Extract: Loft and cavity wall insulation grants are available under the Keep Warm initiative, but residents are being urged to act fast to benefit.
UK residents are being reminded that they can access grants for loft and cavity wall insulation under a national energy efficiency scheme.
The Keep Warm initiative allows people to apply for government-funded grants to help with the initial cost of fitting this energy-saving measures, which are designed to not only heat their homes more effectively, but also to reduce their household energy bills and carbon dioxide emissions.
Figures show that around 30 per cent of a property’s heat is lost through its walls if they are not insulated to an adequate standard, while approximately 25 per cent can escape through the roof.
Therefore, cavity wall and loft insulation can significantly improve a household’s energy efficiency. The former is particularly effective in homes built after 1930, as properties constructed before this date tend to require solid wall insulation instead.
To apply for these home insulation measures, residents need to allow Keep Warm to carry out a free survey on their property to find out whether or not it is eligible for support under the scheme. The grants are currently only available to owned or privately rented properties, but once the survey is complete, residents can apply for the energy efficiency funding.
However, there is only a limited amount of cash available under the initiative, meaning households need to act fast if they want to benefit.
As the installation is free, households can begin reaping the benefits of lower energy bills straight away, with figures from the Energy Saving Trust showing that cavity wall insulation can potentially cut annual heating costs by as much as £275 for a detached property. Loft insulation could reduce the same house’s bills by up to £240 per year.
In terms of carbon emissions, insulating the loft can cut a detached property’s excess emissions by up to 990 kg, while fitting cavity wall insulation can result in these being reduced by as much as 1,100 kg – something that can have significant benefits for the environment, as well as the wellbeing of people and wildlife.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2517914
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/domestic/cavity-wall
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/domestic/content/roof-and-loft