Home improvement retailer will offer rolls of loft insulation at a fraction of its previous price, for the next two years, under new deal with EDF Energy.
The partnership will run until December 31, 2012 and will incorporate insulation and energy-saving lighting products, subsidised by EDF. The campaign is designed to make it more affordable for cash-strapped consumers to insulate their homes, says EDF.

Under the deal, the retailer is able to offer an in-store only 'buy one, get three free' deal on three sizes of it own-brand loft insulation, with prices starting at £30.61 - equating to as little as £2.17 per sq m. Before the CERT scheme started, Wickes was selling loft roll insulation at around £30 a roll.

Wickes group buying director Ian Preedy said: "Our partnership with EDF Energy allows us to offer our DIY customers insulation at extremely competitive prices, and we look forward to working with EDF Energy. Insulation is a cost effective home improvement and we would strongly encourage all home owners to ensure they have adequate levels of insulation."

EDF Energy is the UK's largest producer of low carbon electricity. According to the firm, the installation of loft insulation can save customers up to £145 on their annual energy bill and up to 730kg of CO2.

EDF head of energy services Angus Wilby said: "We are delighted to be able to offer subsidised insulation to people through our partnership with Wickes. Finances are stretched for many families at the moment and this DIY insulation offer is a great, inexpensive way of saving money on energy bills.

He added: "We all know how important it is to insulate our homes to save energy and money and this partnership will help more people do just that. Sustainability is at the heart of EDF Energy as demonstrated in our industry-leading position as the largest producer of low carbon electricity."

For the past two years, the sheds have battled it out over cut-price insulation. Last February, B&Q slashed the price of its loft insulation to just 84p a roll, while its competitors Homebase and Focus responded with their own promotions, including half-price insulation and a 'buy one, get three free' deal.

Focus offered the same spectacular deal on loft insulation the previous year, when the industry watched as the multiples battled it out in a similar price war. In 2009, prices of loft insulation were slashed as low as £1.