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UK government launches new home insulation scheme
20/9/2023
News
UK homeowners now have the opportunity to upgrade home insulation and cut their heating bills through the UK government’s new Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS).
Families in England, Scotland and Wales that have lower council tax bands with less energy-efficient homes will be offered vital upgrades – such as roof, loft or cavity wall insulation – which could cut their annual energy bill by an average of between £300–400, according to the government.
The £1bn scheme will boost help for those on the lowest incomes as well as extend support to a wider range of households compared to other existing government-funded schemes. Those eligible for support under the 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.
The estimated 300,000 homes set to benefit come on top of the 2.4 million homes that have so far benefited from new energy efficiency measures under existing support schemes, as part of government’s ongoing efforts to protect the most vulnerable across the country.
This support 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.
Customers will be able to use a new online checker to find out if they are eligible under the GBIS scheme. The tool will ask a series of questions.
A separate checker has also been launched for the Home Upgrade Grant, which could help as many as 25,000 off-the-gas-grid homes that have an EPC rating of D–G.
Commenting on the launch of the GBIS initiative, 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.’
Chris Friedler, Energy Efficiency Policy Manager at the Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE) agreed, adding: ‘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.’
Next stage in smart heat revolution
Meanwhile, Octopus Energy unveiled what it called the ‘next stage in smart heat revolution’, with the launch of ‘Cosy Octopus’. Claimed to be the first heating eco-system of its kind in the UK, integrating ‘heat pump, controls, room sensors, tariff and five-star service package’, CEO Greg Jackson said the new system represented ‘a major step in opening up heat pumps for everyone’.
