wall will be at least 10.5″ thick.

In 1982, a change to building regulations meant that all properties were required to have Cavity Wall Insulation installed from new. Some builders continued to construct houses without insulating them, but the vast majority complied with the new regulation.

If your property was built from 1982 onwards, you need to be 100% sure that it does not already have Cavity Wall Insulation before applying for a grant. A good indication is whether your neighbours in similar properties have had the work carried out.

In addition to making sure your property is not brick-tied and that insulation was not installed from new, there are several other considerations:

The walls should not have any visible signs of damp, either inside or out. The bricks and mortar should be in good condition with no cracks or other damage present. The construction type must be brick or brick & block and should not be timber-framed, steel-framed or concrete. If you live in a flat, your neighbours will also need to have the Insulation fitted.

Cavity Wall Insulation Savings
Installing Cavity Wall Insulation can prevent up to 35% of the heat in your home from escaping. This will mean that your heating will not need to be turned on as often and can save you up to £145 per year on energy bills.

As less fossil fuel is being burned, to compensate for heat loss, Cavity Wall Insulation will also substantially reduce your Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions by up to 610kg per year and helps to protect the environment.

ECO4 is backed by large and medium energy suppliers. They have legal obligations under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme. This includes companies like British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, Scottish Power, and Octopus Energy.

For more information please go to the government’s Ofgem website. 
Ofgem Eco