What is cavity wall insulation?
Cavity wall insulation serves as a material designed to minimise heat loss within your residence. Its mechanism involves filling the gap between the bricks in your walls, thereby curbing the transfer of heat from the interior to the exterior. A notable fact is that more than one-third of your home’s heat tends to escape through the outer walls. Consequently, the installation of wall insulation can lead to significant savings on energy costs.
Why you should insulate your home
Cavity wall insulation serves as a barrier, preventing heat from escaping through the walls of your home. Approximately 35% of heat in an average residence in Scotland and the UK is lost through the outer walls, with an additional 25% escaping through the loft and roof. This translates to at least 60% of the money spent on energy bills being wasted. Effective insulation functions like a protective blanket for your house, helping to retain heat and maintain a comfortably warm temperature in your rooms at a reduced cost.
Through the current government insulation grants scheme, hundreds of thousands of homeowners, landlords, and private tenants in Scotland and the UK are eligible for a grant covering free cavity wall insulation. If your home was constructed after 1920, it likely features walls with a gap or cavity between them. Cavity wall insulation fills this gap, preserving warmth to save energy. Additionally, it can contribute to mitigating condensation issues within the house, particularly if there are concerns on external walls.
How much could you save?
The cavity wall insulation provided through the ECO grant scheme consists of a man-made fiber, akin to loft insulation but finely chopped for seamless fitting between your walls. This insulation material is moisture-proof and effectively prevents the transmission of dampness from your exterior wall to the interior via the cavity. Installing cavity wall insulation is akin to adding a protective coat to your house. By retaining heat, it allows for reduced usage or lower settings of your central heating, resulting in cost savings on gas and fuel bills and a reduction in harmful emissions released into the environment. Additionally, cavity wall insulation contributes to keeping your home cooler during the summer months.
Who is eligible for a wall cavity grant?
As of March 2022, changes in ECO eligibility have resulted in a shift where funding from major energy suppliers such as British Gas, Scottish Power, and EDF is now directed towards grant applicants in Scotland identified as living in “fuel poverty.” This adjustment also places a focus on providing assistance to families with young children and individuals with disabilities. Consequently, the Affordable Warmth criteria has undergone an extension to encompass millions of households that previously did not qualify for free insulation under the prior ECO scheme. The list of qualifying benefits has nearly doubled, and income thresholds have been eliminated. Moreover, families receiving child benefit are now included in the eligible group, albeit with the introduction of a new income scale.
ECO 4 eligible benefits
An occupant of a suitable property who claims one of the following benefits or tax credits a 100% grant for wall insulation. All income thresholds for the following have been removed.
- Pension Guarantee Credit
- Income based Job Seekers Allowance
- Income Support
- Employment and Support Allowance (income-based)
- Attendance Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Tax Credits (Child & Working Tax Credit)
- Disability Living Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits
- War Pensions Mobility Supplement
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Child Benefit claimants
How do I get Free Wall Insulation?
Securing a free insulation grant in Scotland and the UK is a straightforward process. You can initiate the procedure by scheduling an appointment with an authorized Energy Grants Surveyor. Simply provide your details in the adjacent Insulation Grant Enquiry Form. Following this, a certified and approved insulation surveyor will reach out to you to coordinate a cavity wall survey. This survey entails drilling a small hole in your external wall and utilizing a boroscope to inspect whether your walls have a cavity and if insulation is already present. Subsequently, the surveyor will complete a grant application, and the cavity wall insulation company will proceed to fill your walls.
Wall Insulation FAQ’s
Is my home suitable for cavity wall insulation?
If your house was built between the 1920’s and the 1990’s it is likely that your exterior walls have a double skin of bricks with a cavity, or gap, between them. Houses built before this period were built with solid stone. Any residential properties built later than this are likely to have insulation already installed. If your home was constructed using solid walls or has a timber frame, it is not suitable for cavity wall insulation. However, solid wall insulation grants are available through the ECO 4 scheme.
What material is used to insulate walls?
Three primary insulation materials are employed for insulating cavity walls: polystyrene beads, mineral wool fiber, and foam insulant. Despite all three meeting British building standards, foam is currently infrequently utilised for insulating residential properties.
How can I tell if my walls have a cavity?
Determining the type of walls in your home can be achieved by measuring the thickness near the door; if it exceeds 260mm, you likely have a cavity. Another method involves examining the brick pattern on your walls. Cavity walls typically display a regular brick pattern, leaving a gap between the brick leaves, as illustrated in the diagram below. In contrast, solid walls exhibit an alternate pattern, as no space is needed between the bricks.
How is the work carried out?
The installation process is simpler than you may imagine. A typical three-bedroom semi-detached house can be insulated in approximately three hours, following these stages:
Home Survey: An approved surveyor will visit your home before the work begins, taking measurements and photographs. They will then create a plan for the installation team, including details about doors, windows, and any health and safety considerations.
Drilling Holes: Small holes, less than 1 inch in diameter, are drilled in the mortar between your bricks. These holes serve as entry points for blowing the insulation into your walls.
Blowing the Insulant: The insulation is blown through the drilled holes until your walls are completely filled.
Tidying Up: After insulating the walls, the team conducts checks inside and outside your property. The drilled holes are filled with matching mortar, and the work area is cleaned to a high standard.
Completion: Once satisfied with the installation, you’ll be asked to “sign off” on the work. The installation comes with a 25-year CIGA guarantee, which you will receive shortly after completion.