What are the benefits of solid wall insultation?

Sometimes the electric heaters that you have in your home eat through money like it is nothing. But, this doesn’t mean that your home feels warm and if this is the case, then you should look into getting a free solid wall insulation grant. To understand why this might be useful, you first need to be aware of how homes are typically constructed. Roughly 35% of heat loss in a UK home goes through external walls. Homes built before the 1920s have solid walls and these tend to be terrible at retaining heat. In fact, nearly twice as much heat will be lost through these walls compared with cavity walls.

The good news is that these walls can be insulated with a high-density material, either internally or externally. If you are unsure whether your wall has a cavity, it’s worth checking this out. You can do this by measuring the thickness of the wall by a window or door. If it is more than 26 centimetres it probably has a cavity. Or, you can look at the brickwork. If the bricks are laid with the square end facing, they are going to be solid. By gaining insulation, you could save as much as £460 for the typical detached home.

How much does solid wall insulation cost?

Despite these ongoing cost savings, it can be hard to justify when you take the initial insultation fitting costs into account. According to the Energy Saving Trust a typical semi-detahed house in the UK can cost around £13000 to fit with external wall insultation. Of course, the final figure will vary depend on the wall areas you have in your property.

This is why a free solid wall insulation grant could be useful for you.

You do need to meet various criteria to be eligible for this grant though.but don’t worry if you don’t know about this because we are going to be discussing this all down below.

Can I get a grant for solid wall insulation?

Whether or not you are eligible for free insulation will be dependent on if you or anyone lives in the property is currently in receipt of certain benefits. Some of the benefits include:

  • The child tax credit,
  • Income support
  • Universal credit
  • Working tax credit
  • Disability living allowance
  • Carer’s allowance

Do be aware that this is not an extensive list and there are countless other benefits that could mean you will qualify. Even if you don’t see your benefit listed on the government grant website, there’s a good chance you could still qualify.

The Main Requirements

ECO determines that energy supplies have a responsibility to lower carbon emissions and reduce fuel poverty across the UK, particularly in low-income housing. If they fail to meet certain requirements, then they can expect a hefty fine. Cavity walls are one of the most popular changes with energy companies.  The only real requirement is that you need to be the owner of the property in question to apply.  Or, you must rent it privately and then have the landlords permission to complete the job.

You might wonder whether this work can be completed on flats. It can be but you then have to get permission from the main owner of the building.

Ultimately, if you do have a solid wall in your home, this is a step worth taking. It could lead to fantastic fuel savings and assuming you fit the criteria, you won’t have to pay a penny.

See if you are eligible