£1bn insulation scheme opens to public

The government has launched its £1bn Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) to upgrade the energy efficiency of 300,000 homes.

The bulk of assistance under the scheme, which is an extension of the ECO (Energy Companies Obligation), will go towards households in lower council tax band and less energy-efficient homes, who will be offered upgrades.

Households living in higher council tax band homes will also be eligible for support if the property has an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D or lower.

This move, which encompasses homes in council tax bands A-D in England and A-E in Scotland and Wales, extends energy efficiency support to a wider range of households than qualify for existing schemes, which are more tightly targeted on low income earners.

The scheme differs from the latest round 4 of ECO in that it is designed to deliver single measures, such as loft or cavity wall insulation, to a larger number of households rather than deeper retrofits for fewer homes.

The GBIS was announced in November 2022 and further details were published in March this year.

Customers will be able to use a new online checker, also launched today, to find out if they are eligible for the GBIS.

Responding to the scheme’s launch, Energy UK policy manager Louise Shooter said: “The Great British Insulation Scheme provides welcome financial support for households via their energy supplier – but with the Climate Change Committee describing the next ten years as a ‘crucial period’ for decarbonising buildings, and millions more draughty properties left to upgrade, the government should ramp up its support for households to invest in energy efficiency measures.”

Chris Friedler, energy efficiency policy manager at the Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE), said: “In a time where energy efficiency’s triple win of tackling climate change, reducing household bills and increasing our energy security are all sorely needed, GBIS is a helping hand for hundreds of thousands of homes across the country.

“There’s plenty more to do on energy efficiency for millions more homes, especially those in the owner occupier sector, but this scheme is firm step in the right direction.”

Dr Simon Cran-McGreehin, head of analysis at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said: “With insulation rates at an all-time low thanks to cuts to government programmes for less well-off homes and months of delays to the launch of this scheme, it may be cold comfort for households facing another worrying winter.

“Gas bills are set to stay far above where they were before the gas crisis for the rest of the decade. It’s two years since the gas crisis kicked off and whereas other countries have pushed harder on energy efficiency, heat pumps and renewables to cut costs and boost energy security, the UK has been distracted by arguments over North Sea oil and gas that won’t cut bills.”