Save big with loft insulation grants
Does your home need an eco upgrade to improve its energy efficiency and make it a more comfortable place to live in? Loft insulation can offer the perfect solution, but there's no denying that it can be a pricey investment. But did you know that there are government grants for loft insulation, and you might actually qualify?
Government loft insulation grants
There are a range of loft insulation grants available, but the two main ones are:
But you’ll first need to check if you meet their qualifying criteria to see if you’re eligible for free funding for loft insulation.
Low Income Group (meet ANY of the following) | General Group (meet ALL of the following) |
Own your own home or rent from a private landlord, AND | Own your own home |
Your home has an EPC rating of D or below (E or below when renting), OR | Live in council tax band A-D in England, A-E in Scotland and Wales |
Someone in the household receives a means tested benefit (such as pension credit, universal credit, income support, etc), OR | EPC rating of D or below, or E-G if living in social housing |
You live in social housing with a household income below £31,000 a year and are vulnerable to living in cold conditions |
Unsure if you qualify? Work with Effective Home today and we’ll let you know which loft insulation grants you qualify for.
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The Great British Insulation Scheme
Aim
The Great British Insulation Scheme is the rebranded ECO+ scheme, and its sole purpose is to provide grant support to low income households in energy inefficient homes to improve their Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings through insulation, including loft insulation.
Funding
£1 billion in funding is on offer from the UK government for the scheme. Although it won’t be the government that’s actually dishing out the cash. It’s up to the biggest energy suppliers in the UK to deliver the scheme, as they’re best placed to identify their customers who need the support the most.
Runtime
The scheme began in April 2023 and will run until March 2026.
Criteria
There are two eligibility groups for the Great British Insulation Scheme: the low income group, and the general group.
Government Loft Insulation Grants
ECO4
Aim
ECO4, much like the Great British Insulation Scheme, aims to offer support to vulnerable households with low incomes living in energy inefficient homes. The main difference between the two is that ECO4 doesn’t just offer loft insulation and roof insulation grants – it takes a whole house approach, including solar panels, boiler upgrades, and more.
You could well qualify for more than one energy efficiency improvement measure with ECO4, not just loft insulation, depending on what your home needs to improve its EPC rating and make it a more comfortable and efficient home for you.
Funding
Again, the onus is on the largest energy suppliers in the UK (those with 100,000+ customers) to offer the support, but it’s led by the UK government once more. £4 billion in funding is on offer to qualifying households.
Runtime
ECO4 took over from ECO3 in August 2022 and will last until the end of March 2026.
Criteria
There are three groups of people who can qualify for loft insulation support under ECO4: the Help to Heat Group, the Social Housing Group, and the ECO Flex Group.
Help to Heat Group
You’ll qualify under the Help to Heat Group if you live in a private premises, are considered a low income household, and have a poor EPC rating of D or below. You’ll also need to receive one of the following benefits:
- Child Benefit (with specific household income caps – speak to a member of our team for more info)
- Child Tax Credit
- Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Support
- Income Related
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Working Tax Credit
- Pension Credit Savings Credit
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
Social Housing Group
You’ll qualify for the Social Housing Group if:
- You live in social housing let below the market rate
- You live in a property with an EPC rating of D-G
The insulation measures on offer here are designed to help you meet Minimum Insulation Requirements only. This could include loft insulation.
ECO Flex Group
The ECO Flex Group is a catch-all group whose eligibility criteria is actually decided by Local Authorities (hence ECO Flex’s other name, LA Flex), and the Scottish and Welsh governments in Scotland and Wales respectively, to support energy suppliers in offering support to those who may not meet traditional ECO eligibility criteria, but who could still benefit from loft insulation grants.
You may qualify under the ECO Flex Group, if:
- You’re considered vulnerable to living in a cold home due to health conditions or your age
- Members of your household receive free school meals
- You’re in sustained debt with mortgage repayments or with your energy supplier due to high bills and low income
There are other qualifying criteria but as it’s decided by each Local Authority, it’s best to get in touch with Effective Home for further guidance.
