"No Cavity Wall" experience and advice needed

beetlebum_2

Well after my mother moved into a solid concrete block wall bungalow, I insulated all the external walls, internally. Got a load of studwork timber from wickes, load of 65mm Celotex seconds from eBay and plasterboard. The cost of this was say £250-£300. Obviously it was very labour intensive but I done 1 room at the time, and while I was at it, was able to reroute the exposed central heating pipes behind the stud wall. It has made a great difference, as the place heats up really quickly and retains the heat. Obviously there are additional costs like replacing the coving (if any), skimming the plasterboard (though you could use TE) and of course paint. Also, the electrical socket cables may well have to be extended too.

Well that's my story and wouldn't hesitate to do it again if I moved to somewhere similar.

mistah

Are there cavity wall insulation alternatives?

You can add internal insulation, but this takes up valuable living space. You can add external insualtion, but this can look unattractive if you have brick or stone walls (although it can look fine if you have rendered walls).

Can you add a Damp Proof Course to a house with solid walls?

Easily - this video shows how http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hukY_tD5rEI . The question you have to ask is do you need to add a damp-proof course? As olias said, if it aint broke then don't fix it.

How best can I reduce heating costs?

Increasing the thickness of loft insulation is usually the most cost-effective measure - see http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Home-improvements-and-products/Home-insulation-glazing/Loft-insulation for potential cost savings.