Insulation - Rated People Blog https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/category/by-trade/insulation Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:11:49 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 https://rp-prod-wordpress-b-content.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/2024/03/13103743/cropped-ratedpeople_icon-32x32.jpeg Insulation - Rated People Blog https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/category/by-trade/insulation 32 32 Which insulation method is right for my pitched roof? https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/which-insulation-method-is-right-for-my-pitched-roof https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/which-insulation-method-is-right-for-my-pitched-roof#respond Thu, 27 Nov 2025 13:52:55 +0000 https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/?p=48944

If you are planning a loft conversion, renovating an old attic space, or simply want to stop throwing money out of the roof, insulating your pitched roof is a game-changer. The right insulation method doesn’t just save energy; it transforms a dusty, unused attic into a comfortable, valuable living space. However, navigating the terms and …

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If you are planning a loft conversion, renovating an old attic space, or simply want to stop throwing money out of the roof, insulating your pitched roof is a game-changer. The right insulation method doesn’t just save energy; it transforms a dusty, unused attic into a comfortable, valuable living space. However, navigating the terms and knowing where the insulation should actually go can feel daunting.

We’re here to make things simple and give you the knowledge to confidently discuss your project with a knowledgeable tradesperson. Choosing the correct approach is essential for meeting UK Building Regulations and, crucially, avoiding common pitfalls like condensation.

Understanding the two main pitched roof approaches

When insulating a pitched roof, there are two primary methods, and the one you choose depends entirely on how you intend to use the space below.

1. The cold roof method (Insulating the loft floor)

This is the most common and simplest method, typically used when the loft space itself is not going to be used as a heated, habitable room.

  • Where the insulation goes: Horizontal, between the joists on the loft floor.
  • Insulation types: Usually mineral wool (rolls of fibreglass or rock wool).
  • The ‘cold’ factor: The space above the insulation (the loft) is unheated, meaning it remains cold and is designed to be ventilated to the outside, preventing condensation.
  • Best for: Homes keeping their loft as a storage space or those not needing a habitable room. 

2. The warm roof method (Insulating the roof slope)

This method is used when the loft space is going to be part of the main house (like a bedroom or office).

  • Where the insulation goes: Vertical, between and/or underneath the roof rafters.
  • Insulation types: Requires high-performance materials like PIR insulation for rafters (Polyisocyanurate), which offers a much better U-value for a given thickness.
  • The ‘warm’ factor: The roof structure itself is kept warm, eliminating the need for constant cross-ventilation in the loft space, thus forming a continuous thermal envelope with the rest of the house.
  • Best for: Loft conversions, rooms with vaulted ceilings, and when maximizing head height is a priority.

Diving deeper: The warm roof system explained

For most high-end conversions or new build extensions, the warm roof construction is the preferred option due to its superior thermal performance and space efficiency.

Warm Roof Construction OptionsDescriptionKey Benefit
Insulation Between and Under RaftersA mix of rigid insulation (PIR board) fitted tightly between the rafters, with a second layer fitted under the rafters.Excellent thermal performance, usually achieving the required Building Regulation U-values.
Fully Insulated Over RaftersThe insulation is laid completely over the rafters (a continuous layer), then the roofing battens and outer layers are fixed above it.Minimizes ‘thermal bridging’ (heat escaping through the wooden rafters), offering the highest efficiency. Best for new builds or full re-roofs.
Insulated Conservatory Roof PanelsFor retrofitting vaulted conservatory roofs, bespoke, lightweight panels containing high-density insulation are often fitted internally.Offers a quick way to convert a ‘too hot in summer, too cold in winter’ conservatory into a year-round room.

Crucial building regulation alert: Controlling condensation

The biggest risk in roof insulation is interstitial condensation—moisture trapped within the roof structure. This can lead to rot in the timbers and structural failure.

To be compliant with Building Control, two elements are essential:

  1. Vapour Control Layer (VCL): This airtight membrane is placed on the warm side of the insulation (i.e., underneath it, on the inside face of the room). Its job is to stop warm, moist air from the house (from showers, cooking, breathing) from penetrating the roof structure and meeting the cold air.
  2. Ventilation Gap: In a traditional ‘cold’ roof or certain warm roof designs, a clear air gap must be maintained between the insulation and the roof underlay (the membrane beneath the tiles). This gap allows any residual moisture to escape to the outside via eaves or ridge vents.

A knowledgeable roofer will understand the exact thickness of insulation required in your region to meet the latest Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Power) of the UK Building Regulations, which sets the required U-values.

