Can you insulate your home for less than £100?

While £100 won’t fully insulate a home, it can reduce heat loss and improve comfort if spent in the right places

Simple measures like installing draught excluders can help your home retain more heat.

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Energy bills remain a pressure point for many households, so it’s no surprise that people are looking for cheap, practical ways to keep their homes warm. The question is whether £100 can genuinely make a difference, or if the idea of insulating on that budget is little more than wishful thinking.

The honest answer is that £100 won’t pay for traditional insulation such as cavity wall fill, solid wall insulation or a fully insulated loft. Even when government grants or support schemes are available, these measures typically cost hundreds – or even thousands – of pounds once materials and installation are taken into account. But if you think of insulation as reducing unwanted heat loss, rather than overhauling the fabric of your home, £100 can still make a noticeable difference, particularly in older properties and rentals.

What does “insulation” mean at this price point?

In many UK homes, heat doesn’t escape through one glaring flaw but via lots of small, persistent weak spots. Draughty doors and windows, poorly-sealed loft hatches, and cold external walls behind radiators all allow warmth to leak out, forcing heating systems to work harder.

At lower budgets, insulation is less about adding thick layers of material and more about blocking gaps, slowing heat loss and improving comfort. These fixes won’t transform a home overnight, but they can make rooms feel warmer and reduce how often the heating needs to be switched on.

What are the cheapest ways to insulate my home?

On a tight budget, the aim isn’t to do everything at once. Instead, focus on the places where heat most commonly escapes, and where relatively small fixes can make a difference.

You don’t need to tackle everything at once. In most homes, dealing with a handful of the worst offenders delivers far better results than spreading a small budget too thinly.

Draught-proofing doors and windows (£10-£30)

Draught-proofing is often the most effective low-cost improvement you can make. Self-adhesive foam or rubber strips can be fitted around door and window frames in minutes, while door brushes and letterbox covers stop cold air creeping in at floor level.

In older homes in particular, uncontrolled draughts can account for a significant proportion of heat loss. Sealing them won’t dramatically cut bills on its own, but it can make rooms feel noticeably less chilly, especially on windy days.

Draught excluders and thermal door snakes (£5-£15)

Weighted draught excluders placed at the base of doors are a simple way to keep warm air where you want it. They’re handy for internal doors separating colder areas, such as hallways or porches, from living spaces.

For very tight budgets, homemade versions using fabric and dried rice or sand can work just as well.

Radiator reflector foil (£10-£20)

Radiators fixed to external walls can lose a surprising amount of heat straight into the brickwork. Reflector foil panels fitted behind the radiator help bounce heat back into the room instead.

The savings are relatively modest, but the improvement in comfort can be noticeable, especially in smaller rooms or homes with solid walls. Importantly, this is also a renter-friendly upgrade that can be removed easily.

Insulating a loft hatch (£10-£25)

Even homes with insulated lofts often have poorly-sealed loft hatches, creating a direct route for warm air to escape. Insulated hatch covers or DIY foam-board solutions, combined with draught-proofing tape around the frame, can help plug this gap.

It’s a small fix, but one that targets a commonly overlooked weak spot.

Thermal curtains or temporary window film (£20-£40)

Heavy or thermal-lined curtains can reduce heat loss through windows, particularly in homes with single glazing. Temporary secondary glazing film kits, which create a thin insulating layer over the window, are another low-cost option.

These measures don’t replace double glazing, but they can help reduce cold spots and draughts during the winter months.

What you can’t realistically do for £100

It’s also important to be clear about where a £100 budget runs out. At this price point, you won’t be able to:

• Insulate a loft to the recommended depths
• Install cavity or solid wall insulation
• Properly insulate suspended floors
• Replace windows or doors

These measures cost more because they involve specialist materials, skilled labour and, in some cases, scaffolding. That’s also why government schemes and grants tend to focus on these bigger-ticket upgrades.

How much difference will £100 actually make?

The impact of low-cost insulation is rarely dramatic. Instead, it tends to show up in small but noticeable ways, particularly in day-to-day comfort.

Spending £100 on low-cost insulation fixes is unlikely to halve your energy bills. What it can do is improve comfort, reduce draughts and help your home retain heat for longer. That means your heating system doesn’t need to work quite as hard to maintain the same temperature.

These kinds of improvements are most effective when combined with smarter energy use, such as heating rooms only when they’re in use and paying closer attention to when and how energy is consumed. Suppliers such as Octopus Energy often emphasise that reducing waste is just as important as reducing unit costs.

Can you partially insulate a house?

Yes, partial insulation is not only possible, but it’s also often the most cost-effective way to reduce heat loss if you’re on a tight budget or don’t want major disruption. Homes lose heat unevenly, so targeting the worst offenders first can deliver noticeable savings without insulating the entire property.

The biggest gains usually come from loft insulation, draught-proofing doors and windows, and insulating exposed floors. These areas account for a large share of heat loss and are relatively cheap to fix. Even adding thick curtains or temporary secondary glazing can make a measurable difference in colder months.

Partial insulation won’t transform your home overnight, and it won’t replace full wall or floor insulation in the long term. But done strategically, it can improve comfort, cut energy bills, and act as a sensible stepping stone before investing in more comprehensive upgrades later on.

Low-cost insulation measures like these work best as a starting point, especially for renters or households unable to invest in major upgrades straight away. If your home still feels cold, suffers from condensation or requires the heating to run constantly, it may be a sign that more substantial insulation is needed.

Q

What is the minimum insulation in the UK?

There isn’t a single legal “minimum insulation level” for all homes, but Building Regulations set standards for insulation when work is carried out or major renovations take place. For example, if you’re installing new insulation, it must meet specific thermal performance values (known as U-values) for lofts, walls, and floors. For existing homes, there’s no requirement to upgrade insulation unless you’re doing certain building work. However, rented properties must meet a minimum EPC rating of E in most cases, which often means having at least some loft or wall insulation in place.

Q

Can I get my house insulated for free?

Possibly, but it depends on your circumstances. Some households can qualify for free or heavily subsidised insulation through government-backed schemes, particularly if they’re on certain benefits, have a low income, or live in an energy-inefficient home. These schemes often cover measures like loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, or draught-proofing. If you don’t qualify, you may still be eligible for discounted insulation through local council schemes or energy supplier programmes. Availability varies by location, so it’s worth checking what support is currently offered in your area before paying out of pocket.