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The first step to going green for many people is their home. Insulation is one of the most efficient ways to save energy and cost as it keeps the house warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

The Energy Saving Trust estimates that in one year a typical three-bedroom semi-detached house can save up to £310 on energy bills by only installing loft and cavity wall insulation. There are many methods to consider when going green such as solar panels, solar water heating, heat pumps, window insulation or floor insulation for example. 

Around 22% of the UK’s carbon emissions come from our homes, as a result. Non-domestic buildings are responsible for 9% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions every year with many buildings seeking improvements on insulation and guidance on what they should be doing. 

According to CDP data, you may be able to make the money you spend back in as little as a year, and on average most companies see payback in 4 year.

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Home Insulation is a way to be energy efficient, reduce noise pollution and save costs in the long term. Insulation will help you keep the temperature of your house inside instead of leaking through your walls, roof or windows.

A well-insulated home will be very energy efficient and will need very little additional heating. Insulation is often seen as a long term investment as you pay a cost upfront for the work and you regain ongoing savings through reduced energy costs every year going forward.

A homeowners main concern will typically be the walls as they will be losing 30% to 40% of the heat through there. Next is the roof which accounts for around 25% of heat loss. Window and doors with approximately around 20% and finally the floor around 15%. Roof Installation tends to be the cheapest to install out of the options.

The potential for further sell-on of services especially when refurbishing a house can result in additional income for your business and a service you can push to help people become more eco-friendly.

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1. Wall insulation

Wall insulation is a service you should be pushing as an add-on service as many homeowners don’t realise that 30% to 40% of the house heat leaks through the walls. The first thing need to do is to find out what type of wall they have:

• Solid wall

If the house has solid walls, the bricks will have an alternating pattern. There could be some bricks laid across the wall so you can see the smaller ends from the outside.

• Cavity wall

If the house has cavity walls, the bricks will usually have an even pattern with all the bricks laid lengthways.

If the brickwork has been covered, another way you can tell is by measuring the width of the wall. If the brick wall is more than 260mm thick then it is probably a cavity wall. If it is narrower then it is probably a solid wall.

A stone wall may be thicker but are usually solid. If you are doing work on a non-traditional house such as concrete, steel or timber-framed building, you will need to be a specialist installer.

Typical costs you can charge for installation of insulation on a three-bedroom house is:

External wall insulation is around £10,000.

Internal wall insulation is around £8,200.

Savings can be found if other home refurbishment work is going on, that’s why it is essential if you are a home renovator to offer extra services such as insulation.

For the homeowner savings of up to £390 in energy costs can be gained every year plus saving up to 2050kg/CO2 (carbon dioxide) per year

2. Roof insulation

The second most common for heat wastage is through the roof with up to 25% being lost. When it comes to roof insulation the cost to install is much cheaper compared to wall insulation and nearly just as effective. 

The average cost for a 3 bedroom house is around £1200 however the price can change depending on if the old insulation needs to be removed or if the loft is boarded. There will be things to consider such as if it is a damp roof, warm roof, ventilation, accessibility or if it is a flat roof.

The savings as a result of loft insulation can be up to £315 resulting in a much quicker return on investment plus saving up to 1310kgCO2 (carbon dioxide) per year.

3. Window and door insulation

Window and door replacement/insulation can be quite expensive to have done however its one of the most common insulation homeowners get done! If you are doing work for a customer, it is quite easy to outsource the whole job to a glazing specialist saving you the hassle.

Window energy efficiency is based on an energy-rating scale from A++ to E. The entire window including the frame and the glass is assessed for heat loss, solar gain and draughts giving a rating of the overall impact of fitting that window.

The British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC) runs the energy rating scheme. 

4. Floor insulation

Floor insulation can be a nice luxury to have and the cost is very dependent on the way the house was built. The more modern the house generally it is cheaper to install underfloor heating however with older houses there can be more complications.

For a normal insulation, you are looking at insulation costs of around £1,500 - £5,000 depending on the size and complexity of the job

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If you are looking to make a start in insulation, we recommend of being part of at least one of the following organisations for wall insulation:

Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA)

National Insulation Association (NIA)

British Board of Agrément (BBA)

Something to be aware of is, the installation of insulation should be covered by a 25-year guarantee which is offered by:

If Solid walls there is the ​​SWIGA guarantee scheme.

For Cavity walls, there is the CIGA guarantee

You could also use a private insurance scheme to offer such a guarantee.

If you are looking to offer roofing insulation the National Insulation Association (NIA) is the leading association in the UK.

For Double Glazing ​​take a look at the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF). The GGF promotes best practices and helps shape the highest technical and health & safety standards. The Federation is also the industry’s main voice in local and national politics influencing policy and legislation.

If you are an installer who is not registered with one of these schemes, you will need to apply for building control approval before the installation of windows. You will need to go to the planning portal to find out how to apply for building control approval.

If you are looking to get into Floor Insulation, the National Insulation Association will also be a good fit again.

This article was produced on behalf of Saint EcoConstruct. Register to today to start your corporate social responsibility and represent your brand as a Saint EcoConstruct Patron. Completely free of charge.