Older homes in the UK are often built with solid walls that don’t have a cavity. This presents a few important issues when it comes to improving energy efficiency. The good news is that, if you own an older building, you may be eligible for a solid wall insulation grant.
What Are the Options?
In many houses built after 1920, there is cavity wall insulation that helps keep heat from escaping. When it comes to solid walls, you have two options – you can either insulate the outside or the inside.
External Wall Insulation
This is applied to the outer walls of a building and involves attaching layers of insulation to the exterior, then covering it with a render or cladding.
External wall insulation is generally more expensive due to materials, scaffolding and labour costs, but it offers a solution that is less disruptive to the inside of your home. It can also significantly enhance a home’s external appearance.
Internal Wall Insulation
Internal Wall Insulation is installed on the inside walls of your home. This involves either fixing insulation boards directly to the walls, or creating stud walls which are then filled with insulation material. Insulating a property internally is more economical, but may not always be feasible if the rooms have decorative features that need to be kept.
For many homes, installing solid wall insulation is a fairly big undertaking and is a large investment. For eligible homeowners, however, there are several opportunities for potentially qualifying for a solid wall insulation grant. There are slight variations between England/Wales and Scotland when it comes to accessibility but the funding schemes are very similar.
Grants Available in England and Wales
Schemes such as the Energy Company Obligation and LA Flex have been around for a while. Other funding initiatives, like the Great British Insulation Scheme can also be worth a closer look.
Energy Company Obligation (ECO) Fund
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) has been operating for just over 10 years and is backed by the Government. It places legal obligations on the major energy suppliers to help lower-income, vulnerable and fuel-poor households make energy-saving improvements. That could include providing a solid wall insulation grant where applicants are eligible.
To apply for an ECO grant, you need to meet certain criteria. It’s available for:
- Households receiving certain means-tested benefits (For example, Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Job Seekers Allowance, Pension Credit, or Child Tax Credit etc).
- Households deemed ‘fuel poor’ or ‘vulnerable’ as identified by their local authority.
Private tenants may qualify if their landlord agrees to the works, provided the tenant meets the eligibility requirements.
The amount of funding varies depending on the size of your home, the type of insulation required and your circumstances. Some or all of the cost might be covered, but it will depend on a detailed assessment by an approved installer.
Find out more about ECO funding here.
Local Authority Flexible
Another option if you are searching for a solid wall insulation grant in England or Wales, is LA Flex. Local Authorities in England and Wales have the discretion to widen eligibility to include households that are not traditionally considered fuel-poor but could still benefit from energy efficiency measures.
It’s important to note:
- To qualify for LA Flex you do not need to be in receipt of any benefits.
- The LA Flex scheme targets households with low incomes, residents with certain health conditions exacerbated by cold homes (eg arthritis, diabetes, limited mobility, cardiovascular problems, circulation problems etc), or those in areas of high deprivation.
Find out more about the Local Authority Flexible Grant Scheme here.
Great British Insulation Scheme
The Great British Insulation Scheme is a national programme intended to help households reduce their energy consumption by installing measures such as solid wall insulation.
Typically, the scheme focuses on households with low incomes and high energy costs. However, certain property characteristics may also be taken into account, such as age, type of construction and overall energy efficiency rating.
There’s also the chance that eligibility can also extend to middle-income households if they live in properties with particularly poor energy efficiency (an EPC rating of E or below).
Discover more about the Great British Insulation Scheme here.
Solid Stone Wall Grant Support in Scotland
Scotland operates separately from England and Wales in terms of energy efficiency support but provides the same level of grants and services.
Home Energy Scotland (HES) is a government-funded service providing free, impartial advice. Households across the country can access various grants and loans for measures including solid wall insulation.
Their grants and loans are available toowner-occupiers and private-sector landlords. If you or someone in your household receives certain benefits, you may be eligible for substantial funding. As in England and Wales, the scheme also considers properties where the energy performance rating is lower.
Find out more about Home Energy Scotland here.
Benefits of Good Solid Wall Insulation
With energy prices still on the rise and household incomes getting more and more squeezed, finding ways to reduce outgoings when it comes to heating is important. There are obvious benefits of starting with a solid wall insulation grant to improving your homes energy efficiency.
For a start, solid wall insulation reduces heat loss, helping keep your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer. This can lead to noticeable savings on energy bills over time. In turn, this lower reliance on heating reduces the amount of carbon dioxide your household produces, benefiting the environment.
With various Government grant schemes available, it can be confusing to determine if you are eligible for solid wall insulation grant.
Our grants advisors can inform you if you are eligible for any of the grant schemes. Simply complete your details in the form below and if you qualify an advisor will contact you to explain about the funding options available.
