External Wall Insulation Grants in Wales

External Wall Insulation (EWI) is also known as Solid Wall Insulation (SWI).

It is an “Insulation System” that is applied to the outside of the outside walls of a property.

EWI is not a new product, in fact a BBA certificate was first issued in 1987. So it has been well tested for the past 35 years.

Local Authorities have used it extensively to improve the energy efficiency and the appearance of their housing stock.

External Wall Insulation is referred to as a “system” because it consists of a number of layers, as you can see in the photograph above.

The first layer is the “Insulation Layer”. This is a layer of insulation boards which are fixed to the wall normally using self-tapping screws.

There are 3 types of board – Polystyrene, Mineral Wool and Phenolic, which help to prevent heat loss through the walls.

The second layer is the “Primer” Layer“. The primer layer is a waterproof coat that helps prevent water penetrating into the system. Some primers also have some insulating properties.

The third layer is the “Glass Fibre Mesh Layer”. This is a layer of Glass Fibre Mesh placed over the primer to keep it in place whilst it dries. Once dry a further coat of primer is applied.

The fourth and final layer is the “Finish Layer”. The finish layer is a coat of render which could be finished off in 100’s of different combinations.

Smooth finishes in 300 different colours. Textured finishes with dozens of different dash finishes.

There are a number of different proprietary systems. Three of the major players are Wetherby, Weber and SPSenvirowall.

Speak to one of our expert advisors on 0800 8 10 10 60 or Complete our Enquiry Form

Reducing your Fuel Bills.

Fuels bills are increasing by 50% every 6 months. OFGEM predict that the average annual fuel bill will exceed £2,800 in October 2022.

External Wall Insulation can significantly reduce those bills.

On average 35% of the heat loss from a property is through the walls. Solid wall insulation can reduce that by up to 80%.

Solid Wall Insulation could save you in excess of £500 per year.

Your home will retain its heat much longer, which means that the boiler will be firing up much less, which means your fuel bills will be significantly lower.

Reducing Condensation.

Condensation occurs when moisture in the air in a house, comes in contact with a cold surface – such as an external wall. When the external walls have been insulated the inside surface of the walls are warmer, and should therefore not attract condensation.

Kerb Appeal.

Solid Wall Insulation can considerably improve the appearance of your home. And therefore, potentially increase it’s value and saleability. The UK Government published this report in 2019 with regards to this.

Protects the property.

Because of the layers that exist with the “EWI system”, it not only insulates the wall, it also protects it.

The “final layer” is a coat of render. The render helps to prevent rain penetration.

It also helps to prevent bricks spalling as shown in the photographs above. “Spalling” occurs when moisture seeps into a brick and then goes through the freeze/thaw cycle.

Over time this water damage causes the spalling bricks to crumble or flake, which could increase the likelihood of penetrating damp occurring.

Carbon Emissions

Insulating an average 3 bed semi detached house would save about 1.8 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Rating.

An EPC rating is the measure of a property’s energy efficiency. Depending on a number of other factors, external wall insulation would improve the EPC rating by 7 to 15 points. That is a significant increase.

Space Saving.

Solid walls can be insulated either externally (external wall insulation) or internally (internal wall insulation).

Internal Wall Insulation (IWI) is cheaper than external, but it’s still not cheap. It’s about 35% cheaper than external insulation.

Internal wall insulation can also be very disruptive. Basically, IWI involves insulation boards being applied to the external walls, but inside the house. This can have an impact on electricity sockets, radiators and coving, decoration etc.

It will also lose 100mm (4 inches) off each wall. This loss of space could have a considerable effect upon household furniture and fittings etc.

Speak to one of our expert advisors on 0800 8 10 10 60 or Complete our Enquiry Form

It is not cheap!

It is priced by the square metre. An average 3 bed semi detached house would have about 100m² of solid external wall. At an average price of £120/m² , it would cost £12,000.

In comparison, that average 3 bed semi detached house, but with cavity walls, would cost about £1,300 to insulate the cavities. Solid Wall insulation is more that 9 times the price than cavity wall insulation.

It would take about 3 hours to insulate the cavity walls of that average 3 bed semi detached house, but it could easily take 2 weeks for external wall insulation. So, in the time that it takes to insulate 1 house with external wall insulation, you could have filled the cavities in more than 25 houses.

Cavity Walls are insulated off a ladder, but solid walls need to be insulated off scaffolding. Scaffolding can be costly, and it is impossible to say exactly how long the scaffolding will be needed for, because the time it takes to complete the job is very dependant on the weather. There is not a lot that can be done if it’s raining.

These are just a couple of reasons why solid wall insulation is so expensive.

Speak to one of our expert advisors on 0800 8 10 10 60 or Complete our Enquiry Form

There are solid wall insulation grants Wales.

Both you and your home have to qualify for a grant. The full details of qualification are found on our “Do I qualify for a grant” page. You can still qualify for a grant even if you are not receiving Government benefits. This would be through the “LA Flex” route. This flowchart might help explain how Eco4 will work.

The new Eco 4 grant scheme in Wales is based on improving the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating. It is also based on “a whole house” approach, we would not just be looking at solid wall insulation.

An initial assessment would be carried out, and we would let you know exactly what could be done under the Eco 4 grant scheme.

All work done under the Eco 4 grant scheme comes with an insurance backed guarantee. With solid wall insulation grants the guarantee is issued by SWIGA (Solid Wall Insulation Guarantee Authority), and it is a 25 year guarantee.