Cinder block has a fairly bad R value (1-4) unless you fill the cavity in with something and you can get it up to 8.
There are newer materials these days. I think the pic you showed is one of them. They have a much better R value. It is done by creating lots of small air pockets in the cement. Unfortunatly per brick they cost much more.
Also here in the states it varies region to region how well/bad things are built. Where I grew up it was interior balloon style on top of cinder block basements with a 1/4-1/2 inch gap and some sort of brick wall were quite common.
In Arizona/New mexico they tend towards an adobe type building with very thick walls and flat roofs with white paint.
Where I live currently it is wood frame balloon style. Very little brick. So you end up using lots of foam core board or batt insulation.
But as you point out the best bang for your buck is better windows.
It is amazing what many contractors will do too. Friend of mine just bought a house. *ALL* the wiring is wrong. Like start a fire wrong. He has spent the past month re-wiring every fixture the whole house. On top of that the insulation is done wrong. So his whole second floor is 10-20 degrees hotter than it should be in the middle of the summer and much too cold in the winter. I will not be too surprised when he takes the siding down and finds minimal insulation.
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