INCA, the trade association for the external wall insulation (EWI) industry in the UK, has published findings of an industry survey revealing the size and split of the market.
The survey found that 5.89 square metres of EWI was installed in the UK during 2023 on projects across all sectors of the market.
Of this, 73% of this went into the refurbishment of homes and buildings and 27% into new build construction.
Mineral fibre insulation was, at 56%, the most commonly used insulant, with expanded polystyrene (EPS) making up 37% of the market (low rise only) and other insulants accounting for the remaining 7%
Render proved the most commonly used finish and was used with 79% of systems. Brick slips and similar decorative finishes accounted for the remaining 21%.
INCA – the Insulated Render & Cladding Association – commissioned the survey by NEMS Market Research. All main system manufacturers were approached and the participation rate was described as “near 100%”.
INCA executive director John Sparrow said: “This report is long overdue and something that the industry has been requesting for many years. INCA, as the recognised trade association for the external wall insulation industry in the UK, was perfectly placed to commission, facilitate and fund this research.
“Being the first industry survey in recent years it was decided to keep things simple and to analyse at headline level only initially. Moving forward, it’s intended that we make this an annual survey which will allow year on year comparisons and a drill down from this benchmark into a more in-depth analysis.
“Coming at a time when we have a clear focus on competence, training and the development of a new industry apprenticeship scheme we regard the results to be of particular importance to better evidence the need to attract new blood into the EWI industry and support our efforts to facilitate this.”
Chair Sean Stevenson added: “Whilst the numbers demonstrate that the industry is delivering well at current levels, they also highlight the scale of the opportunity on the horizon as the government looks to ramp up its retrofit program to deliver on net zero targets. The latest official numbers…show that 90% of solid wall homes (some 7.6 million properties) are still without insulation. The data also highlights significant potential within the new-build sector and an opportunity to grow our share of the market through innovation and greater awareness of the commercial and environmental benefits of EWI.
In turn this justifies the efforts INCA are making to address any skills shortage, not just by way of promoting the industry, but directly in relation to training and upskilling.”
