THE GOVERNMENT has launched a £1 billion fund called the Great British Insulation Scheme to install insulation in up to 300,000 homes.

Homes with lower council tax bands and less energy-efficient homes will be offered upgrades – such as roof, loft or cavity wall insulation – to help cut their energy bills by an average of £300 – £400 each year.

The scheme is aimed those on the lowest incomes but will extend to more households compared to existing government-funded schemes. Those eligible for support under the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) include families in council tax bands A-D in England, A-E in Scotland and Wales, with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or below.

So far, 2.4 million homes have had new energy efficiency measures installed under existing support schemes.

A new online checker tool can be used to find out if a home is eligible to receive retrofit funding.

Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said: “Boosting the energy efficiency of homes creates the best long-term protection against fuel poverty for the most vulnerable.”

Great British Insulation Scheme

The scheme will help build on progress in improving energy efficiency in UK homes – in 2010, 14% of homes had an EPC rating of C or above, compared to 47% in 2022.

The GBIS will run alongside the existing Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, which offers free home energy efficiency improvements, such as insulation, heat pumps and solar panels to families on low incomes.

The new GBIS online checker tool will ask a series of questions – including how the home is heated, whether it has solid or cavity walls, and if they the occupiers receive any benefits.

A separate checker has also been launched for the Home Upgrade Grant, which could help up to 25,000 off-the-gas-grid homes that have an EPC rating of D to G. People can find out if they qualify for energy efficiency support – ranging from insulation and draft proofing to new windows and doors, as well as heat pumps and solar panels.

Customers using the online tools will then be referred to either their energy supplier, for support from the ECO programme and Great British Insulation Scheme, or their local council for the Home Upgrade Grant.

Mike Thornton, Chief Executive, Energy Saving Trust, said: “Improving the energy efficiency of our homes is a vital part of addressing both the energy crisis and climate emergency.

“By reducing demand for fossil fuels it provides a triple win long-term solution for cutting energy bills, decreasing carbon emissions and improving energy security.”

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