Insulation, solar and heat pumps across Ashford — TN23 and TN24 retrofits from post-war estates to Chilmington Green

Most likely yes. Willesborough's 1960s stock is almost all cavity-walled, much of it with the cavities still unfilled — which means they're losing around a third of the home's heat through the walls. If you receive a qualifying benefit (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, ESA, Housing Benefit and others) and the EPC is D-G, ECO4 pays for the full install. GBIS covers most EPC D-G homes in council tax bands A-D without the benefit test, and a lot of Willesborough sits in bands A-C. Installation takes a single day: small holes drilled in the mortar joints, mineral wool or bead blown in, holes made good. Typical savings run £250-£450 a year with a one-band EPC lift.

Worth it on most Chilmington plots. A typical 4 kWp Chilmington array generates 4,100-4,300 kWh/year, covering 30-50% of a new-build 3-4 bed's electricity use. Pair it with a 5 kWh battery to lift self-consumption to 70-85%, and Smart Export Guarantee pays around 15p/kWh on exported surplus. New-build roofs are structurally clean — modern trusses, fresh tiles, no hidden issues — so installation is quick, usually 1-2 days on site. If you're planning an EV or a heat pump later, we'd size closer to 5-6 kWp plus a 10 kWh battery to cover the extra load. Payback on an unsubsidised install typically runs 6-9 years, panels carry 25-year guarantees.

Different eligibility gates, same end result — fully funded insulation for most qualifying homes. ECO4 is benefit-linked: you (or someone in the household) needs to receive a qualifying benefit like Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support or ESA, and the home needs to be EPC D-G. It funds cavity wall, loft and solid wall insulation, and sometimes a heat pump top-up. GBIS is broader: no benefit test required, just EPC D-G and council tax bands A-D, which catches most non-high-value Ashford stock. It funds cavity wall and loft insulation in full. We check both at the free survey and route your application down whichever path maximises the funding available. You sign one consent, we do the rest.

For most off-gas Hamstreet and outer Ashford properties, yes. Hamstreet sits off the mains gas grid, so many homes are on oil, LPG or old electric storage heaters — all expensive to run. A well-specced air-source heat pump runs at 300-400% efficiency and typically cuts annual heating costs by £600-£1,200 on a 3-bed rural Kent home. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 off the install regardless of income, bringing typical installed costs to £4,000-£7,000. For older or poorly-insulated fabric we do a proper MCS heat loss calc at the survey and uprate radiators where needed — this is where cheap installs go wrong and homeowners end up with pumps that can't keep up on cold days.

Our own directly-employed teams, every install. We don't subcontract — that's how we deliver consistent quality across 2,500+ installs and stand behind 25-year product guarantees plus 5-year workmanship cover. One project coordinator stays with you from the first call through survey, install and sign-off. The surveyor who scopes your TN23 or TN24 property briefs the installation crew face to face, and you have one named contact for the whole job. If something needs fixing after handover, the same team comes back and sorts it — no three-way blame game between survey, install and aftercare companies. Call 0800 229 4094 to book a free survey.