The Great British Insulation Scheme, a three-year, £1 billion home insulation programme, was recently unveiled by the British government. 

Despite its intention to aid hundreds of thousands of citizens in their battle against escalating energy costs, the programme has been subject to significant criticism.

The Great British Insulation Scheme is designed to provide loft and cavity wall insulation to eligible homes, primarily those in lower council tax categories with low Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) scores.

⚠️ ECO4 has closed to new applications — here’s the help you can get nowECO4 grants are no longer available. See the grants and funding you can get now.

The government estimates the implementation could result in annual energy bill savings of approximately £310 per household.

However, Labour has voiced its concerns, contending that the scheme will only help a “small fraction” of those impacted by the rising cost of living. Approximately 80% of the programme’s funding is allocated to residences with an EPC rating of D or lower and a lower council tax band. The remaining 20% has been allocated to aid the most vulnerable, including those who receive means-tested benefits and those who live in fuel poverty.

The Secretary of State, Grant Shapps, defended the initiative by stating that it would “defend the pound in people’s pockets and create jobs across the nation.” Ed Miliband of the Labour Party disagreed, stating, “This reheated statement with no new resources is far too little and far too late. And will only assist a tiny fraction of the millions of families facing a crisis due to rising living expenses this winter.”

The Great British Insulation Scheme is the most recent iteration of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) programme, which began in 2013. The current ECO4 phase targets low-income, communal housing, and fuel-poor tenants in particular. This new phase is part of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s broader strategy to reduce the United Kingdom’s energy consumption by 15% by 2030, with £6 billion in financing allocated between 2025 and 2028.

Regarding the programme’s benefits, Hunt stated, “It will assist hundreds of thousands of people across the United Kingdom to properly insulate their homes, thereby reducing consumption and saving families hundreds of pounds annually.”

The government has announced an £18 million awareness campaign that seeks to convince consumers to lower the boiler temperature

The Great British Insulation Scheme and the awareness campaign are part of the government’s approach to energy efficiency and cost savings, which encourages families to turn down radiators in unoccupied rooms and draft-proof windows.

However, the campaign’s allocated budget falls shy of the initially reported £25 million. The government insists, despite the criticism, that these measures will have a substantial impact on energy conservation, thereby reducing the overall cost to taxpayers. 

The government’s commitment to combating excessive energy costs and promoting energy efficiency is evident, though the effectiveness of these initiatives remains to be determined.

Check your EPC Rating

Energy Performance Certificates

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) tells you how energy-efficient a property is. It would be best if you had an EPC  in England and Wales when you’re:

  • selling a property
  • renting out a property
  • building a new property

You must order an EPC for potential buyers and tenants before you market your property to sell or rent.

In Scotland, it is not compulsory to have an EPC rating though there is talk of legislation changing this in the future.

An EPC contains:

  • information about a property’s energy use and typical energy costs
  • steps to improve a property’s energy efficiency and save money

An EPC gives a property an energy efficiency rating from A (best) to G (worst) and is valid for 10 years.