Loft insulation grant
A loft insulation grant covers some or all of what it costs to insulate your loft. Your household's income, along with your location, decides who pays.
- £750
- What a semi usually costs if there's no grant
- £190
- How much that semi saves every year
- 270mm
- The depth it should reach
Which loft insulation grant you can get
The two supplier schemes, ECO4 and the Great British Insulation Scheme, no longer take new homes. Now every UK nation provides its own route to a loft insulation grant.
| Where you live | Scheme | Who pays for the loft |
|---|---|---|
| England | Warm Homes: Local Grant | The council, in full, for households who qualify |
| Scotland | Home Energy Scotland grant and loan | A Grant worth no more than £1,500, plus a £500 loan, is open to any homeowner. |
| Scotland | Warmer Homes Scotland | The Scottish Government, in most cases in full |
| Wales | Warm Homes Nest | The Welsh Government covers it in full for qualifying households. |
| Northern Ireland | Affordable Warmth Scheme | The Housing Executive, free for owners under £23,000 |
Home Energy Scotland is where the Scottish amounts come from. There, loft insulation shares a row with cavity and underfloor insulation.
Who gets free loft insulation?
Free loft insulation is open to low-income households and to those on a means-tested benefit. The rules differ from nation to nation:
- England: your household earns under £36,000, or gets a means-tested benefit, or the home is in one of the low-income postcodes listed by the government. You need a rating of EPC D to G.
- Scotland: Warmer Homes Scotland steps in if you receive a qualifying benefit, or if you're 75 or older and your heating isn't working.
- Wales: an EPC E rating or lower, plus either a low income after rent or mortgage, or a means-tested benefit.
- Northern Ireland: the total income of your household has to fall under £23,000.
GOV.UK lists the full English rules. Give your postcode and answer two questions, and the grant checker shows you the scheme to ask about.
Loft insulation prices without a grant
Even without a grant, almost nothing that saves real money costs less than insulating your loft. The Energy Saving Trust's figures here cover a gas-heated home where an empty loft gets insulation to 270mm.
| Home | Cost | Saving a year |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-terrace | £650 | £140 |
| Semi-detached | £750 | £190 |
| Detached | £1,100 | £360 |
| Detached bungalow | £1,200 | £350 |
Around a quarter of the heat in an uninsulated home escapes through the roof, and the insulation lasts for around 40 years. The figures come from the Energy Saving Trust.
What a loft job with a grant involves
- Applications go to the scheme that runs in your area, by phone or online.
- A surveyor visits your home to check the loft, the walls and the heating.
- The scheme decides which work gets done. Loft insulation is cheap next to what it saves, so it often goes first.
- An approved installer lays the insulation over and between the joists.
Clear any boxes stored in the loft before the installer arrives. Is there insulation in there already? Most schemes still count a top-up as an attic insulation grant job, though it saves less.
The biggest heat loser isn't the loft. Walls lose more heat. See who can get free insulation, or read about the cavity wall insulation grant.
Loft insulation grant questions people ask
Can I get free loft insulation?
Yes, as long as your household qualifies under the main scheme for your part of the UK. England's scheme is the Warm Homes: Local Grant, which councils run. Qualifying owners don't pay anything.
How thick should loft insulation be?
At least 270mm of mineral wool is what the Energy Saving Trust advises. In Northern Ireland the Affordable Warmth Scheme brings lofts up to 275mm.
Is it worth topping up insulation I already have?
Yes, but the saving is a lot smaller. A semi saves about £17 a year when you move from 120mm up to 270mm; a loft with nothing in it saves about £190.
Is an EPC needed to get a grant?
Yes, in most cases. Homes rated EPC D to G can get the Warm Homes: Local Grant, and Home Energy Scotland wants a valid EPC that recommends the work.
Is an attic insulation grant the same thing?
Yes. An attic and a loft are the same thing, and each scheme on this page counts attic insulation as loft insulation.
Is there a room in roof insulation grant?
Yes. Room-in-roof insulation is one of the measures the Warm Homes: Local Grant pays for, and Home Energy Scotland gives up to £3,000 for it. The work must be done by a TrustMark registered installer.
Will installers cold-call me about loft grants?
Some of them do. Your council or the scheme's official website is how you reach these schemes. Before you agree to anything, check any caller against that.
Get an installer survey quote
Want a price, with or without a grant? An accredited installer can survey the loft and quote.