Government Grants For External Wall Insulation
The main external wall insulation grants you could qualify for are:
Great British Insulation Scheme
ECO4 Scheme
Benefits of home insulation in the UK
Better energy efficiency means less money spent each month on energy bills. Right now in the UK, there’s no denying that any sort of energy saving measures that homeowners can introduce to reduce the amount of energy they use is a good thing.
When you install home insulation with Effective Home, your home 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 you'll reduce heating bills
Apply for ECO funding or other grants if eligible
Applying for government loft 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:
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Loft Insulation Grants - FAQs
What is loft insulation?
Around 20-25% of your home’s heat can be lost through a totally uninsulated loft and roof space. Loft insulation is your barrier to this.
By using insulating material such as mineral wool, foam, or insulation boards, which all specialise in trapping heat in spaces, you’ll prevent heat from being lost in your loft space, and ultimately make your entire home that much warmer.
What are the benefits of installing loft insulation?
There are a range of benefits to installing loft insulation, including:
- Improved energy efficiency
- Significant energy bill savings
- Lower carbon emissions
- A more comfortable home
- Increased property value
- A greener way of living
- Improved EPC ratings
- Quieter home
How much can I save with loft insulation?
According to Energy Saving Trust, based on fuel prices as of April 2024, you could save anywhere from £200 to £370 per year when installing loft insulation for the first time in a previously uninsulated roof. Those savings drop to between £19 and £35 per year when increasing loft insulation in a previously insulated roof.
Given that most homes with poor EPC ratings will likely have no loft insulation at all and be the least energy efficient homes, you’ll likely see yearly savings at the higher end of the scale, depending on property size, type, and fuel prices at the time of the comparison.
What’s the difference between loft insulation and roof insulation?
Loft insulation involves insulating the joists of the roof space. These are the horizontal beams along your loft’s floor. Roof insulation involves insulating the rafters of the roof space. These are the beams that make up your loft’s roof.
Essentially, loft and roof insulation are just different ways of doing the same thing – insulating your loft space to ensure you don’t lose heat through this key part of your house.
Are loft insulation grants and roof insulation grants the same?
Yes, both ECO4 and the GBIS schemes cover loft insulation grants and government grants for roof insulation, since they essentially achieve the same thing: preventing heat transfer from inside your house to outside via your roof space.
What’s the relevance of TrustMark for the Great British Insulation Scheme?
In order for an installer to be eligible to carry out work under GBIS they MUST be part of the TrustMark scheme – a government endorsed quality scheme that protects consumers should something go wrong.
With that said, the chances of something going wrong are greatly reduced because in order to be a part of the scheme in the first place, a business has to be fully vetted as a professional and trustworthy business carrying out top quality work.
Effective Home are proud to be a TrustMark Registered Business.
Will my grant cover the full cost of loft insulation?
The rather irritating answer to that is ‘it depends’. It depends on which grant you qualify for and it depends on which group you qualify for within that scheme.
For example, if you qualify for GBIS under the general group, then you may still need to pay for a portion of your loft insulation costs depending on things like your household income. If you qualify for ECO4 support under the Help to Heat Group, then you’ll likely have the full cost of your loft insulation installation covered.
When you work with Effective Home, we’ll make sure you know exactly how much support you’ll receive before we begin work, so you know what to expect at each stage.
Will I need to repay my loft insulation grant?
No. If you qualify for any sort of support under ECO4, the Great British Insulation Scheme, or another government backed grant scheme, you won’t ever have to repay that money.
It doesn’t matter if your grant covers the full cost of your loft insulation (essentially making it free), or if you’ve had to contribute to the cost yourself – the grant portion will never have to be repaid. This is because grants and schemes are designed to support those who need it most, so making an individual repay the grant is counterintuitive.