British Gas cavity wall insulation explained
British Gas customers can now receive cavity wall insulation grants if their home qualifies, including loft insulation grant as well as grants for electric heating upgrades to install energy saving electric storage heaters, among others.
This means you can have some work done on your home to improve its energy efficiency targets, and it won’t cost you a penny!
If you’re eligible for the grant, the work will be paid for through your energy supplier like British Gas, thanks to the Energy Company Obligation scheme initiated by the UK government.
Am I eligible for the installation of British Gas cavity wall insulation free of charge?
Those living in electrically heated properties are now eligible to receive government grants for home improvements for insulating installations or upgrades to save money on their energy bills. Who is likely to qualify:
- Private Tenants or Homeowners
- Recipients of Qualifying Income Related Benefits (see the full list below)
- Properties with electric heating (i.e. room heaters)
Which benefits make me eligible for the British Gas insulation cavity wall grant?
With years of experience, UK Energy Support has been keeping people warm. The Energy Company Obligation (find out more about it’s final stage, the ECO4 scheme) now makes it possible to offer household budgets free insulation services to enhance your home’s energy efficiency or even an entirely new electric heat system that uses less energy. These energy efficiency measures have enabled thousands to receive funding and had a massive impact on climate change.
In order to qualify for British Gas loft and cavity wall insulation removal, replacement or installation, consumers in England should claim certain benefits. The purpose of the new scheme which is backed by the UK government is to make sure that vulnerable households and individuals looking for support like hardship grants for single parents, who are interested in energy saving and need energy bill support can receive it first (read more about energy crisis support schemes).
Here’s a list of benefits that qualify for the ECO4 scheme
- Child Benefits (based on household income)
- Child Tax Credits (CTC)
- Housing Benefit NEW
- Income based Jobseekers allowance (JSA)
- Income related Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support (IS)
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Pension Credit Savings Credit NEW
- Universal Credit (UC)
- Warm Homes Discount Scheme
- Working Tax Credit (WTC)
How to apply for British Gas Cavity Wall Insulation?
Approximately £1 of every £4 spent by UK households on energy is wasted each year due to poor insulation, according to a BG Home Energy Report.
According to the study, people who improve their thermal insulation installed in their home and upgrade their inefficient boiler can save an average of £322 per year by adopting energy efficiency improvements with a British Gas new boiler, electric heat system or insulations.
You can check whether you are eligible for the cavity wall insulation free British Gas offer below.
UKES can help you reduce your heating bills if you qualify for the program and install energy-efficient improvements to your home free of charge.
Does BritishGas do free cavity wall insulations?
Yes. Among other UK energy suppliers like EON, EDF energy or Scottish Power, for example, BG participates in the government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) program and therefore is obligated to issue grants for home improvements.
Similarly to Carbon Saving Obligation, the ECO scheme is designed to support vurneable households by providing free grant for low income families. You might be eligible for the new scheme if you receive one of the qualifying benefits. The process of having free loft and cavity wall insulation by British Gas is straightforward for homeowners, but it can be a little more complicated for tenants due to your landlord’s legal obligations.
BG Customers can check their eligibility for free cavity wall insulation British Gas provides through suppliers such as UKES below; it only takes 2 minutes.
This service is completely free. The installation time depends on what work is being done as well as your home’s technical requirements.
How is cavity wall insulation done?
Cavity walls (exterior walls and interior ones as well) are typically insulated by drilling a series of small holes in the mortar at regular intervals (around 25mm across) and then injecting the insulating material into the cavity.
After the British Gas wall cavity insulation is installed (or any other suppliers, for a matter of fact), the holes are refilled.
In some circumstances, a telescopic lance system for walls is used.
A new-build property will usually have rigid insulated boards installed into the wall cavities as part of the construction process.
The pros and cons of the Cavity wall insulation:
The pros and cons of cavity insulations are often debated online, and people tend to have different opinions, depending on their experiences and whether it’s done for BG customers or other energy companies.
However, it seems that many people refer to “cavity walls insulation” as if there is only one type, and that simply is not true.
To help you decide whether you should apply for grants for cavity wall insulation British Gas will pay for and whether it is a good solution for your home, here is a brief overview of the advantages and disadvantages of different types of cavity insulation, such as EPS beads, mineral wool, and expanding foam, in order to clarify things a little.
General Cavity Insulation pros:
- The walls of your home will lose less heat through them.
