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
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Installing external wall insulation or solid wall insulation into your home can lead to you saving up to £620 a year on energy bills and significantly reduce household carbon emissions. External wall insulation generally costs around £7,000 to £15,000 based on the type and size of your home, but you could be eligible for external wall insulation grants through the ECO (Energy Company Obligation) scheme.
Insulation grants can help make your home more energy efficient and reduce carbon emissions to contribute towards the government’s 2050 net zero target. External insulation could reduce the heat loss from your home by around 35%.
Below are some of the annual savings (according to Energy Saving Trust figures) you could enjoy by having external wall insulation installed:
Under the ECO 4 scheme, low-income households (with an annual income of £31,000 or less) or those receiving specific government benefits can qualify for free grants. Homeowners and some private tenants can be eligible for external wall insulation grants in 2023 through the scheme.
The qualifying benefits include:
If you part own your home with a Housing Association, as long as you own at least 50% you could still be eligible for a grant. If you are a Council or Housing Association tenant, you should speak to them directly or contact the Energy Saving Trust who might be able to help you.
The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) also earmarks funding for low energy efficiency households(EPC rating of D or below) and with the lowest Council Tax bands (A-D in England and A-E in Scotland and Wales).
External wall insulation is where a layer of insulating material (normally 60mm boards) is installed to the solid outside walls and covered with render or cladding. There is a range of finishes you can choose from such as smooth, textured, tiled, painted, or brick/stone effects. External wall insulation gives a weatherproof layer that will protect your brickwork, increase sound resistance, and help to prevent issues with dampness.
The insulation material is added to the outside of the home so it won’t reduce the floor area and can be fitted with minimal disruption. Also, it can renew the look of your walls, increase the value of the property, and will help you make significant savings on your heating bills. This type of insulation is often needed for insulating solid wall buildings that have no cavities to fill with insulation, however, there are other situations external wall insulation may be a good option.
External 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 savings (£/year) | Carbon dioxide savings (kgCo2/year) |
| Detached house | £620 | 1,500kg |
| Semi-detached house | £360 | 880kg |
| Mid-terrace house | £210 | 520kg |
| Detached bungalow | £270 | 660kg |
| Mid-floor flat | £170 | 415kg |
*Savings estimated on insulating a gas-heated home based on fuel prices in October 2023 (Source: Energy Saving Trust)
Your home needs to adhere to the following criteria before external wall insulation can be fitted.
It is also advisable to check with your local council whether you will need planning permission to have external wall insulation fitted. Our partner installer can usually guide you on this. It is unlikely that you will be given permission if the property is a listed building, or it is located in a conservation area/world heritage site. If you are denied planning permission for external wall insulation, you might want to consider internal wall insulation as an alternative option.
If your home is brick-built, you have to be certain that it doesn’t have cavity walls that are able to be filled. If the building was constructed before 1924 it is likely to have solid walls and will need external wall insulation.
The wall will have square brick ends and an alternating pattern, with some bricks laid across the wall so you can see the smaller ends from the outside if it is solid. If your property has cavity walls, the bricks will have an even pattern with all of the bricks organised lengthways. Solid walls do not have gaps, so they cannot be filled with cavity wall insulation. Whereas cavity walls are made up of two layers with a small gap or ‘cavity’ between them.
Another useful indicator of solid walls is measuring the thickness next to doors or windows. This is because solid walls tend to be less than 10” thick, cavity walls, on the other hand, are generally more than 10”.
Common questions about loft insulation answered for you
If cavity wall insulation fails, which can happen in some cases, it is likely because the insulation allows rainwater to get in through the cavity. With external insulation, the weatherproof render will stop the rainwater from accessing the wall and ultimately makes cavity-fill insulation a useful thermal barrier. Splitting the required thickness of insulation between cavity and external is a sensible decision. The cavity will usually be 50mm wide, add 20mm external insulation, in the same way as for solid walls, and the wall will reach a good U value.
Outside wall insulation grants do not cover the cost of any repairs that are required in order for the insulation to be installed. A local builder might be able to help you with this before you apply for an external wall insulation grant.
The insulation normally improves the look of a property and boosts its overall value. Also, there are several different finishes to choose from that can ensure the appearance of your home is not negatively affected.
Yes. A large majority of solid wall insulation systems are manufactured and independently audited in accordance with ISO14001 Environmental Management Standard. External wall insulation systems include materials that are free from CFC and HCFC.
This can depend on the size of the property but typically it may take up to one full week.
Due to the nature of the work, it would be impossible to completely avoid mess and disruption during installation. However, our approved installers are highly professional and will do their best to keep this disruption to a minimum and they will clean up after themselves when the work is completed.
Yes, you could be eligible for a solid wall insulation grant through the ECO scheme. Check if you can qualify today by filling in some basic details on our website.
Professionally installed external insulation is reported to reduce heat loss by up to 45%. For example, a semi-detached home heated by gas could potentially save up to £540 annually on heating costs. External wall insulation is one of the most energy efficient home improvements you can make to your property. It helps to keep your home warm by stopping heat from escaping and the cold from getting in. This means you will be able to turn your heating on less often and for shorter periods of time, making big savings on your energy bills.
External wall insulation can be expensive but with the help of government grants through the ECO scheme it is a great value and highly effective investment. As we have explored above, the advantages external insulation offers over internal means it is a home improvement you don’t want to miss out on.
External wall is not the only type of insulation that homeowners could get grants for through the scheme. These other insulation services include, cavity wall insulation, internal wall insulation, spray foam insulation, underfloor insulation & roof or loft insulation.
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
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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
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