Free loft insulation FAQs

Households who pass one scheme's gates. For ECO4 (until 31 December 2026): a qualifying benefit, or a council LA Flex referral such as combined gross household income under £31,000, plus EPC D-G if you own the home or E-G if you rent. England's Warm Homes: Local Grant usually accepts household incomes of £36,000 or less in homes rated D to G. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own schemes.

Yes: ECO4 and LA Flex until 31 December 2026; the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England to 31 March 2028; Warmer Homes Scotland and the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan; Nest in Wales; and the Affordable Warmth Scheme in Northern Ireland. The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026.

The Warm Homes Plan (updated 18 March 2026) says ECO is coming to an end and that low-income support will be delivered first through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and the Warm Homes: Local Grant, then consolidated into a single low-income scheme with area-based delivery from 2027/28. It also plans low and zero-interest loans for homeowners, with details still to be set out.

Possibly. LA Flex Route 1 covers combined gross household income under £31,000, and Routes 2 and 3 cover proxies and medical referrals. England's Warm Homes: Local Grant usually allows up to £36,000. In Scotland, homeowners can apply for a Home Energy Scotland loft grant of up to £1,500 without a benefit test.

GOV.UK lists Universal Credit, Pension Guarantee Credit, Pension Savings Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Child Benefit, Housing Benefit for private housing.

Large energy suppliers, including the big household names, fund ECO4 measures because they are legally obliged to, until 31 December 2026. Ofgem says you can contact any obligated supplier, even if it is not your own, and that in some cases you may be asked to contribute.

Yes, until 31 December 2026 after a nine-month extension. Work must be installed by then, so apply promptly if you qualify.

Nothing replaced it directly. It ended on 31 March 2026. The non-means-tested council tax route it offered no longer exists.

Energy Saving Trust figures for a bare loft insulated to 270mm in Great Britain: about £650 (mid-terrace), £750 (semi), £1,100 (detached house) and £1,200 (detached bungalow), unsubsidised. Get at least three written quotes.

First check whether a scheme will pay. If not, a dry, easy-to-reach loft that is not a flat roof can be insulated yourself with mineral wool rolls: one layer between the joists and one across them. Materials bought for DIY carry standard-rate VAT.

Current building regulations recommend a minimum depth of 270mm for mineral wool insulation. Northern Ireland's Affordable Warmth Scheme tops lofts up to 300mm.

The Energy Saving Trust says current building regulations recommend a minimum of 270mm of mineral wool. Laying insulation at joist level is routine work; bigger roof work such as loft conversions or re-roofing brings in building regulations, and installers can self-certify through a Competent Person Scheme.

Usually not. Dry, clean insulation stays and a new layer goes on top. Removal is for damp, contaminated or damaged material, and Ofgem's ECO4 guidance treats extraction as outside the scheme except in limited repair cases.

Slowly. The Energy Saving Trust puts a 120mm-to-270mm top-up at £13 to £35 a year in Great Britain, for £500 to £800. It makes sense for comfort, for lofts with 100mm or less, or if a scheme pays.

£140 to £360 a year for a bare loft in Great Britain on gas heating, and £210 to £380 in Northern Ireland (Energy Saving Trust, fuel prices July 2026 and November 2025).

Around 40 years if installed correctly, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

Installed by a contractor in a home: 0% until 31 March 2027, then 5%. Materials bought without installation: standard-rated (20%) when materials are sold without installation.

Private tenants can, under ECO4, if they qualify and the home is rated E, F or G (with the owner's permission). Social housing tenants should ask their landlord.

Not on age alone. Pension Guarantee Credit and Pension Savings Credit are ECO4 qualifying benefits; LA Flex covers household incomes under £31,000; and Warmer Homes Scotland covers someone aged 75 or over without working heating.

No. Northern Ireland's routes are the Affordable Warmth Scheme (gross household income under £23,000, grants up to £7,500) and NISEP.

The Energy Saving Trust says spraying vapour-impermeable foam under an old, poorly maintained roof is one of the highest-risk insulation options, while mineral wool at joist level is one of the lowest-risk. Foam is effectively permanent.

Yes, on a raised platform: boards on supports above the joists, full-depth insulation underneath and a small ventilation gap between the insulation and the boards.

Not if it is done properly. It makes the loft colder, so condensation is more likely; keep the eaves clear, fix leaks first and stop moist air getting up from the house.

Installers or agents might contact you directly. If you're not sure if an offer is genuine, contact your local council or the energy supplier they represent to check. Check the installer on the TrustMark register, and never pay a fee to reserve a grant.

Schemes use the EPC band to decide eligibility. Look your home up on GOV.UK's energy certificate register; if there is no certificate, the assessment at the start of a funded job produces a rating.

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