With winter on the way and energy bills still high, it’s really important to know what kind of support you might be entitled to that could help to keep your home warm.
The government’s new Great British Insulation scheme, formerly known as ECO+, aims to help 300,000 British households with the cost of insulating their homes, with assistance from UK energy suppliers.
In this article, we explain how the scheme works and how to find out if you are eligible.
How does the Great British Insulation Scheme work?
The Great British Insulation scheme, which is set to run until March 2026, requires energy suppliers to help install energy efficiency measures in customers’ homes, aiming to save them around £300 to £400 a year on their bills.
You may be able to get support installing one of the following:
- cavity wall insulation
- solid wall insulation (internal or external)
- loft insulation
- flat or pitched roof insulation
- underfloor insulation
- solid floor insulation
- park home insulation
- room-in-roof insulation
According to Ofgem, under the scheme only one of these measures can be installed per eligible home, but secondary measures such as room thermostats may also be included.
If you are eligible for support then your supplier should get in touch with you and arrange for an assessment on your property to see if it could benefit from any of these kinds of insulation.
However, you don’t need to go through your own energy supplier, and Ofgem encourages eligible households to contact other suppliers involved in the scheme and shop around for the best deal they can find.
If you’re considering switching your energy provider, it’s worth doing plenty of research so you can be certain you’ve found the best possible deal to suit your needs. Comparison websites such as MoneySuperMarket, Uswitch and Compare the Market enable you to compare the latest energy tariffs, whether you’re looking for a fixed or variable deal.
After an assessment, the supplier will offer to install whichever form of insulation they think would save the most energy and reduce CO2 emissions. They will let you know whether you need to pay anything towards installation costs, and if so, how much. This will depend on the type of insulation they are proposing – for example, higher cost works such as solid wall insulation are more likely to require a contribution from you.
The type of installation recommended to you, the amount of funding provided and the installers who carry out the works are all decided by the supplier, and are not overseen by the government. You should remember to ask for a written quote listing everything that is included and outlining all the costs involved so you know exactly what you are paying for.
If you don’t agree with the assessment or don’t want to pay, you are free to simply say no.
Am I eligible for the Great British Insulation Scheme?
There are two groups that are eligible for the scheme, the low income group and the general group. You may be eligible for the low income group if you receive one or more of the following benefits:
- Child Benefit
- Pension Guarantee Credit
- Income-related
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Support
- Tax Credits (Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits)
- Universal Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Pension Credit Saving Credit
You may be eligible for the general group if both of the following apply to you:
- You live in a home with an energy performance certificate (EPC) of D to G. You can find out what your certificate is here if you aren’t sure.
- (An EPC is a way of measuring how energy-efficient your home is – usually, a home with a rating or D or lower will be particularly inefficient, and will require more energy to heat. Having insulation can help keep the heat in.)
- You live in a home in Council Tax bands A-D (England) or A-E (Scotland and Wales). You can check your band here if you aren’t sure.
You can check if you are eligible for support here on GOV.uk. Note that eligibility for the scheme does not guarantee you will be offered insulation, and it is up to the supplier’s discretion.
You can apply whether you’re a homeowner, landlord or tenant, but if you’re a tenant, you’ll need to seek permission from your landlord first.
The scheme is not available in Northern Ireland. You can visit NI Direct to find out which other energy schemes might be available to you.
Further help with energy bills
There are plenty of DIY ways to keep your home well-insulated as the weather gets colder – our article 13 ways to winter-proof your home contains some helpful ideas.
For more resources on keeping your home warm and your energy bills low, check out our article 11 practical tips to keep warm and save energy this winter. Find out if you might be able to get help directly from your supplier with our articles Is your energy supplier offering grants to pay off energy debts? and E.ON Next launches scheme to cut bills this winter – what you need to know.
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