Free Air Source Heat Pump Grant and Energy Bill Support*

The insulation scheme is now closed to new applications. If you applied before 31 October 2024, your application and any qualifying installation will still be processed. For any questions regarding your existing application, please contact us on 0800 107 8576 or email insulation@connectedforwarmth.org.uk.

Yes, your loft will need to be empty of items and the majority of the boarding will need to be removed in order for a property assessment to take place. Assuming the property is suitable for loft insulation, then everything will need to be removed again to allow for the full amount of insulation to be placed. If you have any concerns about this, please speak to your surveyor or installer. Once the insulation has been installed it is not advisable to place items directly on top of the insulation, as squashing it will reduce its effectiveness and could put undesirable pressure on the ceilings. If you want to store items in the loft you could consider fitting struts to form a storage platform above the insulation.

Today’s building regulations require loft insulation to be around 11 inches (270mm) thick. Many older properties may have a smaller amount of insulation already installed but by today’s standard, this may not be sufficient. If your existing loft insulation is less than 7.5 inches (200mm) thick, then the Connected for Warmth programme can help to top it up to the required level. Alternatively, you may still be eligible for cavity wall insulation even if your loft is fully insulated. You do not need to be eligible for both cavity wall and loft insulation to benefit from this programme.

No, cavity wall insulation will have no impact on the appearance of your internal walls.

No, quite the opposite – properly installed insulation will improve the energy efficiency of your home and studies have shown that this will increase its value.

Spray foam insulation is not one of the measures offered by Connected for Warmth. There are advantages and disadvantages to the use of such insulation and every property and situation is different, but it isn’t required to effectively insulate cavity walls and lofts.

Insulation can cause damp and other issues if it is not properly installed. The contractors that are part of the Connected for Warmth programme operate to the Government’s stringent Trustmark standards, and offer guarantees that cover the quality of the workmanship. Damp may also be a concern if a property is not properly ventilated. You can read about ventilation and the difference between controlled and uncontrolled ventilation on the Energy Saving Trust website.

No, cavity wall insulation only requires minimal intervention, and the holes made to fill the cavity will be made good.

Yes.

The installation processes for loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, heating controls and small energy saving measures are all relatively unobtrusive and will be completed in a matter of a few hours. To make a property safe for the work to take place may take longer – for example if a loft has to be cleared. This will generally be the responsibility of the householder but the installation company may be able to assist in certain circumstances – please ask your surveyor for more information.

A property assessment involves a qualified property assessor checking whether your property is suitable for having insulation installed. If you have a loft, the assessor will need access to the loft space to check what insulation (if any) already exists and how much space there is to install new insulation. If you have cavity walls, the assessor will need to drill a couple of holes into your wall to check the size of the cavities and whether or not any insulation has been installed before. The assessor will also need to take photos of both the inside and outside of your property.

Yes. The property assessment can take up to two hours to complete and will require access to both the outside and inside of your property. We will give you a ring before arranging the property assessment to ensure the date and time chosen is convenient for you.

There will be some noise, especially for the cavity wall insulation which will require small holes to be drilled into your wall in order to fill the cavity wall with insulation.

Details of your warranty cover will be provided by your installer following your installation and will depend on the measure(s) installed.

If you have any questions about your property assessment, please email us at insulation@connectedforwarmth.org.uk or call us on 0800 107 8576.

Your assigned installer will be able to answer any questions you have about your installation. Your installer’s contact details will have been provided by email confirming that your property has been deemed eligible for an installation.

Your assigned installer will be able to provide you with more information about the measures available and will also provide you with a factsheet related to the measure(s) you are interested in. You can also find further information on independent websites such as the Energy Saving Trust: https://energysavingtrust.org.uk

All our chosen installers are registered with Trustmark, a government-endorsed organisation focused on ensuring quality installations in your home. Our work will be carried out in line with Trustmark’s Licence Plus scheme, which ensures property assessments and installations are undertaken by trained professionals and to all relevant quality standards. For more information on Trustmark, visit their website: www.trustmark.org.uk

The contract for the work will be between the homeowner and your assigned installer, who will be chosen based on the location of your property.

You don’t need to pay anything. The programme is being fully funded by National Grid and does not require any contribution from homeowners or landlords.

The homeowner of the property will own the measure(s) once installed. For private rental properties, the ownership will be with the landlord.

The homeowner or private rental landlord will be responsible for any future maintenance responsibilities / costs once the measure(s) has been installed. Details of your warranty cover will be provided by your installer following your installation.

