Free loft insulation through ECO4 could save you up to £330 on your energy bills

Why do I need loft insulation?

As heat rises, around 25% of the heat lost in your home escapes through the roof. One of the quickest and easiest ways to save money on your energy bills is to top up the insulation in your loft.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, a gas heated semi-detached house with no insulation could save £355 on their heating bills per year.

As well as making your home warmer in the winter, loft insulation will also help keep your home cooler in the summer.

What is loft insulation?

Loft insulation is made up of layers of either mineral wool or glass fibre matting and will last for around 40 years, paying for itself many times over.

We will first lay insulation between the joists of your ceiling and then again in the opposite direction to provide you with a minimum of 270mm of insulation.

Not only could you save hundreds of pounds per year, but you will also reduce your carbon emissions. A typical semi-detached house would reduce carbon emissions by around 610kg per year.

Ventilation

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

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 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 loft 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.