Wall Insulation Grants: Eligibility, Schemes and Types

Individuals who fall under the low-income bracket, government benefit recipients, and homeowners of energy-inefficient properties are eligible to receive free insulation grants.

Although wall insulation can be advantageous, an investigation by Which? revealed that wall insulation information sources may often give poor advice, have price discrepancies, and aren't always accurate and up to date. This article aims to provide you with all the necessary information on wall insulation so that you can make an informed decision.

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To be eligible for free insulation from the Great British Insulation Scheme, applicants must meet specific qualification criteria. Factors such as income, EPC rating, and government assistance are considered.

Applying is simple, with two options available,  for homeowners and renters: the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) (more details below). Qualification criteria are similar but may vary slightly depending on status.

ECO4 provides guidelines for identifying low-income households in the UK. The main criteria for this group are based on your total gross income being below £31,000 per year, and your council tax band range based on your property value. 

Households in council tax bands A-D in England or A-E in Scotland and Wales may be eligible for the Great British Insulation Scheme.

The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating measures your home's energy efficiency and ranges from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). The qualifying EPC rating for the Great British Insulation Scheme depends on whether you own or rent your home:

UK residents receiving government allowances or benefits may qualify for wall cavity insulation assistance through the Great British Insulation Scheme. Eligible benefits include:

Pensioners and individuals over 70 can get free wall cavity insulation even if they don't meet grant criteria. Age is not a qualifying factor, but they can receive assistance if they belong to the low-income or general group.

Currently, there are two schemes available for wall insulation grants. These are the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4). 

Both schemes are designed to provide financial coverage for effective wall insulation, reducing home heat loss and improving energy efficiency. It is essential to carefully consider each scheme's benefits and drawbacks before deciding which one to use. 

The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) offers insulation upgrades exclusively for qualifying homes. Energy providers thoroughly assess homes to determine the most effective upgrades that can be made. While low- and mid-tier upgrades may be fully covered, high-cost measures may require a household contribution. The scheme is personalised to your needs and circumstances, ensuring you receive the best possible assistance.

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) Scheme is a complementary program to the Great British Insulation Scheme. ECO4 provides multiple energy efficiency measures to eligible households. Energy providers are directly responsible for the ECO4 scheme, while the UK government implements the other one.

A cavity wall is a type of wall with two separate walls, called leaves, that have some space or cavity between them. The inner wall is known as the internal leaf, while the outer wall is called the external leaf. 
Cavity walls are also referred to as hollow walls. For non-load-bearing cavity walls, both leaves are of equal thickness, or sometimes the internal leaf is thicker. The cavity size should be between 4 to 10cm, and both the internal and external leaves should be at least 10mm thick. To install cavity wall insulation, you need to have at least 50 mm of cavity space between your walls. Both ECO4 and GBIS provide cavity wall grants.

Insulating your cavity walls can be done by injecting insulation material from the outside. A specialist company will drill small holes in the outside walls and inject insulation. Once the insulation is in place, the holes in the brickwork are filled, leaving your home virtually unchanged.

The installer will use specialised equipment to blow insulation into the cavity. The insulation material is usually either mineral wool or polystyrene beads, but polyurethane foam may sometimes be used instead. The process is designed to be as non-intrusive as possible, and the job can be completed in about two hours for an average house with easily accessible walls.

The installer will drill small holes, about 22mm in size, at intervals of around 1m in the outside wall of your home. This process is quick and clean, with minimal impact on your livelihood.

Did you know that regardless of the size of your home, cavity wall insulation can help you recoup the installation cost within ten years or less? The process is simple and hassle-free, and the significant energy bill savings you'll make each year will put your mind at ease. Installing cavity insulation is definitely worth the initial cost of insulation.

Here's how much you could save on your energy bill (£/year) you could save each year with cavity wall insulation:

It's essential to determine the type of walls your home has before considering insulation. To detect a solid external wall. 

When examining the exterior of your home, take note of the brick pattern. If the bricks are arranged in an alternating pattern with some bricks laid across the wall, you will be able to see the smaller ends from the outside. This pattern is a clear indication of solid walls, typically made of brick, stone, or concrete.

If your home was built before the 1920s, it probably has solid walls instead of cavity walls. A solid brick wall is usually about 22cm thick. Knowing the construction of your walls is crucial when considering insulation options, as it helps you make informed decisions about how best to insulate your home. Both the ECO4 and GBIS schemes provide solid wall insulation grants. 

If your home was built with solid walls, it's important to know that they can be a significant source of heat loss, which can lead to higher energy bills.

Insulating your walls also helps to reduce the amount of heat that escapes from your home, which means that your heating system won't have to work as hard to maintain a comfortable temperature. Additionally, wall insulation can help to reduce noise levels and prevent dampness and condensation from forming on the walls, which can further contribute to a more comfortable and healthy living environment.

You can insulate solid walls from the inside or outside. Internal insulation suits brick, stone, or concrete houses, reducing room size but increasing warmth. External insulation improves appearance and adds value without occupying space or disrupting work inside your home. We'll detail the specificities of each insolation type below.

The average installation costs for solid wall insulation can vary depending on the type of insulation used:

External wall insulation is a great way to renew the appearance of the outer walls of your home. It can be applied without disrupting your household and does not reduce your floor area. This type of insulation also improves weatherproofing and sound resistance and fills cracks and gaps in the brickwork, which helps reduce draughts. Additionally, it increases the lifespan of your walls by protecting the brickwork. 

Both ECO4 and GBIS provide external wall grants. 

External solid wall insulation is a process that involves the addition of an insulating layer to the outside walls of a building, which is then coated with a protective render or cladding. This process enhances the appearance of your home and also increases the value of your property.

The good thing about this process is that it doesn't cause any loss of space or disruption to work inside your house. It is important to note that this is a specialist job that should only be carried out by an approved contractor who is qualified for a specific insulation system.

External insulation also reduces condensation on internal walls and can help prevent dampness, but it will not solve rising or penetrating dampness. It is best installed simultaneously with external refurbishment work to reduce the cost.

However, you should be aware that you may need planning permission, so check with your local council. Good access to the outer walls is required for installation. Finally, it is important to note that external insulation is not recommended if the outer walls are structurally unsound and cannot be repaired.

Regarding the cost of external wall insulation, the size of your property is essential. According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average installation cost for external wall insulation on a three-bedroom semi-detached home is about £10,000.

You can save a lot by insulating your exterior walls! External wall insulation is highly effective for saving money. On average, homeowners can expect to save between £115 and £360 each year. With a particularly energy-efficient setup, savings of up to £620 annually are possible.

Insulating internal walls is unquestionably more cost-effective than insulating external walls. By adding insulation to internal walls, the floor area of the rooms will be reduced, as the insulation thickness typically measures around 100mm. While the insulation process may cause some disruption, it can be effectively managed by addressing one room at a time.

Internal wall insulation is a technique that adds insulation material to interior walls. This can be achieved by attaching rigid insulation boards directly to the wall surface or by constructing a stud wall and filling the cavity with insulation material such as mineral wool fibre. This method reduces heat loss, improves energy efficiency, and enhances the overall comfort of the indoor environment.

The cost for internal wall insulation typically ranges between £40 and £50 per square metre and can exceed £100 per square metre for new stud wall construction. Internal wall insulation is notably more cost-effective than external insulation, often priced at less than half the cost.