If you own the freehold of the property then it is unlikely that you will need any permission to have these works installed for you. The exception would be if you live in a listed building or in a conservation area. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to check if any special permissions are required for such buildings – please see the Historic England website for more information. If you are a leaseholder then it will be your responsibility to confirm that you are able to authorise works proceeding. If you are a landlord then you must have the permission of your tenant as we will need access to the inside of the property for the property assessment and installation. We will contact your tenant using the contact details that you have supplied as part of your application.

The funding for Connected for Warmth comes from the Warm Homes Fund – a £160 million fund established by National Grid and administered by Affordable Warmth Solutions.

Heat pumps should have a regular annual service to keep them operating safely and effectively, just like any other heating system. The good news is that a properly installed heat pump is inherently reliable and should give you many years of low cost, low maintenance heating. If you are eligible and have a heat pump installed, in the unlikely event that your heat pump has a problem in the first 12 months after its installation, our dedicated support team will be on hand to offer advice and arrange a callout as appropriate. In order to ensure the best experience, the Connected for Warmth programme will provide the first annual service free of charge. All you will need to do is contact our service provider on the freephone number or website details on your heat pump, and they will arrange for an engineer to visit. After this, as long as you continue to arrange and pay for an annual service your heat pump and central heating system will have a 7 year guarantee. We can offer a competitive servicing package – please see www.altoenergy.co.uk for details.

Here's a step-by-step guide: The air source heat pump uses a small amount of electricity to take heat from the air. This heat is transferred to the water in your home. Stored hot water can be used for showers, bath, and taps. It will also be sent around to warm your radiators.

A standard heat pump doesn’t provide hot water on demand like a combi boiler, so you will need a way of storing hot water for when you need it. This is stored in a water cylinder and you will need an area inside the property for this. The cylinder may be vertical or horizontal , and the size of hot water cylinder required will depend on the amount of hot water that your household typically uses, but the cylinder can usually be fitted inside a cupboard, or in a loft space. Your installer will be able to advise how large the area will need to be. The new hot water cylinder will deliver pressurised hot water to your taps. The temperature on your hot water cylinder will be set to approximately 50°C to ensure system efficiencies are maintained.

Yes, installing a heat pump can help reduce your heating bills. While the system uses electricity to run, it’s highly efficient. For every 1 kilowatt (kW) of electricity a heat pump uses, it can deliver 3 to 4 kW of heat, meaning less energy is needed to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home. However, the actual savings depend on several factors, such as: What fuel you're replacing & how much it costs Your electricity tariff The efficiency of the heat pump Your heating system's design Your location's climate. It's also generally more cost-effective to use a single meter for your electricity tariff, so you may want to discuss this with your energy provider.

This can vary depending on the nature and age of the property and how well the property is insulated. There a number of stages which include: An on-site assessment of your property, to establish if a heat pump is technically feasible and will be able to provide efficient heat and whether any insulation measures are required at the property. This will then go through to a technical team to design the heating system for your property. The installer will need to have an on-site visit to fully explain the proposal to you, as a ‘Walk Through’ of what would take place in the property. If you would like to progress, they will need you to sign to accept the proposed works. The installer will agree installation dates with you. There are likely to be a couple of teams involved on-site. Once the installation has taken place a heat pump engineer will review the work to sign off the official paperwork.

Some things to note include: Pipework will be laid to create minimum disruption; however, this will not generally be encased. You can ask your installer separately about options for this; however ,this is not included as part of the schemes. Radiators may need to be larger than existing radiator systems. Installers will not be responsible for removing any carpets or floor coverings if required, and whilst they will ensure minor cosmetic work is completed on walls, for example filling in holes where old radiators were held on walls, they will not be responsible for decorating areas where radiators have been removed.This will all be made clear to you by the installer.

All mechanical equipment carries a risk of breakdown, so your heat pumps should have a regular annual service to keep them operating safely and effectively, just like any other heating system. The good news is that a properly installed heat pump is inherently reliable and should give you many years of low cost, low maintenance heating. You will be provided with warranty documentation after the completion of works, and the installer can also provide guidance about servicing the system.

Heat pumps will always save significant amounts of carbon dioxide emissions. With an ever-increasing amount of electricity coming from renewable sources like wind and solar power, heat pumps are an increasingly clean form of heating. Heat pumps will typically save over 50-70% on carbon dioxide emissions compared to electric heating, and around 80% compared to gas and oil heating.