Previously known as ECO+, the Great British Insulation Scheme is a government grant scheme which aims to upgrade and insulate our country's least energy efficient homes, thereby achieving government targets and reducing residents' energy bills. The scheme starts this summer and is planned to run until March 2026. There is £1Bn worth of grant funding available, which until March 2024 will be funded by the Energy Price Guarantee.
This scheme differs slightly from the ECO4 Scheme in which we are already involved, as anybody who lives in a home with an eligible tax band and Energy Performance Certificate rating can apply for a grant towards one low-cost energy efficiency measure to improve the energy performance and comfort of their home.
Eligibility criteria
English applicants must live in a home with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D to G, and be within a council tax band A to D.
Welsh and Scottish applicants must live in a home with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D to G, and be within a council tax band A to E.
Low-income applicants are welcomed, provided that they live in a property with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D to G and are ineligible for an ECO4 grant.
Applicants must not have already received grant funding for energy efficiency measures under any other government grant schemes.
Insulation options available
The Great British Insulation Scheme will allow applicants to fund the installation of a single low-cost insulation measure. The options that are available are:
Cavity wall insulation. This involves injecting insulation into holes that are drilled into the exterior wall of the property and then sealed with cement.
Solid wall insulation. This involves fixing special insulation material to the exterior walls and then re-rendering them.
Loft insulation. This involves installing insulation matting into the base of the loft space in a property, reducing heat loss through the roof.
Pitched roof insulation. This involves fitting insulation material above and between the rafters in the roof space.
Flat roof insulation. There are two ways in which flat roofs are insulated. Depending on the type of property and applicable building regulations, insulation will either be located above the structural timber deck or between the rafters and the deck.
Underfloor insulation. This involves insulating the gap that exists under a suspended floor.
Solid floor insulation. There are two ways in which a solid floor can be insulated. Depending on the type of property, insulation foam will either be fitted above or below the concrete to trap warmth.
Park home insulation. Park homes are often suitable to be affixed with foil-clad thermal panels on their underside and another insulation option is to clad the property with externally fixed wall insulation.
Room-in-roof insulation. This involves replacing the standard loft insulation in a loft that has been converted into a room with a more appropriate type of insulation.
Applicants will be advised as to the insulation measure that will deliver the greatest benefit for their property, and it is anticipated that savings of up to £395 will be achievable on an average annual energy bill once the recommended measure has been installed.
Costs of the Great British Insulation Scheme
Successful applicants will be advised as to the value of the grant for which they have been approved, and the scheme administrators advise that a contribution may be required towards the costs of installation. The vast majority of work conducted under the scheme will be at no cost to residents.
Because the funds for this scheme are being provided by a government grant, rather than a loan scheme, successful applicants will never be required to pay back the costs of the insulation measure for which they are approved.
Future Proof Homes support
Future Proof Homes works with approved installers for the Great British Insulation Scheme. We welcome enquiries from anybody that wishes to check their eligibility for this, or any other government grant scheme, for which we work with approved installers. We will discuss the options that are available to you, conduct all necessary inspections, recommend the most appropriate measures for your property and support you in applying for the most appropriate grant for your particular circumstances.
Our aim is to deliver as many installations as possible ahead of winter, in order that fewer local residents will experience fuel poverty this winter, and will instead be able to enjoy the comfort of a warm home.
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