Insulation grants: Where can I access financial assistance?

Insulation grants can be helpful for homeowners who need financial support to help make their home more energy efficient.

Ensuring your home is well insulated is important for several reasons, such as minimising heat loss by improving your home’s thermal insulation, therefore making your home more energy efficient and helping you to pay less for your heating bills. 

But installing energy-efficient insulation isn’t easily affordable for all homeowners, and unfortunately there aren’t many grants available, which isn’t good news if you’re looking at how to insulate a wall or your loft, for example.

But the schemes in existence do offer financing towards installing insulation cavity wall insulation and loft insulation. We’ve listed them below alongside advice on how to apply. 

Energy Company Obligation offers insulation grants

The Energy Company Obligation, or ECO scheme, supports energy efficiency improvements including cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and some other heating improvements in low-income and vulnerable households.

All gas and electricity supplies with over 150,000 customers must offer ECO funding, although energy companies can determine which measures they offer to install, how much funding they provide and the installers that do the work. 

This means that while you might be able to receive new insulation free of charge, you may also be asked to pay some of the cost yourself. 

The first step towards applying is to fill out this Simple Energy Advice questionnaire.

The Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery Scheme

The Green Homes Grant, which ran from September 2020 to March 2021, is no longer accepting new applications from homeowners, but you can still apply for funding for improvements such as insulation via your local authority. 

Local authorities will grant funding up to £10,000 for wall and loft insulation for homeowners, renters and those in social housing where a home has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or below, and an annual income below £30,000.

You may also be eligible if you do not possess an up-to-date EPC or earn more than £30,000 a year but are on certain benefits.

To apply, follow the instructions on your local council’s website.

Can I get free external wall insulation?

You can get external wall insulation either for free or for a small contribution providing you are eligible for the Energy Company Obligation. 

This normally costs around £13,000 for a standard semi-detached house, according to the Energy Saving Trust, but could save you £245 per year on your energy bills. 

Warmer Homes Scotland

Warmer Homes Scotland is designed for low-income households and vulnerable people who can apply for grants for insulation, renewable technologies and other energy-efficient home improvements.

Loft and wall insulation are among the improvements available on the Scottish government scheme, providing you meet one of the conditions for eligibility, one of which is that you have to have owned your home for at least six months. 

You can contact Home Energy Scotland to learn more about the application process.

Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme

This scheme is available in Northern Ireland and provides fully-funded cavity wall insulation to low-income households with no central heating, solid fuel heating or an old oil or LPG heating system.

You can contact the Northern Ireland Energy Advice service to learn more.

Wales: Nest

Low-income households in Wales and people with certain health conditions can apply to the Nest scheme to get help with insulation costs.