- They will also reduce draughts.
- Your walls will be less susceptible to sound transmission.
- There will be no noticeable difference in the appearance of your home (aside from small fill holes in the walls).
- Installation is easy and fast.
- It can reduce condensation if installed correctly.
- EPS beads are less likely to hold onto moisture if water makes its way into the cavity
General Cavity Insulation cons:
- Insulation in cavities may sag with age.
- If moisture gets into your cavity insulation, the ability of the insulation to keep your home warm will be diminished.
- It won’t perform very well if the work carried was poorly installed.
As for free loft insulation grant, we also discussed that topic.
How much can you save on your BritishGas energy bills?
If you’re wondering about British Gas cavity wall insulation cost, let us put your mind at ease. It won’t cost you a penny if you qualify for the ECO4 funding.
In addition, by improving other measures around the house like loft insulation or getting a smart meter, you could save money.
A house built before the 1990s can lose up to a third of its heat through the walls and roof. You can reduce your energy bills by installing new cavity or loft insulation or replacing your old one – and keep your house warm, cosy and free of cold spots.
The Energy Saving Trust chart shows potential CO2 and bills saving estimates for different properties.
If your house meets the following criteria, it is likely that it will be eligible for a standard British Gas cavity wall insulation grant:
The walls of your home are probably already insulated if it was built in the last 20 years or so. If you’re not sure whether you have unfilled cavity walls or so, you can contact your local authority’s building control department to find out. Another option is to have a registered installer or chartered surveyors perform an inspection at a convenient time by drilling a small hole in your external wall to find out if your walls are hollow or filled.
- There are no filled cavities in its external walls.
- The cavity is at least 50mm wide as well as clear of debris.
- Your property’s masonry or brickwork is in good condition.
- There is no risk of flooding at your house.
Installers will conduct a free survey to determine whether your house is suitable for British Gas free cavity wall insulation.
Typically, if you live in a block of flats, you will need to get everyone’s agreement to insulate the entire building.
Do I even need cavity wall insulation British Gas provides?
The walls of your home are probably already insulated if it was built in the last 20 years or so. If you’re not sure whether you have unfilled cavity walls or so, you can contact your local authority’s building control department to find out. Another option is to have a registered installer or chartered surveyors perform an inspection at a convenient time by drilling a small hole in your external wall to find out if your walls are hollow or filled.
Does my house have cavities?
Cavity walls are made up of 2 brick layers with a cavity between them. Insulated cavity walls can be accomplished by inserting insulation into the spaces between them.
Solid walls are often reinforced with bricks placed across them rather than along them. From the front, these look like half-sized bricks. A cavity wall is built with bricks laid in the same direction so that they all appear the same size.
Your home was probably built with cavity walls if it was constructed after 1920. If your house was built in the last 20 years, the cavity walls were probably insulated during construction.
ECO 4 is a government backed scheme
Why choose UKES for your cavity walls insulation installation or replacement if you’re with BritishGas?
UK Energy Support provides high-quality energy efficient home improvements, such as cavity walls and free loft insulation, in the UK. Besides home renovation measures, our company specializes in delivering home improvements under the Energy Company Obligation program for low-income households whose household budgets stretched significantly in recent months. The gov initiated scheme allows us to offer back boiler removal grant, free insulation for loft and cavity wall insulation grants British Gas and other energy suppliers need to fund. This is why we encourage people living in the UK to reach out and see if they are eligible for the free loft and cavity upgrades. It’s worth checking!
Your home will become healthier, cheaper to warm up, and more enjoyable thanks to our ecological and energy-efficient cavity and loft insulation and electric system upgrades that are energy saving.
Our understanding of home improvement energy efficiency measures such as loft insulation and cavity wall insulation grants BritishGas needs to fund under the ECO4 allows us to give you professional assistance tailored to your individual needs.
In comparison with the rest of the energy industry, our portfolio is outstanding as it meets the Ofgem energy-efficiency criteria. We provide free loft insulation offer, cavity wall insulatio and best electric heating system solutions that not only keep your home warm during the winter months and cool in the summer days but will also reduce your property heating bill in the long run.
Don't wait! Apply Today
At UKES we try helping as many people as possible improve their energy consumption. We specialise in installations that are free for the customer due to UK government grants for house repairs funded by energy suppliers, so get in touch and start saving energy thanks to the British Gas cavity wall insulation grant!