Free external wall insulation could save you up to £540 on your energy bills

Why do I need external wall insulation?

External wall insulation is mainly installed on solid wall properties, but, is also suitable for cavity wall properties in areas where there are high amounts of wind driven rain such as those found in West Wales.

Around a third of heat lost in a home is via uninsulated walls. Insulating your solid walls will not only cut your heating costs significantly but will also make your home more comfortable.

Figures from the Energy Saving Trust show that the savings you could make by insulating your solid walls are around £540 for a typical gas heated semi-detached house.

What is external wall insulation?

External wall insulation is completed by installing a layer of insulation material to the outside of your property as shown in the mid-photo below.

External wall insulation also gives your home a fresh new look. The insulation can be covered with a range of finishes including textured, smooth, painted, pebble dash or even finished with brick slips to make it look like you’ve got a brand new brick wall.

External wall insulation is the most expensive type of insulation and may not be completely covered by the ECO4 grant and you may be asked to make a contribution. If this is something that you are looking for we will confirm once we have completed the initial survey on your property.

All external wall insulation completed by PTS Energy Solutions comes with a 25 year insurance backed guarantee for peace of mind.

Ventilation

When you install insulation you are reducing the amount of air that can circulate. Poor ventilation in a home can lead to condensation forming which can cause mould and damp patches to appear.

To ensure that this doesn’t happen we will bring your homes ventilation up to the latest standards and install additional ventilation where required as part of the ECO4 grant.

Do I qualify for a free insulation grant?

To qualify for a free insulation grant, you (or your tenant if you are a landlord), must be in receipt of one of the benefits listed below:

I’m not receiving one of these benefits, can I be helped?

Up to 50% of energy efficiency measures installed in England, Wales and Scotland can be completed through the ECO4 Flex scheme and is for households whose combined gross income is below £31,000 per year or if you have certain health conditions which would make you vulnerable to the cold.

The ECO4 Flex scheme is administered by Local Authorities who are responsible for rolling it out in your area and they will verify your income or health eligibility. It is rolling out slowly and is expected to be fully live by April 2023.

We will check as part of your application if your area is now open for applications.

Are there any other criteria?

As well as being in receipt of a qualifying benefit or qualify through the Flex route (more on that below), your home must also be in one of the lower energy efficiency bands as follows:

• Owner Occupier: Your home must be in an EPC Band D, E, F or G
• Rented Property: Your home must be in an EPC Band E, F, or G
• Social Housing: Your home must be in an EPC Band E, F or G although there are some measures available if you are in a Band D property

I don’t know my EPC band

Don’t worry, if you don’t know your EPC band we can check it for you very quickly or you can visit the GOV.UK website which keeps a central register by clicking here.

If your home doesn’t have an EPC one will be completed as part of the application process for free.

I’m a Landlord, can I get any help?

The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) came in to effect in April 2018 and means that all rented properties must now have a minimum energy efficiency rating of band ‘E’ unless exempted.

However, from 2025, all properties rented on new tenancies must meet a minimum energy efficiency rating of Band ‘C’ and properties with existing tenants must be brought up to this standard by 2028. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to £30,000.

These changes are in line with the Government’s net zero emissions by 2050 targets and will also apply to properties which are being sold from 2035.

How can we help?

If your tenant is receiving one of the benefits listed above your property will be eligible for a grant to improve your property, including installing external wall insulation.

In fact, the ECO4 scheme says that all Band ‘E’ rated properties must reach a minimum Band ‘C’ after installation of energy efficiency measures.