By having loft insulation installed correctly you should pay off the cost of insulation again and again by making savings through your heating bills. According to the Energy Saving Trust, you should be seeing savings on bills of around £150 annually after having loft insulation installed.

Installing the loft insulation yourself may appear to be the cheapest option; however you should consider the cost of the materials to do this. In most cases it will work out cheaper to employ a professional to install the insulation. This will cost around £400, but with loft insulation grants available to anyone on request you can see this price halved. And if you qualify for a a 100 per cent loft insulation grant it won’t cost you a penny.

The loft insulation grant scheme is part of the government’s three-year Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) launched in 2009 which is a measure to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and increase energy efficiency.

Loft insulating guarantees the prevention of heat loss from your home, reducing the need to have your heating on for longer periods thus reducing the cost of your bills and also your carbon dioxide output.

Insulation grants were arranged by EnergyLink in conjunction with major utility companies including British Gas, NPower, EDF, E.ON, Scottish Power and Scottish & Southern Energy, to meet targets to reduce carbon emissions by paying for insulation in domestic properties.

Do I qualify for a grant?

The insulation grant scheme contributes towards the costs estimated for people insulating their houses. These grants are available to everyone to cover partial costs or the full cost of insulating your loft or cavity wall insulation. Any property in the UK can apply for a grant and the amount of the grant is determined following application and assessment of the property.

Partial grants range from 50% to 70% and those aged 70 above or received allowances like Council Tax Credit or Housing Benefit and Income Support can qualify for a free insulation grant.

There are numerous nationwide installers of loft insulation as well as local specialists, too.

High-street names including Tesco, B&Q and Marks & Spencer offer insulation and fitting and there are numerous nationwide specialist providers of insulation installation.

Specialists who work across the whole of the UK include EAGA, ENACT Energy Management, Miller Pattison, Nationwide Energy Services, Loft Lagger and Solutions 4 Energy to name a few.

And energy suppliers like N-Power, EON, EDF Energy and Scottish Power also offer services.