How much money can I save by having the FREE ECO3 loft insulation (LI)?

About a quarter of the money you spend to heat your home can be lost through your roof space.

Free LI is usually worth up to £400 just in terms of the materials and fitting cost. For more information, please Click Here.

But the real benefit comes from the reduction of energy bills and the fact that your home can feel so much more warm and cosy. In addition, your property value will probably also increase, and you will have a better EPC score because of it as well.

What depth of insulation can I have in my loft to still have more under ECO?

Your loft must have either no loft insulation or less than 100mm, which is approximately the height of the joists. If your property has insulation over the joists so that they cannot be seen then it is unlikely that you would qualify for more under ECO3.

What if I have belongings in the loft?

You must ensure the loft is cleared of most if not all belongings.

When the surveyor visits your property they will need to have a clear access to the loft and be able to get into the loft uninhibited by your personal belongings. If they cannot gain access then it can affect whether you can secure the ECO grant.

Some of our local installers, may offer to clear the loft for you if it is not possible to do this yourself. They can also organise a skip and even take the belongings out of the loft for a fee to help you.

I understand that at least two thirds of the loft must be insulated under ECO3?

That is correct. If you have one loft then even if a small area is boarded then as long as you have at least two thirds (67% or more) then you can qualify to receive the completely free loft insulation at no cost to you.

It gets slightly more involved if you have an extension on your property. If this extension has a flat roof i.e. no loft over the extension then the 67% is still calculated on your main loft area.

However, if you had a loft area over your extension and also have a main loft then the total area of loft would be the combination of the two loft areas. Again the 67% or more rule would still apply.

When you make your application to us, our friendly team will chat this aspect through with you to confirm all is satisfactory for the grant. Also, this is one aspect that the surveyor will measure for their report.

Can I have free loft insulation if I have converted my loft?

It is not possible to gain ECO3 loft insulation if you have had a partial or full conversion of your loft space.

My property is over 2 storeys high, can I still receive free loft insulation?

For the vast majority of homes, all our approved local installers will fit free ECO3 loft insulation for you regardless of the height of the property as long as there is good internal access to your loft.

However, in a few cases, external access is required and then may require a contribution to costs from you depending on how high the loft space is and the method of access that the installer would have to use to get the loft insulation fitted.

Our friendly team will discuss any unusual heights and access with you so that the right installer can be allocated to undertake the works.

Is there a cost for down light covers?

Down light covers are a legal requirement to protect down lights before the laying of insulation to protect against electrical fire once the insulation is installed.

Some of our installers can absorb the costs of downlight covers as part of their installations costs. However, if there are a lot of down lights in the ceiling below the loft and or the property is already reasonably energy efficient then a fee can be charged for these covers. This can be around £5-7 per down light and will be discussed by the installer before proceeding with the installation of the insulation.

How much money can I save by having the FREE ECO3 cavity wall insulation?

Approximately a half of the money you spend to heat your home can be lost through an empty cavity wall and this is often the greatest single loss of heat and money in your property.

Free CWI is usually worth up to £725 just in terms of the materials and fitting cost. For more information, please Click Here.

But the real benefit comes from the reduction of energy bills and the fact that your home can feel so much more warm and cosy. In addition, your property value will probably also increase, and you will have a better EPC score because of it as well.

How do I know if my cavity wall has been filled already?

In order to proceed with FREE Cavity Wall Insulation (CWI) then your property needs to be of a brick construction with an empty or partial cavity wall. For more information, please Click Here.

The walls needs to be in a good state of repair with no existing damp. This will be examined by the surveyor when attending your property prior to installation.

When the cavity is filled, it is injected with foam, beads or other modern insulation materials. Once the injection is completed, the installer will make good the brick wall. However, even after being made good, it is possible to see the drill marks and how they have been repaired.

If you can see these on your walls then it would mean that the property has already had CWI and therefore, this measure cannot be funded again under ECO3.

I understand that at least two thirds of the cavity walls must be insulated under ECO3?

That is correct. If you have an original property without recent extensions then it should be relatively simple to assess if you have brick cavity walls and whether they have been filled before. If they have not then you would likely have 100% of your walls available for CWI.

However, if you have had a brick cavity wall extension on an original solid wall property then in this case, unless the extension is very significant, the likelihood is that the available cavity wall of the extension will be less than the two thirds (67% or more) required for FREE CWI under ECO3.

It may be that your original property and extension have both an empty or partially empty cavity wall. In this case the majority of the brick walls are still available for the CWI and the two thirds (67% or more) rule would be achieved.

When you make your application to us, our friendly team will chat this aspect through with you to confirm all is satisfactory for the grant. Also, this is one aspect that the surveyor will measure for their report.

My property is over 2 storeys high, can I still receive free loft insulation?

All our approved local installers will fit the free ECO3 CWI if you have a bungalow or two storey property principally because they work on normal ladders to work at height.

The majority will also fit the CWI where your property is three or four storey’s high as these can still be reached externally with long ladders and are still covered by most general insurers.

We also have a small number of installers who can install at any height and have suitable equipment and insurance to undertake this safely for you and them. If you have a particularly high property then please do not be surprised if the installer is not particularly local to you –there is a good reason for this!

Our friendly team will ensure that the right installer is selected to undertake the works for you dependant on the height of your property.

How much money can I save by having the FREE ECO3 cavity wall insulation and a new A-rated boiler?