PIR insulation for rafters: A top-tier choice

If you are looking for the best performance in a tight space, PIR insulation is often the answer. PIR boards (like Celotex or Kingspan) have excellent thermal conductivity, meaning you need a thinner board to achieve the same insulation value as you would with much thicker mineral wool.

When installing PIR between rafters, the insulation installer must ensure the boards are cut precisely to eliminate any gaps—gaps the size of your finger can compromise the performance of the entire roof. This precision is where the skill of a quality tradesperson truly pays off.

Ready to transform your loft space?

To ensure your insulation job adheres to all UK Building Regulations and is completed with the necessary precision—especially when installing PIR insulation or dealing with a complex vaulted ceiling—hiring a qualified professional is the smart choice. Rated People connects you with knowledgeable, understanding, and reliable tradespeople, giving you the peace of mind that your home improvement project is in the hands of the right people.

With Rated People, you have the power to get it done. Find a trusted, local tradesperson today.

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How much does loft insulation cost in 2025? https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/how-much-does-loft-insulation-cost https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/how-much-does-loft-insulation-cost#respond Thu, 16 Mar 2023 16:26:11 +0000 https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/?p=43973

The prices in this guide are accurate, as of 2025* Average cost to install loft insulation Properly insulating your loft can make your home more energy efficient, helping you cut your heating bills. Insulation pays you back in the long run and is relatively cheap to install. It’s no surprise that adding insulation is one …

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The prices in this guide are accurate, as of 2025*

Illustration of a loft with different types of loft insulation costs labelled on it
Average cost to install loft insulation

Properly insulating your loft can make your home more energy efficient, helping you cut your heating bills. Insulation pays you back in the long run and is relatively cheap to install. It’s no surprise that adding insulation is one of the most popular eco home improvements, as it can also add value to your home

If you’re trying to save money (and keep your house as warm as possible) then the right insulation can do both these things. If you’re converting your loft, or building an extension, then proper loft insulation is also a building regulation.  

On average, your loft insulation could cost you between £960 and £2,400, depending on how big your loft is. For a more accurate quote on how much you might spend on loft insulation, find a local insulation specialist.

This guide covers a range of loft insulation methods for several different properties, as well as other considerations you might want to make. There are also some useful tips if you want to DIY your loft insulation. 

The standard thickness recommended by the government for loft insulation is 270mm. Cost of labour also rises in London and the South East. The prices in this guide include the cost of materials and installation. They also include VAT.

Picture of a loft with insulation

Conclusions

A properly insulated loft can considerably reduce your energy bills, helping to make your home more eco-friendly by lowering your carbon footprint as well. 

How much you end up spending will depend on the type of insulation you decide to get, and where you live in the UK, as cost of labour rises in London and the South East. The size of your loft will also impact on costs.

To get a more accurate sense of how much you could pay for loft insulation, we recommend you ask for multiple quotes before you settle on a price. You can hire a skilled insulator here.

FIND A LOFT INSULATION SPECIALIST

*The Rated People cost guides are produced in collaboration with the quote-building platform PriceBuilder, and a range of tradespeople across the 30+ trades on our platform were consulted. Please note that the prices included are for guidance only – how much you end up spending will depend on the specific requirements of your project.

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How much does cavity wall insulation cost in 2025? https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/how-much-does-cavity-wall-insulation-cost-in-2025 https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/how-much-does-cavity-wall-insulation-cost-in-2025#respond Wed, 01 Mar 2023 16:43:17 +0000 https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/?p=43570

The prices in this guide are accurate, as of 2025* Cost of cavity wall insulation on different properties If you’re looking to make your home as energy efficient as possible, one of the best things you can do is properly insulate the walls of your home.  Cavity wall insulation can stop heat from escaping through …

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The prices in this guide are accurate, as of 2025*

Illustration of a row of houses with cost of cavity wall insulation labelled on it
Cost of cavity wall insulation on different properties

If you’re looking to make your home as energy efficient as possible, one of the best things you can do is properly insulate the walls of your home. 

Cavity wall insulation can stop heat from escaping through your walls, which in turn can reduce your energy bills considerably. This is done by drilling holes into your cavity wall, and then injecting insulation inside. 

This type of insulation only works if you have cavity walls though. More modern homes tend to have solid walls or come with walls that have already been fitted with insulation. If your home was built between the 1920s and the 1980s, there is a good chance you have cavity walls. Another sign of cavity walls is uniform, lengthways fitted brickwork (alternating long and short side placed bricks are a sign of no cavity). 

You can have a survey carried out on your walls to make sure cavity wall insulation would be suitable. If you’re eligible, then adding insulation could help significantly reduce both your heating bills and your carbon footprint. It will also make your home warmer. 

