Free loft and cavity wall insulation (or at least cheaper)

At the moment grants are available to home owners so that they can have free loft and cavity wall insulation.  If you are either a home owner, renting privately and are eligible for benefits, tax credits, over 70 or the state pension is your main income source then you will most likely be allowed free installation of loft and cavity wall insulation.  Even if you don’t fall into any of those categories you could still be entitled to a partial grant which varies from 50% to 70% of the total cost.

You need to be aware that not all houses have the ability to have cavity wall insulation so it’s good to check first.  For instance where I live we can’t have it done, so we have to make do with double glazing and being efficient elsewhere. The government also offers a range of energy saving accessories, such as eco-plugs, low energy light bulbs and so on.

Did you know, poorly insulated homes loose up to 60% of their heat?  That’s 25% through the roof and 35% through the walls. The rest is lost through the floor and windows and doors.

You may be asking, why should I pay or have the bother of getting my home’s loft and cavities insulated?  Well, at number one, it will save you money in the long run.  Especially with the discounts the government are offering, in association with the major energy providers, are making the pay back period (the time it takes to save money on your energy bill because of the extra insulation) even shorter.

In theory having it could increase the value of your home or make it more saleable as it will be featured in your Home Improvement Pack (HIPs).

Your home will also warm up quicker in the cooler months, which will stop you needing to put an extra duvet on your bed this year and surprisingly, it will also keep your house cooler during the hotter months, so there’s no need to leave fans and air conditioning units running (or at least you can turn them down a setting).

As I said earlier, not all houses can have cavity wall insulation.  Most buildings built after 1930 have cavity walls, check if your wall is 10 inches thick and that there are no brick ends present.  You can use the  diagram below to try and work out if you have cavity walls or solid walls - look at the brick pattern and compare it to your house!

Homes built after ‘82 generally already have cavity wall insulation installed so it’s best to check before applying for a grant!

It may sound too good to be true, but it’s well worth finding out more about these grants to see if you’re eligible and who can do it for you! If you’ve got any useful information, facts, etc, regarding this, please leave me a comment!