The loft insulation is one of the most important parts of the heating system of a home. You canโt ignore this insulation as a huge amount of heat is lost from the roof on a daily basis. If you canโt install loft insulation, you can consider the free loft insulation.
In the following blog post, there is a detailed discussion about the:
- Loft insulationย
- Grants for insulationย
- Eligibility criteria
- Procedure for Free Loft Insulationย
- Benefits of loft insulationย
What is a Loft Insulation?
When you add a layer of insulation to the attic of the home, it is called loft insulation. The heat energy rises from the bottom to the top due to the convection. If the roof doesnโt have any loft insulation, it will escape from the home. According to research, about 25% of heat gets lost from the roof. Thatโs why every homeowner must have loft insulation in their attic or loft.
Which are the Best Types of Loft Insulation?
The loft insulation comes in several types which are suitable for different types of homes. Some of the most common types of loft insulation are the following:
- Blanket insulation comes in the form of layers, rolls, or batts.ย
- Loose-fill insulation is used to fill the irregular spaces in the loft insulation.ย
- Rigid sheets come in the form of large sheets to cover the complete wall.ย
- Blown-in insulation fills the gaps in the hard-to-reach spaces.ย
- Spray foam insulation is good when you want to make air-tight insulation.ย
What are the Best Materials for Loft Insulation?
There are different materials which are used to make the loft insulation, such as the following:
- Fiberglassย
- Mineral woolย
- Sheep woolย
- Rigid foam boardsย
- Polyurethane foamย
- Cellulose
You donโt have to select any random material for the loft insulation. You should consider the weather conditions, style of home, and quality of material while selecting the material for loft insulation.ย
How to Get Free Loft Insulation?
Every household is not capable of the free installation of loft insulation. Due to this, they canโt enjoy the energy efficiency benefits. Thatโs why the UK government has initiated several schemes to provide free energy benefits. One of their main benefits is loft insulation.
Some of the most popular schemes for the free loft insulation are the following:
Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)
It is an energy efficiency grant which was started by the UK government in 1913. The UK government obliged several energy companies to fund low-income households. They provide comprehensive energy benefits to make the complete home energy efficient. Moreover, they want to enhance the comfort of the home for the households living in this.
Some of the most commonly provided benefits of the Energy Company Obligation are the following:
- First Time Central Heating Systemsย
- Complete Home Insulationย
- Heat Pumpsย
- Smart Thermostatsย
Home Upgrade Grant (HUG)
It is another energy efficiency grant which was founded by the UK government. The governmentโs Department of Energy Security and Net Zero handle this scheme. This department ensures that they are fulfilling the objectives, given below:
- Reduction of carbon emissionsย
- Decrease in the energy billsย
- Promotion of renewable energy resources
In order to achieve these goals, they will provide the following benefits:
- Low-carbon heating systems, such as heat pumps, solar thermal heating systems, hybrid heating systems, etc.ย
- Insulation improvements, such as loft insulation, roof insulation, wall insulation, floor insulation, cavity wall insulation, solid wall insulation etc.ย
- Windows improvements, such as the double and triple glazing and draught proofing.ย
- Ventilation improvements, such as the Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR).ย
- Smart heat control systems, such as the smart thermostats.ย
What is the Eligibility Criteria for the Free Loft Insulation Grants?
The free loft insulation grants provide their free benefits only to those households who have the following eligibility criteria:
- First of all, low-income households can get these benefits. The threshold low income for the free loft insulation is ยฃ31000.ย
- Then, they should be the receiver of government benefits, such as the Universal Credit, disability benefit, and child tax credit.ย
- Their properties should have low energy efficiency. Their EPC rating must be D, E, F, or G.ย
- The properties should not have existing insulations or have broken or degraded insulation.ย
How to Get the Free Loft Insulation?
You can get the free loft insulation grants by following the steps given below:
- First of all, select any of the schemes which provide free loft insulation.ย
- Ensure that you are eligible for that scheme. You can use the online eligibility checker or ask the team of the respective scheme.ย
- Then, arrange a home survey to assess the heating conditions and requirements of the building. After this survey, they will send the reports to the respective scheme.ย
- Moreover, they will guide you in the application procedure and document submission.ย
- If they approve your application, they will send an approval letter and discuss the timeline for the installation process.ย
- The installation team will arrive on time and start the installation. When they are done with the installation process, they will hand over all the details about the loft insulation.ย
- You can ask them about the guidance related to the maintenance of the loft insulation.ย
What are the Benefits of Free Loft Insulation?
Every home which has a loft or attic must be equipped with loft insulation. It provides several benefits to the home and homeowners. Some of them are given below:
- First of all, it eliminates fuel poverty in the country. When it retains the heat energy inside the home, the heating systems need to work less and consume less fuel. In this way, the homeowners will not pay for high energy bills.ย
- At the same time, the carbon emissions are reduced to a great extent. They do so by decreasing the combustion processes. They will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide production.ย
- The retention of heat energy inside the home increases to a great extent. They will not let the heat escape from the roof. In this way, they will maintain a comfortable temperature for a longer period.
