Enjoy cheap or free insulation with cavity wall insulation grants
Could your home benefit from cavity wall insulation? Are you experiencing high energy bills and an uncomfortable home due to the cold? If so, you might not realise that there are government grants for cavity wall insulation out there, just waiting for you to apply.
What is the free cavity wall insulation government scheme?
There is no one single cavity wall insulation government scheme. There are, however, two main grant schemes that will probably prove useful for those looking for cavity wall insulation for their homes.
The Great British Insulation Scheme (formerly ECO+) offers support such as grants for solid wall insulation, internal wall insulation grants, and cavity wall insulation grants.
ECO4 takes a more whole-house approach, offering support such as grants for solar panels, boiler upgrade grants, and cavity wall insulation grants.
Government Cavity Wall Insulation Grants
The Great British Insulation Scheme
Aim | To support low income households living in energy inefficient properties with fully or partially funded insulation measures. |
Funding | £1 billion funded by the UK government and delivered by the UK’s largest energy suppliers (those with 100,000+ customers). |
Runtime | From April 2023 to March 2026. |
Great British Insulation Scheme Criteria
Not everybody will qualify for support under the Great British Insulation Scheme. The scheme has very specific requirements that must be met in order to receive funding for cavity wall insulation.
You could qualify for this cavity insulation grant under two groups: the low income group or the general group.
Low Income Group
To qualify for the low income group you’ll need to meet ANY of the following criteria:
- Own your own home or privately rent, AND
- Have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or below (E or below if renting), OR
- Someone in the household receives a means tested benefit, OR
- Live in social housing with a household income below £31,000 a year whilst being vulnerable to living in cold conditions
General Group
To qualify for the general group you’ll need to meet ALL of the following criteria:
- Own your own home (unless you’re in social housing, more on this below)
- Live in council tax band A-D in England, or A-E in Scotland and Wales
- Have an EPC rating of D or below, or E or below in social housing
ECO4
Aim | Much like the Great British Insulation Scheme, ECO4’s aim is to support those low income households living in energy inefficient homes. But its approach is whole-house, not just insulation (although cavity wall insulation grants is certainly part of that). |
Funding | £4 billion – £1 billion per year. Again delivered by the UK’s largest energy suppliers. |
Runtime | From August 2022 (where ECO4 took over from ECO3) until the end of March 2026. |
ECO4 Criteria
Qualifying for ECO4 is slightly more complicated than for the Great British Insulation Scheme because there are more groups you could qualify with. If you’re confused, though, simply check with Effective Home and we’ll be able to tell you which government cavity wall insulation grants you qualify for.
You could qualify for support under one of three groups with ECO4: the Help to Heat Group, the Social Housing Group, or the ECO Flex Group.
Help to Heat Group
As part of the Help to Heat Group, you’ll qualify for support with ECO4 so long as you own your own property or rent from a private landlord, are considered a low income household, and have a house with a poor EPC rating of D or below.
The main qualifying criteria, though, is that you must be in receipt of one of the following means tested government benefits:
Child Tax Credit | Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance | Pension Credit Savings |
Universal Credit | Income Related Employment and Support Allowance | Pension Credit Guarantee |
Working Tax Credit | Income Support | Housing Benefit |
You can also qualify under this group with Child Benefit – but there are limits relating to your annual household income. Speak with a member of our team if you meet all the other qualifying criteria but the only benefit you receive is Child Benefit. We’ll be able to guide you further when you reach out.
Social Housing Group
If you qualify for the social housing group, you’ll only be entitled to insulation support if your current property doesn’t meet Minimum Insulation Requirements. If your home is poorly insulated, then you could qualify for free cavity wall insulation to bring it up to required standards.
You’ll qualify under this group if:
- You live in social housing that’s let below the market rate
- You live in a property with an EPC rating of D-G
ECO Flex Group
If you don’t qualify for ECO4 support for cavity wall insulation grants under either of the other two groups, then you might qualify as part of the ECO Flex (or LA Flex) Group. Here, the eligibility criteria is slightly different because it’s decided by Local Authorities so they can help energy suppliers better target the households in their area that need the most support.
In Scotland and Wales, the Scottish and Welsh governments help decide which eligibility criteria will be used.
Because the eligibility criteria is decided at a localised area with the ECO Flex Group, it’s hard to say exactly which criteria you’ll need to meet in order to qualify for support. However, we can provide the sort of criteria that Local Authorities might have:
- Household income below £31,000 and living in a home with an EPC rating of D-G
- Considered vulnerable to living in a cold home due to health conditions
- Been referred to the LA Flex/ECO Flex scheme due to sustained debt
With the criteria being so different between Local Authorities, though, it’s best to contact Effective Home for more details.
Government Grants For Cavity Wall Insulation
The main cavity wall insulation grants you could qualify for are:
Great British Insulation Scheme
ECO4 Scheme
Benefits of Cavity Wall Insulation
Better energy efficiency means less money spent each month on energy bills. Right now in the UK, there’s no denying that anything homeowners can do to reduce the amount of energy they use is a good thing.