Not to mention that cavity wall insulation is one of the top eco home improvements, adding an average of £11,764 to the value of your property. 

You could spend anywhere from £650 and £6,100 to get cavity wall insulation. Prices include labour and materials. Keep in mind that the cost of labour rises in London and the South East, sometimes by as much as 20% more, on average. Find an insulation specialist in your area to get a more accurate quote on how much you might spend on cavity wall insulation.

Picture of a wall with cavity wall insulation being installled

Conclusions

Picture of the outside of a home having cavity wall insulation installed to an extension

Cavity wall insulation is one of the most effective ways to stop heat escaping from your home, reducing your energy bills and carbon footprint. It’s no surprise that it’s currently a top eco home improvement, as properly insulated walls can add over £11,000 to the value of your home. 

Your insulator will be able to advise you on what type of insulation you should get, according to the age and layout of your home. How much you end up spending will mostly depend on the size of your property. 

For a more accurate quote on the total cost of adding cavity wall insulation to your home, let us know what you’re thinking, and get some free quotes today.

FIND A LOCAL CAVITY WALL INSULATION SPECIALIST

*The Rated People cost guides are produced in collaboration with the quote-building platform PriceBuilder, and a range of tradespeople across the 30+ trades on our platform were consulted. Please note that the prices included are for guidance only – how much you end up spending will depend on the specific requirements of your project.

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5 energy saving home improvements you should be considering now https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/5-energy-saving-home-improvements-you-should-be-considering-now https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/5-energy-saving-home-improvements-you-should-be-considering-now#respond Mon, 26 Sep 2022 08:07:00 +0000 https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/?p=43469

Over twenty-four million households are set to face an energy price cap of £3,549 this coming October. For someone with an average monthly income of £2,615 (after tax), this could mean spending 33 per cent of take-home pay just on energy next year. This huge rise in energy prices has led to considerable efforts from …

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Picture of a UK home with solar panels on the roof

Over twenty-four million households are set to face an energy price cap of £3,549 this coming October. For someone with an average monthly income of £2,615 (after tax), this could mean spending 33 per cent of take-home pay just on energy next year.

This huge rise in energy prices has led to considerable efforts from homeowners to add energy-saving improvements to their homes. In fact, according to our 2022 Trends Report, 52% of homeowners we surveyed said that saving money on bills was their main motivator for buying eco home improvements.

If you’re looking for ways to live more sustainably and lower your energy consumption, the below energy saving improvements are some of the most popular eco trends homeowners are having done this year.

1. Loft insulation

Picture of a tradesperson insulating a loft

An uninsulated home loses a quarter of its heat, just from the roof. It’s not surprising then that there was a 419% increase in demand for loft insulation last year, as it’s a cheap and highly effective energy saving home improvement.

In your lifetime, your insulated loft will pay you back many times for the cost of installation.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, turning your uninsulated loft into a 270mm insulated loft could save you up to £580 a year, depending on the type of home you have. It will also enable you to save thousands of kilograms in CO2 emissions, helping you to reduce your carbon footprint as well.

On average, a homeowner spends:

Detached house Semi-detached house Terraced home  Bungalow  
UK average cost of installation   £680   £530   £500   £690 
UK average energy bill savings (£/year)  £580  £255  £230  £365
Comparison of costs and yearly energy savings for loft insulation

In most cases, it takes under a day to install loft insulation. There are several types of insulation, that come in a range of prices. If you’re interested in getting your loft insulated, speak to some skilled insulators, and get some free quotes today.

FIND A LOFT INSULATOR

2. Cavity wall insulation

Picture of a tradesperson installing cavity wall insulation in a outer wall

Like loft insulation, cavity wall insulation is another top eco home improvement that saw a 352% increase in demand last year. Adding a layer of cavity wall insulation can help trap up to a third of your home’s heat, preventing it from escaping through your walls.

Within just a few years, cavity wall insulation will pay you back for the upfront cost of installation, helping to make your home cheaper to heat. You may also be eligible for a grant under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme. You can find out more on this here.

Detached house Semi-detached house FlatMid-terraced home  Bungalow  
UK average cost of installation  £600 – £800 £450 – £600 £300 – £400£350 – £450 £400 – £500 
UK average energy bill savings (£/year)  £480 £285 £145 £180 £195 
Comparison of costs and yearly energy savings for cavity wall insulation

Cavity wall insulation will make your home warmer, lower your energy bills, and your carbon footprint. It can also add an average of £11,764 to the value of your property!

