Q-Bot: robotic underfloor insulation

Q-Bot is a British company that insulates suspended timber floors from below, using a remote-controlled robot fed through a small hatch to spray closed-cell polyurethane foam onto the underside of the floorboards. It is a distinct product type rather than a brand of board or blanket, and it is the only widely marketed robotic underfloor insulation system in the UK. The company reports over 5,500 homes insulated since 2012, covering more than 100,000 m² of suspended floors¹.

The headline commercial facts are these. A survey is required before Q-Bot will quote, from £99 including VAT, and the fee is credited against the installation if the work proceeds². Installation starts at £3,250 for a floor up to 25m² on the Premium specification, or £3,762.50 on Premium PLUS, with £126.50 and £150.50 per additional square metre respectively². Most installations take one to two days, and park home installations are usually completed in one day².

One official record needs stating plainly at the outset. Ofgem's ECO4 innovation measures list records that the BBA for this product has been withdrawn, and that from 28 January 2025 there were no products meeting the description⁴. Q-Bot's own pages from 2019 and 2022 describe the system as accredited by the BBA and as having supplied a BBA certificate⁵. The two positions are not reconciled in the documents, and a householder weighing the product should treat the certification status as unresolved rather than settled.

BBA approval withdrawn: what that means for Q-Bot underfloor insulation

The certification position is the first thing to establish, because it bears on funding, on lender attitudes and on how a building control or retrofit coordinator will treat the measure. Ofgem's list of approved innovation measures under ECO4 states that "the BBA for this product has been withdrawn" and that "From 28/01/25, there are no products that meet the description"⁴. That is an official document, dated January 2026, and it is the strongest single statement in the record about the product's approval status.

Against that, Q-Bot's own material describes the system as accredited by the BBA, and a 2022 product page refers to certifications supplied including the BBA certificate alongside property data collected on site before and after installation⁵. What can be said is that the withdrawal is recorded by the scheme administrator, that it took effect from a stated date, and that no subsequent reinstatement appears in the material.

For a householder, the practical consequences are narrower than the phrase "approval withdrawn" might suggest. The product is still sold and installed. What changes is the evidence base a third party will accept: a lender, an energy assessor or a funding body looking for a current certificate will not find one on the Ofgem list. Q-Bot states that it provides an accredited declaration of conformity and verified thermal performance data that are officially recognised by Domestic Energy Assessors, and that its underfloor insulation is recognised by Domestic Energy Assessors¹. Those are the maker's statements about its own paperwork, and they are the route by which an installation is meant to be reflected in an EPC.

What Q-Bot is and how the robot installs insulation from below

The method is the reason the product exists. Rather than lifting a floor, Q-Bot sends a small remote-controlled robot into the void beneath a suspended timber floor and sprays polyurethane foam onto the underside of the boards, where it expands and sets⁸. The robot is about the size of a boot box and can be fed in through a small hatch⁶. Installers make small, discreet openings to the floor, often inside cupboards or under furniture, rather than removing whole floor coverings⁹.

The robot sprays layers of insulation to the underside of the floorboards at a typical thickness of 12cm, and the application is monitored to measure the thickness achieved⁹. The foam is a closed-cell formulation applied as a continuous layer to the underside of the boards, which Q-Bot states moves the dew point below the insulation¹⁰. Because the foam encases the joists, it reduces thermal bridging through exposed timber⁸. Q-Bot reports high thermal performance with 120mm foam thickness, as low as 0.18 W/m²K in some cases⁸.

The installation is designed to be non-intrusive. Q-Bot states that the system can fit and retrofit suspended floors without removing furniture or uplifting the entire floor covering and floorboards⁶. Residents can stay in the home throughout, and the installation takes one to two days¹¹. At the end, the household receives a Declaration of Conformity and a full completion pack⁹.

The independence question here is straightforward. This is a fabric measure applied inside the home's own structure, so it reduces the energy needed to keep the floor warm regardless of who supplies the gas or electricity. What it does not do is remove the household from the grid or from a supplier. It lowers demand; it does not change the fuel.

Which homes it suits: suspended floors, void height and clearance

Q-Bot is not a universal measure. It applies to suspended timber ground floors with a cavity beneath, and the maker's own suitability statement is specific: suspended floors from 200mm and deeper, where a continuous high-performance insulation layer is required or desired⁸. The Centre for Sustainable Energy describes the approach as suited to suspended floors with a small cavity below that is hard to access¹².

Void height is the binding constraint. A new-generation robot is described as capable of spraying insulation in voids as low as 20cm¹³. Building Regulations also require 150mm of clearance to remain beneath the floor after insulation is applied, which sets a floor on how much foam can go in and therefore how deep the void must be³. A shallow void may fail on clearance even where the robot can physically enter.

The scale of the potential market is large. Q-Bot states that the solution is needed for over 8 million homes in the UK¹¹. The company has installed in over 1,000 properties in Scotland, including places as far north as Orkney⁷. Its installation partners have included Camden Council, Hexagon Housing Association, Castlehill Housing Association, Argyll Community Housing Association and Langstane Housing Association⁵.

Where a floor is solid rather than suspended, or where the void is too shallow, the measure does not apply and the alternatives are covered in floor insulation. For homes with a suspended timber floor and adequate clearance, the appeal is that the work happens without disturbing the floor finish.

Survey and pre-installation checks: ventilation, moisture and access

A survey is mandatory before Q-Bot will quote, and it is not a formality. The surveyor visits to survey the floors, ventilation and access, and to determine suitability for underfloor insulation, and may lift a board or make a small hatch and take moisture readings⁹. The survey also measures the surface area to produce an accurate quote¹⁴.

The checks fall into a recognisable pattern. Subfloor height is recorded to ensure accessibility for the installation, and the surveyor determines how and where access points should be made, communicated in person and via a floorplan created on the day¹⁴. Existing underfloor ventilation is inspected to ensure adequate airflow¹⁴. Internal checks identify visible signs of damp or mould alongside a visual assessment of ventilation, with all information logged digitally¹⁴. External perimeter checks look for defects that could now or one day lead to moisture ingress, including ground levels, bridging, gullies, downpipes, drains and gutters¹⁴.

Moisture is the decisive test. Elevated moisture levels can indicate leaks or condensation issues that should be resolved before insulation is installed, to prevent rot and mould growth¹⁴. Q-Bot states that if floorboard moisture levels are above 20%, the installation will be paused until the underlying issue has been resolved³. After installation, timber moisture levels are reported at 11 to 14%, described as well within safe limits¹⁰.

Ventilation is maintained rather than sealed. Air vents under the home are checked and, if needed, improved to maintain airflow, and the installation allows for a ventilation gap between the insulation and the ground beneath to protect from damp and mould¹⁰. Where necessary, Q-Bot may be required to fit additional background ventilation to meet building regulations as part of an installation¹⁴. The void under the floor stays ventilated, allowing the ground to breathe¹⁴.

Cost: survey fees, installation prices and VAT

Q-Bot publishes a price list, which is unusual in this market. A survey is required before a quote, from £99 including VAT, and the fee is credited against the installation if the work goes ahead, bringing the net cost of the survey to £57.50, £132.33 or £232.33 for the Standard, Premium and Premium PLUS surveys respectively². The Standard survey confirms whether the property is suitable, and a survey report can be purchased for an additional fee².

Installation pricing runs on two tiers. Premium installation starts at £3,250 for homes up to 25m², with £126.50 per additional m² above that². Premium PLUS starts at £3,762.50 for a home up to 25m², with £150.50 per additional m²³. Q-Bot's support material gives the same figures, describing installations ranging from £126.50 to £150.50 per square metre³. A worked example on the price list puts the total for survey and installation together at £3,307.50 for a floor up to 25m² with a Standard survey and Premium installation²; a second figure of £3,382.33 for the same combination appears in the same document, and the two are not reconciled.

Independent guidance gives a slightly different shape to the cost. Which? reports that, according to Q-Bot, costs start at around £3,000 to £4,500 for a typically sized 2 or 3-bedroom terrace, and notes that a householder may be required to pay for a survey in advance to establish whether the floor is suitable¹⁶.

VAT is zero-rated on the installation: Q-Bot states there is no VAT on installation, and that installing underfloor insulation in a home is zero-rated for VAT². The survey fee, by contrast, is quoted including VAT. Cost drivers are the location and size of the installation, with larger installations more cost-effective per square metre, and the most expensive part of the process described as bringing specialist equipment and trained personnel to site¹⁰.

Savings, EPC improvement and payback

The savings figures come from several directions and do not all agree, which is worth understanding before treating any single number as the expected outcome. Q-Bot states that insulating a floor with its system can reduce energy bills by an average of 16%, an average reduction of £150 per year¹⁷. A separate Q-Bot page gives a payback of 8 to 15 years based on energy savings alone¹⁸, while another gives less than 15 years¹⁰, and a third describes a life expectancy of 30 to 80 years¹⁰.

The Energy Saving Trust verified figures are the ones Q-Bot leans on most heavily. For a 2-bedroom ground floor flat in a gas heated home, insulating a floor with Q-Bot could typically save on average £270 a year⁶. Q-Bot states that the Energy Saving Trust used the energy modelling system BREDEM SAP and the Dynamic Engine to verify and certify its energy saving claims¹⁹. The company also reports a case study of 100 homes in which some tenants saved up to £665 per year³.

On thermal performance, Q-Bot states that its spray foam improves thermal performance by 77%, reduces heat loss through the floor by 77%, and reduces cold draughts by a third for the entire house¹⁸. It reports that underfloor insulation alone warms feet by 3°C without putting fuel bills up³. On carbon, it states that installing the insulation saves around 700 kilograms of CO₂ every year, roughly one fifth of a typical home's emissions, based on independent SAP assessments³.

For the EPC, Q-Bot states that its underfloor insulation can improve an EPC score by up to 5 points, and describes an average EPC improvement of 5 SAP points across the board, based on a study of 180 homes³. It also states that the insulation is recognised by Domestic Energy Assessors, and that it provides an accredited declaration of conformity and verified thermal performance data that are officially recognised by assessors¹. The mechanism matters: unverified insulation improvements are excluded from EPC ratings, and accredited evidence is what allows the EPC to be updated⁷.

Warranty: 10-year product warranty or 25-year insurance-backed guarantee

The warranty depends on which specification is bought, and the difference is substantial. The Premium installation carries a 10-year product warranty². The Premium PLUS installation carries a 25-year insurance-backed guarantee on product and workmanship, with discounted future health checks and remediation, subject to eligibility².

The guarantee structure is worth setting out because it is the part that protects a householder if the installer ceases trading. Q-Bot states that installations carrying the 25-year guarantee sit within a monitored framework with audit and compliance powers external to Q-Bot, that the guarantee runs for 25 years and survives installer insolvency, and that where an installer fails, insurance protection remains²¹. The guarantee is provided by the Insulation Assurance Authority and TrustMark, and the installation is lodged under the IAA structure³. Q-Bot is registered with TrustMark under reference TMRN439³.

The Premium PLUS route also brings a different quality regime. Properties are assessed for suitability and risks identified before installation proceeds, design must align with documented standards, and an external oversight framework applies to quality control rather than the installer marking its own work²¹. Q-Bot states that every job is reviewed before certification, and that photos, videos and data are stored as a permanent verifiable record reviewable by homeowners, surveyors and retrofit coordinators¹⁰.

The independence point is that the guarantee is the household's protection against the installer, not against the manufacturer's own continuity. An insurance-backed guarantee lodged with a third party is a different instrument from a maker's warranty, and the documents describe the two as distinct tiers rather than as one product with an option.

Funding and availability: England, Wales and Scotland

Funding availability differs by nation, and the position in England and Wales is less settled than in Scotland. Q-Bot has described its underfloor insulation as eligible for funding such as ECO⁵, and has written about an ECO3 funding boost intended to scale up installations¹¹. Against that, Ofgem's ECO4 innovation measures list records the BBA withdrawal and states that from 28 January 2025 there were no products meeting the description⁴. Those two positions sit awkwardly together, and the Ofgem entry is the more recent official statement.

In Scotland, the route is clearer. Through Changeworks, Scottish homeowners can access government-backed funding support for Q-Bot underfloor insulation, with eligibility confirmed via Home Energy Scotland, and eligible residents may receive up to £1,500 grant funding towards the installation²². Q-Bot has installed in over 1,000 properties in Scotland, including as far north as Orkney⁷. The Scottish Government's own programme record notes that a new form of underfloor insulation was to be added to the scheme in the 2019/20 operating year, describing Q-Bot as installing underfloor insulation using a robot and increasing the RdSAP rating of the property²³.

On the Warm Homes Plan, Q-Bot's own position is that most private homeowners in England and Wales should not wait for funding. Its Chief Operating Officer argues that waiting for grant support rarely pays off for typical working homeowners⁷. That is a commercial argument from the company, not an official statement of scheme rules, and it should be read as such.

The funding landscape for each nation is set out in more detail in insulation grants in England, insulation grants in Scotland and insulation grants in Wales.

Park homes, floorboards and the practical experience

Park homes are a distinct case and Q-Bot markets to them directly. Installations on park homes are usually completed in one day³. A published case study describes a park home where failed underfloor insulation was removed and Q-Bot's system installed in one day, working entirely from outside the property, with the new underfloor insulation seamlessly connected to existing external wall insulation to create a continuous thermal and airtight seal²⁴. The outcome reported was improved air quality, reduced humidity levels, smoothed temperature fluctuations, lowered energy consumption and reduced carbon emissions²⁴. The system includes removal of old insulation, labour, disposal, pipe lagging and full documentation²⁴.

On disruption, the design intent is minimal. The robot is fed through a small hatch, and openings are made discreetly, often inside cupboards or under furniture⁹. Furniture does not need to be removed and the whole floor covering does not need to be lifted⁶. The foam bonds to the underside of the floor, which Q-Bot states helps protect timber from moisture and decay²⁵.

On the condition of the floor itself, the survey is the gate. Q-Bot does not offer dampness, rotting or floor timber repair works, but provides advice and guidance on what is needed¹⁰. Where moisture is elevated, work pauses until the underlying issue is resolved³. The company states that its method has been shown to reduce the risk of damp and mould when compared to both an uninsulated floor and alternative insulation materials, and that humidity under the floor reduces after the insulation is installed³.

What the system does for a household's energy independence

The honest summary is that Q-Bot is a demand-reduction measure, not a supply measure. It insulates the floor of a home that already has a suspended timber floor, which lowers the heat the home loses downwards and therefore the fuel it must buy. Q-Bot states that insulating the floor stops heat escaping downwards, so a heat pump does not have to run as hot and uses less electricity to keep the home just as warm¹. That is a real reduction in the energy a household must purchase, and it applies whatever the fuel.

What it does not change is where that energy comes from. A gas-heated home remains on the gas grid and on a gas supplier. An electrically heated home remains on the grid. The measure reduces the size of the bill and the carbon attributable to the home; it does not make the home self-sustaining, and it does not generate anything.

There are also dependencies specific to this product. The installation is carried out by Q-Bot or its trained installers, so the household depends on a single company's continued operation for the work itself, and on the guarantee structure for protection if that company or its installer fails. The 25-year insurance-backed guarantee is the instrument designed for that risk, and it is available only on the Premium PLUS specification². The 10-year product warranty on the Premium tier is a maker's warranty and does not carry the same insolvency protection.

The certification position adds a further dependency. Where a lender, assessor or funding body requires a current approval, the Ofgem record of the BBA withdrawal is the document they will find⁴. Q-Bot's own accredited declaration of conformity and verified thermal performance data are the route by which the installation is meant to be recognised⁷. A householder weighing the measure should establish, before work starts, which paperwork will be issued and whether the intended recipient will accept it.

For the wider picture of how fabric measures fit with fuel choice, insulation and energy independence and what insulation a heat pump needs set out the relationships. The comparison with other underfloor approaches is covered in floor insulation, and the risks specific to foam in roofs, which are different from this application, are set out in spray foam insulation.