When you install home insulation with Effective Home, your house will be able to maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the entire year. That’s right: insulation makes your house cooler in summer, and warmer in winter so you can enjoy your home year round!
By using less energy to heat your home through proper insulation, you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint and doing your part to protect the environment. Insulating your home efficiently in the UK can significantly lower energy bills, sometimes by as much as 40%.
The UK government often provides grants and incentives for energy-saving measures like insulation, making it an economically smart move, too. In short, insulation contributes to a more comfortable, sustainable, and cost-effective home.
Increased comfort
With proper loft or wall insulation, you can enjoy a warmer, more comfortable home all year round. Say goodbye to cold spots and drafts, and hello to a more even and consistent temperature throughout your home.
The right insulation materials can provide added benefits like noise reduction, too, further enhancing the peace you feel within your home. By investing in proper wall insulation, you’re embracing both comfort and efficiency.
Insulating your walls can be a smart investment, especially in the UK, where energy efficiency is a sought-after feature for homes. It can increase the value of your property and make it more attractive to potential buyers. Prospective homeowners are often drawn to houses that have effective insulation, recognising the long-term savings and comfort they offer.
With the growing emphasis on environmental responsibility, properties with proper insulation align with the contemporary demand for eco-friendly housing. Hence, wall insulation is not merely a home improvement but an enhancement that pays dividends in the property market should you come to sell up in the future.
Wall insulation can also help to reduce noise pollution from outside, making your home a quieter and more peaceful place to be, especially in busy urban areas of the UK.
By adding a barrier between your home’s interior and the external environment, insulation can effectively dampen the sounds of traffic, neighbours, or other loud disturbances. This soundproofing effect can contribute to a higher quality of life, providing a serene refuge from the bustling world outside.
It pays to insulate your home
Reduce your home’s carbon footprint by up to 1300kgCO2 a year
With insulation
Apply for ECO funding or other grants if eligible
Applying for government cavity wall insulation grants with Effective Home couldn’t be simpler. Many of our customers over the last 10+ years picked us above other installers because of our:
Why trust Effective Home?
At Effective Home we’re experts with over 10 years’ experience delivering funding for energy efficient improvements such as cavity wall insulation, so we’ve developed a deep understanding of grants, schemes, and funding in that time.
Working with us couldn’t be simpler either: just fill out a quick 2 minute form with us today, and we’ll be back in touch ASAP with information about which grants and schemes you might qualify for. We can also carry out a free survey to help determine which measures will help your home best – and this can usually be done remotely.
We’re approved installers, meaning the government recognises our expertise and professionalism, and trusts us to carry out work that they fund through cavity wall insulation grants. And we’re just as confident in our work – cavity wall insulation comes with a 25 year guarantee with Effective Home as standard.
Our reputation as a top-quality installer offering unique insulation solutions designed for each customer is hard-earned, and our commitment to keeping up to date with the latest products and installation methods means we’re always doing our best to stay at the top of our game.
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Cavity Insulation Grants - FAQs
What is cavity wall insulation?
Cavity wall insulation sits between your cavity walls. Cavity walls were first introduced in the 1920s, where two thinner walls form the external walls of your home, with a gap between them. In recent years, this gap has been filled with insulating material to help keep the warmth in your home.
For those who haven’t got insulating material such as mineral wool or foam in this cavity, it’s usually a good idea to have it filled because it keeps your home much warmer, meaning you’ll use the heating less, and save significantly on your energy bills each year.
How much will I save with cavity wall insulation?
According to Energy Saving Trust, using fuel prices as of July 2023, installing cavity wall insulation where there was previously none could result in annual energy savings of between £145 and £500 per year, depending on your property type and size.
That means, for most people, installing cavity wall insulation makes perfect sense. But why does cavity wall insulation help you save so much?
Around 35% of heat lost in a home is through your external walls. By insulating the cavity space, you greatly reduce this number, helping your home hold on to the heat you pay for.
Will my grant cover the full cost of cavity wall insulation?
In most cases, if you’re in a position to qualify for free cavity wall insulation via cavity wall insulation grants, you shouldn’t have to pay a penny towards the cost of the insulation or its installation.
HOWEVER, you may have to pay for a small portion of the installation yourself if you qualify under certain groups. For example, if the government cavity wall insulation grant you qualify for is the Great British Insulation Scheme under the general group then you may have to pay for a portion of the installation depending on your household income and the cost of the installation.
We’ll be able to offer further guidance when you get in touch with our team.
Do you have to repay cavity wall insulation grants?
No matter how much you receive from a free cavity wall insulation government scheme, you won’t ever have to pay it back. It doesn’t matter if the scheme covers the full or partial cost of the installation or which government grant you qualify for.
Rather than the money being paid directly to you as the individual who benefits from the new insulation, the money is sent directly to the installer instead to cover all or part of the cost of the installation. That way, you don’t ever have to worry about the money. You simply find out how much you qualify for, and then that money is sent to the registered and approved installer (in this case, us here at Effective Home) and the installation of your new cavity wall insulation will be carried out. The process couldn’t be simpler.
To find out if you qualify for cavity wall insulation grants, contact Effective Home today.