Great British Insulation Scheme - does anyone offer solid wall insulation?

Galileo_Figaro

I just waited a month to hear back from Octopus and they said they don't do solid wall insulation. Does anyone know of any companies who do please?

Netexporter

The ECO4 scheme offers external wall insulation.

ArbitraryRandom

It can also vary with suppliers depending on where you are because they use contractors to do the actual work - you'd be best phoning/messaging a few and asking. 

ronesuk2306

Google -  Energy Funding Service. They can help you with solid wall insulation as well as other energy effecient measures for your property. 

ArbitraryRandom

ronesuk2306 said:

Google -  Energy Funding Service. They can help you with solid wall insulation as well as other energy effecient measures for your property. 

Always interesting to see a new poster recommending a new business. 

A quick google brings up the Energy Funding Service website giving a 'Non Profit Organisation Number' of 13385239 - checking companies house that finds the Energy Funding Service as a PLC registered in 2021, with the directors seeming to be a couple (or related), who have had 3 other similar businesses (namely, Energy Funding Service, Discount Trade LTD, Energy Saving Grants LTD, and Energy Support Link LTD) registered with the same directors at the same address since 2016... 

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13385239

Not saying that there's anything wrong with that... but reading what they say (or don't say) on their website, I'd suggest anyone interested in using them should make sure they're comfortable that they're not just middlemen who take a chunk of any grant as commission (or use the grants to funnel work to their other businesses) and won't disappear if there's any problems down the line. 

Netexporter

Here's a proper government link to ECO4 and other schemes:

Find energy grants for your home (Help to Heat) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

FreeBear

Be careful about slapping insulation on a solid brick/stone wall. Get it wrong, and you could trap moisture within the wall will will lead to long term problems. Selection of the appropriate materials, fitting, along with detailing around the roof line & window/door reveals are crucial.

It is not a simple "fix some EPS boards to the wall and K-Rend over the top".

Netexporter

FreeBear said:

Be careful about slapping insulation on a solid brick/stone wall. Get it wrong, and you could trap moisture within the wall will will lead to long term problems. Selection of the appropriate materials, fitting, along with detailing around the roof line & window/door reveals are crucial.

It is not a simple "fix some EPS boards to the wall and K-Rend over the top".

Absolutely. Permeable insulation with an "intelligent" vapor/weather barrier is the safest way to go. Or a hemp and lime insulation, applied directly to the wall, perhaps. You definitely need somebody who really knows the subject to design a suitable system, such as an Passivhaus/EnerPHit designer.

FreeBear

Netexporter said: Or a hemp and lime insulation, applied directly to the wall, perhaps.

To get any worthwhile insulation from a hemp plaster, it needs to be a very, very thick layer. A work colleague used some in her little cottage, and she is far from being impressed. Cork or wood fibre would probably work best.

A couple of documents that might be of interest -

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and-research/publications/publication/?publicationId=179c1909-3679-4486-9583-a59100fa98c1

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and-research/publications/publication/?publicationId=47c9f2eb-1ade-4a76-a775-add0008972f3

Netexporter

To get any worthwhile insulation from a hemp plaster, it needs to be a very, very thick layer.

I'm aware of that. Other forms of breathable insulation also tend to be fairly thick, too.

NewYorkNo1fan

Galileo_Figaro said:

I just waited a month to hear back from Octopus and they said they don't do solid wall insulation. Does anyone know of any companies who do please?

Try the trustmark website for businesses in your area as companies have to be trustmark registered.
many schemes only offer ECO4 for people on certain benefits and not the GBIS.

Good luck