The primary source of assistance for the insulation of solid walled homes in Great Britain is the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT), which requires energy suppliers to meet targets by encouraging households to take-up energy efficiency measures. The suppliers are free to decide how to meet their targets, and will tend to focus on the most cost-effective measures, such as loft and cavity wall insulation.
We recognise that the high up-front cost of solid wall insulation makes it difficult for suppliers to justify the investment when more cost-effective measures are available. We have therefore introduced specific incentives to help improve the financial viability of these measures, with a particular focus on solid-walled homes which are off the gas grid. Overall, suppliers installed around 40,000 solid wall measures from April 2005 to March 2008, mostly in partnership with social landlords, and around 80,000 heating measures.
There is a particular focus on improving the energy efficiency of hard to treat properties in the package of consultations published on 12 February. The consultations can be accessed via the Department of Energy and Climate Change website:
www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/open/open.aspx
We also continue to assess innovative products, including solid wall insulation, for inclusion in the Warm Front scheme—the Government's main fuel poverty programme in England.