Type of improvements
Solid Wall Insulation
Some properties in the UK will be unsuitable or unable to take advantage of cavity wall insulation. A lot of houses built pre 1920’s were built without a cavity and had solid walls. Both interior and exterior insulation will be covered by the Green Deal. Apply for the Green Deal.
Solid walls let even more heat out than cavity walls but it’s possible to insulate solid walls from both the outside and the inside of a property. The costs when compared to cavity wall insulation are higher but the savings can be greater, so proper inspection needs to take place to determine the best materials to use and which techniques to employ.
Internal or Exterior Insulation?
There are a number of considerations in deciding whether to opt for external or internal insulation. Internal is generally cheaper than external, but you may lose some floor space when installing internal insulation, usually 100mm on all internal walls.
External insulation usually involves a layer of insulation material being fixed to the outside walls of the property and then covered in either cladding or render. The finished walls can look different from the original so contacting the local planning office is imperative before under taking such work.
Because of the higher costs involved in external wall insulation it needs to be properly assessed to make sure it conforms to the Green Deal’s golden rule, which states that the costs of installation should be recoverable through the savings that they make.
How Much Could I Save With Solid Wall Insulation?
The Energy Trust has average figures for solid wall insulation which states that based on a gas heated, three bedroom, semi detached home, you could save around £475 per year. The cost of the insulation could be in the region of £9,400 to £13,000. Although the cost can vary in each case.
The Green Deal loan can be added to your own funds as well, so for jobs that cost over £10,000 you can use the Green Deal to supplement your own savings.