Grants & Schemes
The ECO 4 scheme (the government’s Energy Company Obligation) is the fourth, and likely final, entry to the scheme to help qualifying households receive funding
October 3, 2023 No Comments
Funding Available from GOV.UK
Enter Your Details
Provide a few basic details to get started
Book Your Free Survey
We visit your property for a home insulation survey
Insulation Installed
If you are happy with your quote (including any grant funding), your insulation will be installed
Save On Energy Bills
Start enjoying savings on your heating bills
Free cavity wall insulation funding is available to qualifying households to help them with the cost of cavity wall insulation installation. In most cases, the home must be owned by the occupier, although there may be other circumstances in which private tenants may be eligible, so it is still worth making an inquiry to see what help you could get.
The grants, which do not have to be repaid, are part of the Government schemes, including the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) scheme and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which aim to help to households that are low income, vulnerable and fuel poor by offering them free insulation such as cavity wall insulation. The grants are provided by the major energy energy companies as part of a commitment to reduce overall carbon footprints.
Cavity wall insulation is a great way to cut your energy bills and make your home warm and cosy. By get cavity wall insulation installed properly you could cut heat loss by up to a third and reduce your annual heating bills by up to £455 (according to Energy Saving Trust figures based on fuel prices as of October 2023), depending on the type of property you live in.
Funding for cavity wall insulation comes from the government energy efficiency schemes which have the twin aims of reducing carbon emissions and helping households that otherwise would struggle with the costs of heating their homes. Now (since April 2022) in its 4th iteration, eligibility under ECO4 differs from the previous ECO3 scheme in that it is not just based on being in receipt of benefits.
The ECO4 scheme is more closely related to household income to ensure that those low income households who are not in receipt of benefits can still take advantage of the free insulation grants available. Households must have an income of £31,000 or less. Additionally, homes with Energy Performance Certificate bands A, B and C will no longer be covered by the scheme as households in these bands are deemed to be energy efficient enough.
Those who currently are in receipt of government benefits could qualify for free cavity wall insulation under ECO4. For the purposes of assessing eligibility, the following benefits are relevant:
Alternatively, funding is available under the Great British Insulation Scheme for low energy efficient homes in the lowest Council Tax bands. The Scheme provides funding for the following:
As the ECO scheme aims to help those households who would benefit most from cavity wall insulation, grants are targeted at those whose EPC puts them in the bands E, F or G. Householders additionally need to meet any two of the following qualifying criteria:
Help may also be available for those who are suffering from health issues that could be worsened by living in a cold home, such as respiratory, cardiovascular, mobility or immunosuppressed conditions.
If you live in a brick built older property, likely built between 1924-1982, there is a high possibility that it has a cavity space or gap that has never been filled with insulation. If this is the case, this will have a serious impact on the energy efficiency of your home – putting it in a low EPC rating category of D, E, F or G – and having a major impact on your heating costs.
Due to a change in building regulation, properties built after 1982 were required to have insulation installed in the cavity at the time of construction but this did not always happen. In some instances, the cavities may have been filled at a much later date, and you can usually see the give-away sign of this with drill holes filled with mortar after the cavities had been filled with insulation.
If you are unsure, you can check the Energy Performance Certificate for your home – if you live in England and Wales or Scotland – and see whether it recommends that cavity wall insulation is installed or has already been installed. space
If your property falls within the date ranges mentioned above then there is a good possibility it has cavity walls that need to be filled, if they haven’t been already. Properties built before 1924, tend to have solid walls and are therefore not suitable for cavity wall insulation.
You should only consider cavity wall insulation if:
It has been estimated by research by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), which is now the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, that 42% of properties that have cavity walls are still to be insulated
Cavity wall insulation can result both in energy bill savings and a significant reduction in the amount of CO2 being emitted from a property.
Property type | Energy bill saving (£/year) | Carbon dioxide savings (kgCo2/year) |
Detached house | £455 | 1100kg |
Semi-detached house | £265 | 650kg |
Mid-terrace house | £155 | 380kg |
Detached bungalow | £200 | 485kg |
Mid-floor flat | £125 | 305kg |
*Savings estimated on a gas-heated home based on fuel prices in October 2023 (Source: Energy Saving Trust)
Complete our online form and we will introduce you to an approved Installer who will be able to carry out checks to see if your property is suitable for cavity wall insulation and whether you are likely to qualify for a grant.
If you have unfilled cavity walls, we can fill the gap with glass fibre or mineral wool to ensure as much heat as possible stays in your home. And if you qualify for the Energy Company Obligation grant you might not have to pay a penny.
If you are not entitled to a free cavity wall insulation grant, we can still arrange a free survey and quote for you. With energy costs escalating, cavity wall insulation is one of the most straightforward ways to reduce your energy bills. Energy Saving Trust estimates a typical semi detached could have annual savings of £265 with cavity wall insulation installed.
Cavity walls consist of two separate thin walls (usually made of brick) with a gap (or cavity) between them. Cavity wall insulation – usually mineral fibre wool, polystyrene granules or beads or polyurethane foam can be used to fill this gap and create a good insulating barrier to reduce the amount of heat escaping. This can reduce the amount of heat loss through the walls by as much as 35%.
Cavity wall insulation grants are available to those that own their property or rent it from a private landlord. Unfortunately, they are not available to Local Authority or Housing Association tenants unless they own 50% or more of the property.
Cavity wall insulation grants are free to those who are eligible and do not have to be repaid. The main energy providers are obligated to provide funding for the work. In most cases, this means you will get your insulation installed entirely for free. However, there may be instances where you may have to contribute towards the cost, depending on the size and EPC of your property.
Cavity wall insulation can make a significant difference to a household’s carbon footprint. The amount of CO2 reduction is dependant on several factors, most notably the size of a property. A typical detached house fitted with cavity wall installation could save as a much as 1,100kg in Co2 emissions whereas a small mid-terrace house could reduce its carbon emissions by around 380kg annually.
There are many different types of insulation available to suit any home.
There has never been a better time to take advantage of insulation funding grants
Check out some of the latest insulation advice and news to help reduce your heating bills
The ECO 4 scheme (the government’s Energy Company Obligation) is the fourth, and likely final, entry to the scheme to help qualifying households receive funding
Are you fed up with being overlooked when it comes to funding home energy efficiency measures through grants? The good news is that the ECO+
Confused by grant schemes and their eligibility rules? Or are you repeatedly being turned down for energy efficiency help such as home insulation grants, even
Enquire today and find out how much in Government funding you could get:
Free Insulation Scheme is a trading style of Lead Pronto Ltd, a Company registered in England & Wales, company number 11563815.