Free CWI is usually worth up to £725 just in terms of the materials and fitting cost. However, a new A-rated boiler can also be worth up to £2,300. For more information, please Click Here.

By having this ‘dual’ installation, your property not only benefits from insulation but also the replacement of your old inefficient boiler that can save you significantly on the fuel costs to heat your house.

If you are eligible for FREE cavity wall insulation and a FREE A-rated boiler then it is a golden opportunity while the funding exists to have these measures done in your home.

Note: As long as the criteria for Loft Insulation is met, you may also opt to have your loft insulated at the same time.

Will ECO3 replace any boiler in combination with the installation of CWI?

Unfortunately, not every boiler. Your existing boiler will need to be at least seven years old and have something wrong with it. The older, more cranky and fuel inefficient the boiler is the better!

You will also need to be an ECO3 qualifying Homeowner for this dual measure - ECO qualifying tenants with landlord permission DO NOT qualify for the CWI with free A-rated boiler replacement (although they could qualify for the FREE cavity wall insulation element).

Do the replacement boilers come with any warranty?

All of the A-rated boiler replacements under ECO3 are well known branded boilers that usually come with at least two years of manufacturer warranty.

Most installers can offer you an extended warranty up to 10+ years, radiator, pipework and plumbing cover, and an annual maintenance visit but these would normally be at a cost and outside of the ECO3 funding provision.

What does ECO mean, I’ve not heard about it before!

ECO stands for Energy Company Obligation and is a government scheme implemented by leading energy companies such as SSE, EDF Energy, British Gas, Npower, E.ON UK and Scottish Power amongst others to help vulnerable people across England, Scotland and Wales.

The obligation requires energy suppliers to deliver energy saving measures to domestic properties and these measures include Loft Insulation (LI) and Cavity Wall Insulation (CWI) and the dual measure of CWI and a new replacement A-rated Boiler.

The ECO scheme started in January 2013 and replaced CERT and other funding for loft and cavity wall insulation. Since 2013 there has been revisions to ECO of ECO2, ECO2T and ECO3 that was launched on the 1st October 2018.

I’ve not visited Freeloftandcavityinsulation.co.uk before, who are you?

We are a national company that completely trades on-line rather than in the traditional high street. This keeps our costs low and enables us to put our time and money into what is important and that is serving you.

Our head office is based in central London, and we have regional offices throughout the UK including administration teams in Devon and Warwickshire.

We are an ICO registered company and take compliance with The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) very seriously indeed. If you wish to view our Privacy Policy please Click Here. We are also registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) concerning the introduction of boiler warranties and financing. Your information is safe with us.

In addition, we have a national network of approved surveyors, Gas Safe engineers, fitters and boiler installers who are all experienced in ECO funding, installations, maintenance and service.

Since 2010, our team has helped tens of thousands of people secure free loft and cavity wall insulation under CERT and throughout ECO. We look forward to the opportunity of supporting you today. Please Click Here to get started.

Is the Loft and Cavity insulation really FREE?

Yes it is FREE as long as you are on a correct qualifying government benefit, your property would significantly benefit from improved energy efficiency, and you confirm that you want the insulation!

The funding is a grant and does NOT have to be repaid. It is NOT a loan (as some of the previous ‘Green Deal’ loans were designed to be).

For small mains Gas heated properties (or those properties that are already deemed to be energy efficient) the grant generated may also be small. If this is the case then some authorised installers may wish to top this up with a conservative contribution from you to cover the overall costs of surveying and installation.

For the vast majority of people on a qualifying benefit, the loft and cavity wall insulation, and cavity wall insulation with a new boiler is totally free irrespective of heating type.

The best way to know if you qualify for an ECO3 grant is to proceed with the application, please Click Here to get started.

What are the qualifying government benefits for ECO?

You will need to either be a home owner on a qualifying government benefit, or a private tenant on a qualifying benefit with the permission of your landlord. For a fuller explanation of ECO3 qualifying benefits, please Click Here.

If you have a qualifying benefit and are a Housing Association tenant then you can still proceed with free loft and cavity wall insulation, and free cavity insulation plus a free A-rated boiler, as long as you can gain a letter from your Housing Association Manager giving their permission.

If I’ve had an ECO or CERT grant before can I get another one?

The grants are linked to a Homeowner or tenant living within a property. So, if you have not moved house and have already received an ECO or CERT grant then you will not be able to qualify for effectively the same thing.

How do I apply and what happens?

You can apply through this web site by simply answering the questions at the top of the home page, please Click Here. These questions are easy to go through and normally only take a couple of minutes.

You can quickly determine if you qualify for the FREE loft and cavity wall insulation, and if qualifying for the cavity then you can also answer questions relating to gaining a new A-rated boiler as well.

Once you have made your application, you will be contacted by our friendly office team who will check some of the details with you and confirm your consent to be passed to a local installer.

Our installer will then contact you and likely book in for a surveyor to visit your property at no cost to you so that a report can be created. The installer will also run a Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) check on the benefits you have confirmed so as to ensure that the funding for the insulation measures is approved.

From application to installation can take just a few days, unless of course you want to fit the work around some important diary dates that you may have. You will soon be enjoying a warmer, more energy efficient property that can save you a lot of money on your heating bills and for boilers, the cost of the gas or fuel to run a more energy efficient boiler.