Improving your home’s efficiency - a simple approach

You do not need to do everything at once.

A practical approach is:

1. Understand your property and EPC rating

2. Identify where heat is being lost

3. Check what schemes or funding apply

4. Apply through the correct route

5. Improve gradually as opportunities become available

Small changes still make a meaningful difference.

Where homes typically lose heat

Roofs and lofts - warm air rises and escapes easily

Many insulation measures are delivered through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), which requires energy suppliers to fund improvement in eligbile hones.

Health and comfort impacts

Energy efficiency is not just about the money you can save.

Poorly insulated or inefficient homes are linked to:

• Cold indoor temperatures

• Damp and condensation

• Respiratory and circulatory health issues

• Increased strain on vulnerable households

  Improving efficiency helps create warmer, more stable and healthier living conditions.

Energy efficiency and support schemes

Many UK support schemes focus on improving the efficiency of homes rather than providing direct bill payments. The UK government sets out national energy efficiancy schemes, including insulation and heating support, through its official guidance.

These schemes exist because reducing heat loss and improving heating systems lowers long-term energy costs and reduces fuel poverty.

What support energy efficiency schemes provide

Energy efficiency schemes typically fund or part-fund:

• Insulation improvements
  (loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, and in some cases solid wall insulation)

  UK Government – Energy Efficiency Schemes

  This is the official overview of national schemes including ECO, and links to claim or find installers:

  https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency

• Heating system improvements
  (such as boiler upgrades, heating controls, or low-carbon heating where appropriate)

• Energy efficiency measures linked to health or vulnerability
  (where cold or damp homes affect health outcomes)

• Local authority–led home improvement programmes
  (targeted at inefficient housing stock within specific council areas)

These measures are provided as physical improvements to the home, not cash payments.

How eligibility is determined

Eligibility for energy efficiency support is based on defined criteria, not discretion.

Most schemes assess eligibility using a combination of:

• Property energy efficiency
  EPC rating, usually prioritising homes rated D, E, F or G

• Household circumstances
  Income level, means-tested benefits, or health vulnerability

• Property type and construction
  Age of the building, wall type, heating system, and insulation status

• Location
  Local authority priorities and regional scheme funding

What this means in practice

• Energy efficiency support is rules-based

• Funding is targeted at inefficient homes

• Support is delivered through improvements, not bill credits

• Availability varies by property and location, not guesswork

This is why EPC ratings and property details play such a central role in grant and scheme eligibility.