The Great British Insulation Scheme
Save money on your bills by insulating your home
Through the brand new Great British Insulation Scheme, you can access support to insulate your home with cavity wall, floor or loft insulation.
You could reduce your heating bills by around £310 a year. And if you’re eligible, you could get this either for free or at a fraction of the normal price.
The Great British Insulation Scheme: what is it and who’s it for?
The Great British Insulation Scheme is a government initiative that’s all about insulating your home. It’s designed to work alongside another government energy-efficiency scheme, ECO4.
Draughty homes lose heat fast, and it costs more to keep them warm. Some sources say the UK’s housing is among the least energy efficient in Europe. This new scheme, with more than £1 billion behind it, will help around 300,000 households across the country with the cost of installing new home insulation.
If you’re eligible to get insulation through the scheme, you might get it for free or at a reduced cost. This will depend on the type of insulation you need and your property type.
The Great British Insulation Scheme: what is it and who’s it for?
The Great British Insulation Scheme is a government initiative that’s all about insulating your home. It’s designed to work alongside another government energy-efficiency scheme, ECO4.
Draughty homes lose heat fast, and it costs more to keep them warm. Some sources say the UK’s housing is among the least energy efficient in Europe. This new scheme, with more than £1 billion behind it, will help around 300,000 households across the country with the cost of installing new home insulation.
If you’re eligible to get insulation through the scheme, you might get it for free or at a reduced cost. This will depend on the type of insulation you need and your property type.
What’s included under the scheme?
The Great British Insulation Scheme focuses on all types of home insulation. If you’re eligible, you’ll get support with one type of insulation for your home. For example cavity wall or loft insulation.
What’s included under the scheme?
The Great British Insulation Scheme focuses on all types of home insulation. If you’re eligible, you’ll get support with one type of insulation for your home. For example cavity wall or loft insulation.
Who’s eligible for the scheme?
There are two eligibility groups under the Great British Insulation Scheme – a general group and a low-income group, both with different levels of support. Whichever group you belong to, you don’t need to be an OVO Energy customer to apply for the scheme through us.
The general group
To access the Great British Insulation Scheme, you’ll need to:
- live in a home in council tax bands A to D in England or A to E in Scotland and Wales
- have an EPC rating of D or below.
If you're eligible, you’ll get one insulation upgrade and you’ll typically need to pay a contribution towards the install – usually 10% of the total cost. If you’re in private rented accommodation, your EPC must be band D or E and the scheme won’t cover loft or cavity wall insulation.
Check if you’re eligibleThe low-income group
To get free insulation through the Great British Insulation Scheme, you’ll need to:
- get means-tested benefits (see below).
- have an EPC rating of D or below
If you're eligible, you’ll get one insulation upgrade and you might get heating controls, too. These upgrades will typically be free. If you’re in private rented accommodation, your EPC must be band D or E.
Check if you’re eligibleEligible benefits for the Great British Insulation Scheme
- Income-based Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
- Income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Universal Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Pension Credit Saving Credit
- Child Benefit (maximum income levels apply – see below)
- Warm Home Discount payment
Eligible benefits for the Great British Insulation Scheme
- Income-based Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
- Income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Universal Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Pension Credit Saving Credit
- Child Benefit (maximum income levels apply – see below)
- Warm Home Discount payment
How to apply for the Great British Insulation Scheme
Apply for the Great British Insulation Scheme.
First up, you can apply for the scheme through our form. We’ll check the details you’ve given us. Then, if it looks like you’ll qualify for the Great British Insulation Scheme, we’ll pass them to one of our trusted partners.
Our partner will contact you.
They’ll ask for more details, check the info you’ve provided (including your EPC rating and benefits status), and ask some questions about your home. Then, if you’re eligible, they’ll arrange your in-home assessment. An assessor will come to your home, review its energy efficiency and suggest what kind of insulation might work for you.
Booking the installation.
If you’re happy with the recommendations, you can go ahead and book the installation. Our partner will arrange a date to visit your home and install your new insulation. The installer will have their own terms and conditions, and you’ll need to sign a contract with them before the work begins.
Great British Insulation Scheme questions and answers
We've put together a table to explain what levels apply. Across the top row you'll see the number of children (or qualifying young people) per household and the levels of income linked.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single claimant’s annual income | ≤£19,900 | ≤£24,800 | ≤£29,600 | ≤£34,500 |
| Household’s annual income (if more than one adult)* | ≤£27,500 | ≤£32,300 | ≤£37,200 | ≤£42,000 |
*Maximum household income includes all income coming into your home, including from any young adults who live there.
Check your EPC if you live in Scotland, or if you live in England or Wales.
You can visit the gov.uk website if you live in England or Wales, or Scottish Assessors if you live in Scotland.
Yes, the scheme is available to properties with private landlords. To access it, the tenants need to fit the eligibility criteria – for example, meeting the low-income eligibility – and the property needs an EPC rating of D or E. If you’re the tenant, you’ll need permission from the landlord before the in-home assessment happens. Loft and cavity wall insulation is only available to private tenants who meet the low-income eligibility requirements.
Yes, the scheme is available for properties in social housing. Please contact your social housing provider or local authority for more information about which schemes are available in your area.
You can contact us at [email protected] with any general questions about the scheme.
Ask your installer if you have any questions about your home assessment or the work that’s being done on your property. You should also contact your installer with any questions or concerns about the work after it’s finished. We’ll give you their contact details once we’ve passed your info to them.
No – if you’re eligible, we’ll refer you to one of our installation partners. They’ll survey your property, recommend which works might be suitable and then install them (if you choose to go ahead). You’ll need to sign a contract with them before any work begins. Make sure you read this contract very carefully before agreeing to the installation, and get independent expert advice if you’re not sure about anything.
It can take a while to go through the Great British Insulation Scheme process. It’ll take longer if you’re applying for the low-income group. Even once you’re confirmed as eligible, it can take a few weeks to confirm that your home is suitable for the work to be done.
No, this scheme focuses on insulating your home. If you’re in the low-income group, there’s a chance you could also get added heating controls installed. And your installer will also automatically assess you to see if you’re eligible for the ECO4 scheme. This is a separate scheme that reviews the energy efficiency of your home and provides upgrades.