Get your home insulated for free – how to get funding

Good news! If your loft has little or no insulation, you can get it insulated by a professional contractor absolutely free of charge. If your house was built between the 1920’s and 1980’s, you can also claim a grant to get your cavity walls insulated – again for completely free. And finally, if you live in an older house with solid walls, you may qualify for a scheme to get external wall insulation for free.

According to figures from the Energy Saving Trust website, loft insulation can potentially save you £175 a year in heating costs. Getting cavity wall insulation can save you around £135 a year. If you live in a solid wall home, you can save around £475 a year.

How does it work?

The UK government have set themselves a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by the year 2050. This is known as CERT – the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (read more how CERT works here). Under the CERT scheme, the six largest energy providers (British Gas, EDF Energy, E.on, Npower, Scottish Power and SSE) are obligated to set aside funding to help homeowners reduce their energy bills and cut their carbon footprint. If the energy companies  don’t meet the targets they have been given, they will be heavily fined. Each of these six companies puts aside so much money into a ‘pot’, which can be used to pay for your home insulation.

Note that it doesn’t matter who you buy your energy from, and it doesn’t matter if you own or rent your home. The government want you to reduce your carbon footprint regardless.

How do I get funding?

The are many energy efficiency companies out there who will insulate your house then claim the money back from the government (here’s an example of a free insulation company in Manchester). It does not cost you a penny and no money needs to change hands. These companies usually offer free loft insulation and free cavity wall insulation to anyone, with external wall insulation usually reserved for households on a low income and in receipt of certain benefits.

The first thing they will need to do is carry out a home energy saving survey, where they will inspect your loft and/or walls to determine if they require insulating. A survey should be carried out by a trained professional with an ID badge, and will take around 20 minutes to half an hour. If you do qualify for the free products, the surveyor will book you in to have the work done.

Will the funding end?

It is likely to at some point, after which the free products will only be offered to those on benefits, or may be offered at a discounted rate rather then for free. Act quickly to avoid disappointment!

Energy Efficiency Company in Manchester