E.ON and Q-Bot team up to use robotics and AI to help insulate Britain’s homes

Leading energy and solutions provider E.ON and construction tech firm Q-Bot are joining forces to help insulate Britain’s homes – using the power of robotics and AI. The companies are working in partnership with the government under the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) to offer an average of £1,377 [1] in funding for Q-Bot to install ground-breaking underfloor insulation in qualifying homes across the UK.

Alexis Keel, E.ON UK’s Head of Obligation Delivery , said: “Improved insulation makes for more comfortable homes and healthier residents, and we’re proud to work with Q-Bot to help make this a reality for even more people across the country. Q-Bot’s unique approach mirrors our own ambition to create a new energy world where affordability, innovation and sustainability go hand-in-hand as we work to meet the nation’s net zero goals.”

Leigh Fairbrother, Q-Bot’s Head of Commercial, said: “We are delighted to be working with E.ON to help improve the energy efficiency of homes across the country. We already install our floor insulation in more than 100 British homes every month and together with E.ON, we can help in the delivery of the Government’s insulation policy and fuel poverty agenda and improve the fabric of the country’s housing stock, especially in the social housing sector. Our insulation can make homes healthier by reducing the risk of damp and mould, as well as making a positive impact on comfort for people up and down the country."

About the E.ON and Q-Bot scheme

The first phase of the E.ON and Q-Bot GBIS partnership will run in the North East and the South East of England, South Wales and London. If successful, the scheme could extend across England, Scotland and Wales over the next two years. 

GBIS forms part of the broader energy efficiency programme which it delivers under the auspices of OFGEM’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO), a requirement for all large energy suppliers. E.ON and Q-Bot hope to insulate hundreds of homes as part of the scheme, as either a single energy efficiency measure or part of a comprehensive energy efficiency upgrade of a home.

How Q-Bot works

Using robotics and AI, Q-Bot’s insulation is installed beneath suspended timber floors or to the underside of suspended concrete floors. A remotely operated robotic device applies a continuous layer of spray-foam insulation to the underside of the floor, resulting in a reduction in heat loss through the floor and a barrier to cold air draughts.

A technical survey is completed for all properties, with the results stored digitally in Q-Bot’s secure ‘Digital Retrofit Management system’. This survey determines the property’s suitability for underfloor insulation by assessing floor health, moisture content, physical conditions and the building’s ventilation

The robot is controlled remotely by a qualified installer, spraying the underside of the floorboards to the desired thickness in the case of suspended timber floor construction, or the underside of solid concrete floors in solid floor construction. 

For more information about the scheme and qualifying eligibility, visit eonenergy.com/gbis