10 Downing Street, London, SW1A 2AA

Improvement Plan

Two fixes, then Full Pass.

A heat pump fits this home once the loft and walls are sorted. Order matters. Cheap fabric upgrades before expensive ones, the cylinder before the install.

Section 1

Current state of the home.

What we know about the property.

Property
Semi-detached · 1930–1969
Floor area
95 m²
Walls
Cavity walls (uninsulated)
Loft
Loft not insulated
Heating
Mains gas
Hot water
Hot-water cylinder

Uninsulated loft.

The loft has no insulation, or only a thin layer (less than ~100mm).

The cheapest fabric improvement most homes can make. 270mm of mineral wool cuts roughly a quarter of total heat loss for a few hundred pounds.

Typical cost range

£400–£1,200

Grants and schemes

  • ECO4

    You may qualify on a low-income benefit (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support and others) or via a council referral. The home needs to be EPC band D–G.

    Funded until 31 December 2026. A successor scheme under the Warm Homes Plan is expected from January 2027.

    Check eligibility on the official portal

  • Warm Homes: Local Grant

    You may qualify if you privately own (or rent) the home, the EPC is D–G, and household income is roughly £36,000 or less. Higher earners can still qualify in designated postcodes.

    Council-by-council allocation. Not every council has opted in. The portal forwards you to your council if a pot exists.

    Check eligibility on the official portal

What to watch for

DIY-able if the loft is accessible. Worth a pro install if there's wiring, downlights, or boarding to work around.

Uninsulated cavity walls.

Cavity walls (most homes built since the 1930s) where the cavity has not been filled with insulation.

One of the cheapest fabric upgrades available. The install takes a day and lifts heat-pump efficiency noticeably.

Typical cost range

£1,000–£3,500

Grants and schemes. Same schemes as the uninsulated loft section above. ECO4, Warm Homes: Local Grant.

What to watch for

A pre-install survey (CIGA-registered) confirms the cavity is suitable. Wet or exposed walls and non-standard construction can disqualify.

Tariff-sensitive running costs.

At today's gas prices and the Ofgem-cap electricity rate, a heat pump can cost about the same to run as gas heating.

This isn't a one-time fix. It's a number that flips with the tariff. As gas prices rise, or you switch to a smart tariff like Cosy, the maths flips.

Path forward

Loft and walls together get you to a Full Pass.

Doing both, loft insulation and the wall upgrade, flips this home to a Full Pass in our model. Loft comes first because it's the cheaper of the two. The walls follow.

As things stand

Conditional Pass

Almost ready.

With loft sorted

Conditional Pass

Almost ready.

Loft & walls sorted

Full Pass

Ready for a heat pump.

Keep me informed

We'll watch the grants and rules for you.

Drop your email. When a grant opens for your loft and your cavity walls, when the BUS grant changes, or when it's worth getting a fresh EPC, we'll tell you. No marketing beyond that. Unsubscribe anytime.