Installing insulation can not only help you saving a significant amount of money on your energy bills, but it also raises the value of your house; provided that is owned by you, of course. When it comes to wall insulation grants, the United Kingdom offers several different types based on various criteria. Grants for cavity wall insulation, grants for wall insulation, all you have to do is submitting a survey draft and wait for the reply. The guidelines are pretty straightforward but having this information will hopefully allow you to get to the end of this process more quickly and without running into any problems. It is important to:
- Trust the system and survey process
- Make sure that everybody is on the same page as far as costs go (you will likely have to pay nothing)
- Always ask for an estimated handover time (it usually takes around two weeks)
Possibly questions during the process
Q: Is there free insulation still available?
A: Yes, thanks to the ECO, UK energy suppliers are required to provide this service. There are of course exceptions but external wall insulation grants are relatively easy to acquire.
Q: I’m working, am I surely eligible for the grant?
A: The good news is that there are no criteria to meet. This basically means that the only important condition is that your home or resident has to be suitable for the type of insulation you apply for.
Q: Can the residents of blocks or flats apply?
A: One applicant is enough, and yes, flats and blocks can access these grants as well, provided that they are suited for that kind of construction work. Also, the occupants have to give their consent before the works can start. This is true to rented apartments as well where it will come down to the landlord’s decision.
Q: What kind of insulation will they use?
A: This will depend on the specific circumstances, but in each case this will be confirmed before the works start. There are at least three fairly common methods they use based on the situation.
Q: Doesn’t the cavity in the wall serves a purpose? What happens if they pour insulation material in it?
A: Yes, the cavities are there for a reason, but the state of the art materials they use these days, will allow the wall to “breathe” even after the cavities were filled.
There are two types of wall insulations you can apply for
in this article
Solid/External Wall Insulation
More than the third of all heat loss in the UK comes from bad external wall insulation. Solid walls are actually prone to being even worse than cavity walls, easily letting the heat slip away during the colder months. The insulation process with these walls, usually happens with the help of a high density material. This material can be applied on the outside, inside or both. It usually starts with a checking process during which they assess the pattern of the bricks and/or the thickness of the walls. The bricks usually provide a tell-tale sign, from their pattern the design of the wall can easily be deducted. Once the professionals know if the wall is solid or has cavities, they select the appropriate course of action. Solid wall insulation grants are widely available.
Cavity Wall Insulation
Most homes have at least a portion of twin walls, which are exterior walls with a cavity between them. These were designed that way mainly because of two reasons. When they have been made that way, they required even less material. And the other reason was that they offered some positive qualities that otherwise could not be utilized (“breathing”). Cavity wall insulation grants are usually fairly easy to install, they can be filled with an insulating agent that will restrict the heat inside. You can apply for external wall insulations grants the same way you would for the other types, starting the survey process. Once they get onto the scene, the insulation experts can assess the thickness of the wall which is once again a key clue. If the wall is thicker than 260mm, there is a very high probability that it is a cavity wall. Once they have that information, you can sit back and relax. while they take care of the problem.