Not all homes have cavity walls (the chances are higher if your home was built between the 1920’s and 1980’s). You can have a survey carried out to find out whether you are eligible for this kind of insulation.

It takes between one and four hours to insulate cavity walls. There are a huge range of cavity wall insulation types, from insulation boards to wool or mineral fibre to EPS or PUR.

If you’re interested in getting your walls insulated, get into contact with some specialist tradespeople, and request some free quotes today.

FIND A CAVITY WALL INSULATOR

3. Electric car charging point installation

Young woman entering house next to car plugged into charging point

Consumer demand for electric vehicles is greater than ever, with over 520,000 electric cars on the UK roads, as of July 2022.

This has also led to a demand increase of 404% for home charging points. Homeowners with electric vehicles who choose to have a car charging point installed in their home will also benefit from an average increase in home value of £11,538.

A home charging point can significantly lower your annual energy bill. This is because public station electric car chargers usually cost over double the amount your home charger does. Charging your car battery at home for 10,000 miles a year will cost you £523.18, whereas charging for the same amount at a public charge point will cost you £1,297.78, according to the Energy Saving Trust. 

This means that, within just a few years, your home charger could pay you back for the upfront cost of installation, which is of around £950 (for a 7kW charger).

Not to mention that home car chargers are incredibly convenient, allowing you to charge your car whenever you like, and to benefit from lower tariffs during the night. Keep in mind though that you need to have either a driveway or garage to have a home charger installed.

If you own an electric car, and are considering having your own car charger installed, you can request some free quotes here.

FIND AN ELECTRIC CAR POINT INSTALLER

4. Underfloor heating

Picture of a heating engineer installing wet water underfloor heating

Underfloor heating is an incredibly effective way of heating your home and does so in a far more eco-friendly way than other heating methods, like radiators. Substituting your radiators for a more efficient and low maintenance underfloor heating system will allow you to get rid of pesky cold spots and will free up your wall space, making your house seem bigger.

There are two kinds of underfloor heating (UDH), called wet UDH, and electric UDH. It costs between £1,350 and £1,850 to retrofit wet UDH in a 10 m2 room, whereas it costs between £600 and £850 to retrofit electric UDH in a 10 m2 room.

It currently costs around £161 a year to run wet UDH, and around £768 a year to run electric UDH in a 20 m2 room. To heat one 10 m2 room for four hours a day will cost you around £10.80 a month using electric UH. That’s around 10p per square metre, when run for six hours.

Wet systems are, on average, 25% more efficient than radiators, as they can perform at 50°C, rather than the 70°C – 90°C that radiators require. Though initially expensive to install, UDH does repay itself in the long run in energy savings, especially when paired with a renewable energy source.

It can take anywhere from one to five days to install underfloor heating. As well as saving you on annual energy bills, installing underfloor heating can add an average of £12,290 to the value of your property.

Underfloor heating is a top eco-trend and has seen a 27% rise (for wet systems) and 33% rise (for electric systems) in installations since last year. If you’re thinking of getting underfloor heating, let us know what you have in mind, and get some free quotes today.

5. Solar panels

Solar PV panels on rows of homes

Solar panels were a top ten eco improvement in 2022 and had a demand increase of 17% from last year, with over 60,000 homes installing solar panels in 2021. Though expensive to install, solar panels can add an average of £11,646 to the value of your home.

The advantages of solar energy are endless. Not only is it renewable and produces ‘clean’ energy, helping you do your bit for the planet, but solar panels are also very low maintenance. Looked after properly, they could last you upwards of 25 years without losing efficiency.  

The average cost of a 3kW PV solar panel system is of around £5,500 – £6,500, with more powerful models costing upwards of £8,000.

They can also help you save between £200 and £450 a year on electricity bills. Not to mention that you can also sell excess energy back to the grid (on average, £450 a year), making further money back on your investment.

Research has found that 66 per cent of all households that have invested in solar panels quickly begin to benefit from their presence, especially because they protect against future price hikes. Investing in solar power gives you independence and less reliance on the National Grid for electricity.

Investing in a solar battery storage will allow you to continue using energy after the sun has set. Check out our guide on solar panels, or request some free quotes today if you’re ready to upgrade to this renewable energy source.

FIND A SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATION SPECIALIST

Man holding a digital tablet with an image representing house efficiency rating.

Unfortunately, the cost of electricity is continuing to rise. Making your home as energy efficient as possible is one of the smartest things you can do to cut your energy bills and keep you and your loved ones warm this coming winter.

If you’re ready to get started, find a tradesperson in your area, and join the millions of homeowners who are also taking steps to live more sustainably this year.

FIND A LOCAL TRADESPERSON

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