Energy Performance Certificate Check
If you have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), you can check to see what type of walls you have. If they are cavity walls, the EPC can tell you if they have been previously filled. You can also see whether your property has a loft and whether it has been insulated.
You may have an EPC if you have recently bought your property. Landlords are also required to have an EPC before renting out their property. If you do not have an EPC, you can search online:
Note that the relevant information is contained within the “Summary of the home’s energy performance related features” and also in the recommended measures section.
Wall Insulation
The Energy Perfomance Certificate should tell you what type of walls your property has. It will typically state whether they are of Cavity or Solid construction. If the walls are Cavity, you will need to apply for Cavity Wall Insulation and if they are Solid Walls, you should select Internal or External Wall Insulation.
If your property is brick-built, you can also tell whether it is Cavity Wall or Solid Wall by looking at the brick pattern. Cavity Walls will have no square brick-ends.
Brick-built Cavity Walls will normally be at least 10 inches thick, whereas solid walls will be under 10 inches. You can measure this near window or door openings.
The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) may also state that the property is timber or steel framed, in which case Internal or External Wall Insulation will be applicable. It can also show two different types of wall which often happens where there is an extension or conservatory. Note that the grants are only for the main property. If it is an extension, it must be at least 60% of the overall size in order to qualify for funding.
Filled Cavity Walls
If the property has Cavity Walls, the EPC may state “filled cavity” which means the walls have already been insulated. It is not possible to have cavity walls re-insulated or topped up with a grant so please do not apply.
If the EPC has “assumed” next to the cavity, this means that the walls could not be inspected but the Assessor has made a judgement based on the age and type of property. This is common on modern properties that were/should have been insulated at the time of construction. In these circumstances, it is not worth applying unless you have seen into the cavity so you know for certain that the walls have not been insulated, or your neighbours have had the work done.
Loft/Roof Insulation
The EPC will normally indicate whether the roof is flat or pitched. Unfortunately, we cannot assist with grants for flat roof insulation.
If the EPC shows the roof as being pitched, it will also indicate whether or not it has been insulated. If there is under 100mm on the floor of the loft, our Installers can assist with a top-up. Note that if sloping roof insulation is recommended, you will need to select ‘Pitched Roof Insulation’.
Find your EPC: England & Wales (postcode search), Scotland (postcode search).
EPC Examples
The following examples show the EPC performance summary which indicates the type of wall and roof/loft construction and whether or not they have been insulated.
A property with fully insulated Walls and Loft:
A main property with an extension that both have filled cavity walls. The extension has a flat roof with some insulation but this cannot be added to under the grant scheme. The loft only has 75mm on the floor so our Installers could top it up:
A solid, brick-built property that could benefit from Internal or External Wall Insulation. The loft only has 50mm of insulation which could also be topped up:
A property with no Cavity Wall Insulation and a fully insulated Loft:
