Mandatory Insulation for ACT Rental Properties
Renters in ACT – Insulation Upgrades at No Cost
Renting in the ACT? You May Be Eligible for an Insulation Upgrade
Did you know that ACT rental properties must now meet minimum insulation standards? Under the new Energy Efficiency Standards, landlords are legally required to ensure their properties have adequate insulation. If your rental home has no ceiling insulation or an insulation rating below R2, it must be upgraded to at least R5.
At Alexander Watson Insulation, we can assess your home’s insulation and provide your landlord with an Insulation Inspection Report and a quote to upgrade if needed. This ensures your home remains warmer in winter, cooler in summer, and more energy-efficient—all at no cost to you as a tenant.
Helping Landlords Meet Their Obligations
All landlords must ensure their rental property meets the Energy Efficiency Standards within nine months of signing a new lease. At Alexander Watson, we make compliance easy and stress-free by offering a seamless insulation upgrade process.
Our Hassle-Free Process:
We are Australia’s first and largest employer of certified insulation installers. Our expert team ensures all work is compliant, efficient, and hassle-free.
testimonials
Our Clients Love us
Daniel Gordon
22:29 06 Feb 26
Alexander Watson installed insulation above our garage, where there previously was none, and added an extra layer across the rest of the house.
Preparation for the work was comprehensive, with electrical inspections and safety rail installs being conducted prior. You can tell they take their safety and yours very seriously. The installers on the day also wore substantial PPE. Communication was also excellent.
The install was on-time and took a full day. The end result was fantastic, with every nook and cranny filled, and you can certainly notice a difference inside the house. Everything was also left neat and tidy, and the installers themselves were courteous and friendly.
Every trades person who has been in the roof cavity since has commented on the insulation and how comprehensive and quality the job is, and always guessed correctly who did it. This reflects their reputation in the industry.
We're now looking forward to winter, and the positive effect this will have on general temperature retention and our power bills!
Preparation for the work was comprehensive, with electrical inspections and safety rail installs being conducted prior. You can tell they take their safety and yours very seriously. The installers on the day also wore substantial PPE. Communication was also excellent.
The install was on-time and took a full day. The end result was fantastic, with every nook and cranny filled, and you can certainly notice a difference inside the house. Everything was also left neat and tidy, and the installers themselves were courteous and friendly.
Every trades person who has been in the roof cavity since has commented on the insulation and how comprehensive and quality the job is, and always guessed correctly who did it. This reflects their reputation in the industry.
We're now looking forward to winter, and the positive effect this will have on general temperature retention and our power bills!
Manjiree Kulkarni
07:50 29 Jan 26
We recently had our roof insulation upgraded by Alexander Watson, and overall we had a very positive experience. The team was friendly, professional and helpful throughout the process. They took the time to explain everything clearly and made sure we understood what work was being done. They also completed an electrical safety inspection and other electrical work in compliance with regulatory requirements. The offer of a lifetime insulation tidy-up service was an added bonus.
The retrofit guide published by Alexander Watson and handed over to us in the initial meeting, under “other necessary electrical work”, encourages customers to use their electrical services while the team is on site for other electrical jobs around the house. We wanted a sensor light installed, however, the electrician who conducted the electrical safety inspection initially did not agree with this. We had to persevere to get the sensor light installed, which was a little disappointing.
That said, we have already noticed a big improvement in indoor temperature, especially during the recent hot days and we are very pleased with the insulation upgrade overall.
The retrofit guide published by Alexander Watson and handed over to us in the initial meeting, under “other necessary electrical work”, encourages customers to use their electrical services while the team is on site for other electrical jobs around the house. We wanted a sensor light installed, however, the electrician who conducted the electrical safety inspection initially did not agree with this. We had to persevere to get the sensor light installed, which was a little disappointing.
That said, we have already noticed a big improvement in indoor temperature, especially during the recent hot days and we are very pleased with the insulation upgrade overall.
Peter Monus
11:11 20 Jan 26
We hired the team at Alexander Watson to install ceiling insulation, wall insulation, ducted AC and an electrical switchboard upgrade in our 1960s house with some unique challenges. The process of working with the initial inspection and booking in the various stages of the install was really easy and the team was great at communicating different issues and decisions that needed to be made along the way.
We could feel the difference in temperature the day after the ceiling insulation went in and it does such a good job keeping the house cooler on hot days. We look forward to the house being much easier to keep warm when winter rolls around too. The ducted AC unit that was recommended to us works really well, is very quiet and the controller is easy to use or can be controlled with an app.
Would definitely recommend Alexander Watson, they know their stuff.
We could feel the difference in temperature the day after the ceiling insulation went in and it does such a good job keeping the house cooler on hot days. We look forward to the house being much easier to keep warm when winter rolls around too. The ducted AC unit that was recommended to us works really well, is very quiet and the controller is easy to use or can be controlled with an app.
Would definitely recommend Alexander Watson, they know their stuff.
Deborah Reynolds
12:20 29 Dec 25
A few months ago, I asked Alexander Watson to insulate my home - ceiling, wall and underfloor. They were meticulous, and included everything that was needed in the quote - the probability that I needed a new switchboard to comply with updated regulations, making sure the wiring was compatible with insulation - everything. When some work wasn’t needed, they reduced the amount I had to pay to match the work that was actually done. They booked everything so the work was done as quickly as possible. They kept me informed throughout the installation so I knew exactly when they were coming and what was being done. They took before and after photos of every step, to ensure they were keeping to their standards. I was impressed by their safety protocols. I was also impressed that when they came to inspect the work once it was complete, they realised that something hadn’t been done, and quickly ensured that was done too. We were amazed at how much warmer the house was, even though it was after the end of winter, and we hadn’t expected to notice any difference. We’re even more impressed now it’s summer and we’ve had heat waves. I really didn’t expect so much difference since the house is an older brick veneer house, and we haven’t fixed any ventilation issues.
brenda sharp
02:57 15 Dec 25
Very pleased with Alexander Watson for my ceiling insulation. At all stages of the process staff were prompt, courteous and communicated well. Job was completed as agreed I would recommend them
domdomdom128
23:46 26 Nov 25
We had ceiling, walls and underfloor retrofitted after vacuuming out decades old debris.
Insulation is excellent but the service and staff are what you pay for, they're all super friendly and helpful.
Insulation went smoothly over 2 days, you get what you pay for, premium service and super nice staff.
4 months post install we had an issue with a leak from the condensation pipe of our aircon in the roof, hadn't turned it on since insulation was installed so wasn't aware.
Wally from AWI came out 2 days later and fixed it on the spot.
Always a warm reception when calling, after instal service is amazing. Can't recommend enough.
Insulation is excellent but the service and staff are what you pay for, they're all super friendly and helpful.
Insulation went smoothly over 2 days, you get what you pay for, premium service and super nice staff.
4 months post install we had an issue with a leak from the condensation pipe of our aircon in the roof, hadn't turned it on since insulation was installed so wasn't aware.
Wally from AWI came out 2 days later and fixed it on the spot.
Always a warm reception when calling, after instal service is amazing. Can't recommend enough.
Helena Norback
03:28 24 Nov 25
Had recent work done to install insulation/electrical and air con replacement, very happy with the work. When they came round to quote it was highly informative and answered every query I had. Punctual and professional every step of the way and I swear my dog would've gone home with every one of them if I hadn't held her back. Highly recommend.
Mike Hughes
06:11 18 Nov 25
Rarely do you get lucky enough to have work done on your home in such a effortless manner with a superb final product done by polite, professional and knowledgeable trades folk that turn up when they said they would and do the job in the way they said they would. To do all the work at our place in Gowrie we had people putting up scaffold, people doing the roof insulation, people doing the electrical work, people putting sealer on the bricks, people under the house spraying insulation, at one point we think we had 12 trades folk here. They cleaned up after themselves when finished. Best of all the product has already proved its worth. I could not speak higher of the Alexander Watson team, all of them the product they sell and the advice they give. The photos show under the floor and the sealer on the bricks. I’m no longer allowed up a ladder so I can’t show the ceiling work.
Tim Mifsud
03:35 15 Oct 25
Alexander Watson was well priced, with a solid product and an excellent install and follow-up customer service. The house has a much more stable and comfortable temperature since they installed the second layer of batts in the roof space.
We noticed an instant 3 degrees Celsius improvement in the house overnight. In the warmer part of the day, the house is much cooler.
They also had to follow up as they had forgotten to turn the solar back on during install. They were there the next day and had it sorted within an hour.
Additionally, post the install, it rained, there was a water leak through the range hood in the kitchen. Since they were last in the roof, I rang them, they came out in 15min, diagnosed the problem as a cracked tile that had been cracked by someone else and fixed with bathroom silicone, and that they had potentially disturbed the previously dodgy fix up job that they hadn’t seen by walking near it. So, even though it wasn’t something they did, they fixed it by replacing that tile and sealing the range hood exhaust properly. No extra charge. Amazing! Highly recommend this company to insulate your home.
We noticed an instant 3 degrees Celsius improvement in the house overnight. In the warmer part of the day, the house is much cooler.
They also had to follow up as they had forgotten to turn the solar back on during install. They were there the next day and had it sorted within an hour.
Additionally, post the install, it rained, there was a water leak through the range hood in the kitchen. Since they were last in the roof, I rang them, they came out in 15min, diagnosed the problem as a cracked tile that had been cracked by someone else and fixed with bathroom silicone, and that they had potentially disturbed the previously dodgy fix up job that they hadn’t seen by walking near it. So, even though it wasn’t something they did, they fixed it by replacing that tile and sealing the range hood exhaust properly. No extra charge. Amazing! Highly recommend this company to insulate your home.
Tamara Cutcliffe
23:43 04 Sep 25
Having earthwool insulation installed exceeded my expectations. The multidisciplinary team were fantastic. The house is warmer and no doubt will be cooler in summer. Thoroughly recommended.
Jareth Maros
03:07 17 Jun 25
Contracted Alexander Watson to remove old insulation batts and remove loose fill from the ceiling.
To be honest, the experience was not a great one.
First point to raise is the constant email replies from different admin stuff. After correspondence with one team member, the following reply would be from a different team member. I found this frustrating. And then that new team member has not read the previous email (this would also be in a working day time frame).
Now the point to raise is of quality of work, they had only cleaned approx 80% of the ceiling, they spent 2 days (a Thursday and Friday). I know this because I cleaned the remaining missed areas including removing old batts on my Saturday so I could lay the insulation properly myself. If I hadn’t of laid the insulation myself and Alexander Watson returned to re-install, then I feel the missed areas would still remain and they would just install over the top. Additionally approx 6 tiles were broken, and they were only siliconed back together.
Now after email correspondence, and I assume with the manager, being told as a customer I should of raised my concerns on the Saturday so this company can return to do a quality check, I feel this should of been done at the workers level before they would of left the job site, then possibly another senior team member should of visited the job site post completion to confirm the work is done. This process has failed from the lowest part of the team. I’ll attach photos to this review.
Now we have both come to an agreement to a reduction in the invoiced amount.
To be honest, the experience was not a great one.
First point to raise is the constant email replies from different admin stuff. After correspondence with one team member, the following reply would be from a different team member. I found this frustrating. And then that new team member has not read the previous email (this would also be in a working day time frame).
Now the point to raise is of quality of work, they had only cleaned approx 80% of the ceiling, they spent 2 days (a Thursday and Friday). I know this because I cleaned the remaining missed areas including removing old batts on my Saturday so I could lay the insulation properly myself. If I hadn’t of laid the insulation myself and Alexander Watson returned to re-install, then I feel the missed areas would still remain and they would just install over the top. Additionally approx 6 tiles were broken, and they were only siliconed back together.
Now after email correspondence, and I assume with the manager, being told as a customer I should of raised my concerns on the Saturday so this company can return to do a quality check, I feel this should of been done at the workers level before they would of left the job site, then possibly another senior team member should of visited the job site post completion to confirm the work is done. This process has failed from the lowest part of the team. I’ll attach photos to this review.
Now we have both come to an agreement to a reduction in the invoiced amount.
