Independent information
This is an independent information service. All information is sourced from GOV.UK and Ofgem publications. Energy Pages is not a government body. Always verify your eligibility through official channels or approved installers.
What was the Great British Insulation Scheme?
According to GOV.UK, the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) was a government programme that required energy suppliers to install insulation measures in eligible homes across Great Britain. It was formerly known as ECO+, launched in 2023, and the supplier obligation behind it ended with the scheme on 31 March 2026.
Unlike ECO4, which targets low-income households, GBIS had a broader eligibility route through its General Group — homeowners in lower Council Tax bands could qualify regardless of their income or benefit status. ECO4 does not work that way. Without a qualifying benefit, the main remaining door into it is a council referral under ECO4 Flex, which needs your council to have published a Statement of Intent, and which ends with ECO4 on 31 December 2026. Social housing rated EPC E to G is the other way in.
The scheme focused specifically on insulation measures rather than heating systems. According to Ofgem, the aim was to help around 300,000 of the least energy-efficient homes in Great Britain; it finished well short of that.
How households qualified while it ran
According to Ofgem, GBIS had two eligibility groups, and you only needed to qualify through one. Neither is open now — both closed with the scheme on 31 March 2026, and they are set out below as a record of how it worked.
Route 1
General Group
Households qualified on their Council Tax band and the property’s insulation needs — no benefits were required.
- Council Tax band A–D (England) or A–E (Scotland/Wales)
- Property needs specific insulation measures
- Owner-occupiers, private tenants, or social housing tenants
Route 2
Low Income Group
Households qualified by receiving a qualifying benefit, much like ECO4’s main route.
- Universal Credit, Pension Credit, or Housing Benefit
- Income Support, ESA, or JSA
- Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit
What insulation did GBIS cover?
Walls
Cavity wall insulation
For properties built 1920s–1990s with unfilled cavity walls. Quick to install, minimal disruption.
Full guide →Roof
Loft insulation
Top-up or full installation to the recommended 270mm depth. The most cost-effective energy improvement.
Full guide →Walls
Solid wall insulation
Internal or external insulation for pre-1920s properties without cavity walls.
Full guide →Roof
Flat roof insulation
For properties with flat roofs where standard loft insulation is not applicable.
Floor
Underfloor insulation
Reduces heat loss through suspended timber floors, common in older properties.
Roof
Room-in-roof insulation
For converted loft spaces where standard loft insulation cannot be used.
GBIS vs ECO4: what's the difference?
| GBIS | ECO4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | Council Tax band OR benefits | Income or benefits only |
| Measures | Insulation only | Insulation + heating + controls |
| Target | Broader — lower CT bands | Focused — fuel-poor households |
| Geography | England, Scotland, Wales | England, Scotland, Wales |
You may have qualified for both. Where a household was eligible for both GBIS and ECO4, an approved installer could advise on which scheme suited the property better. The same measure could not be funded under both, though different measures could go through different schemes. ECO4 itself is still open, but the installation has to be finished by 31 December 2026.
Common questions
Is the Great British Insulation Scheme still open?▾
No. GBIS ended on 31 March 2026, by which date all installations had to be complete. The GOV.UK eligibility service now states that the check for free or cheaper home insulation has closed. Insulation is still funded by ECO4 until 31 December 2026, across England, Scotland and Wales, with the work completed by that date — ask any obligated energy supplier, or your council about ECO4 Flex if you are not on a qualifying benefit. Beyond that, households looking for insulation funding in England should look at the Warm Homes: Local Grant: the application is made on GOV.UK, and the council then decides and arranges any work. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own devolved schemes.
What replaced the Great British Insulation Scheme?▾
There is no single direct replacement. GBIS was an obligation on energy suppliers, and no supplier obligation replaced it; publicly funded support now runs through the Warm Homes Plan, principally the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England, which is delivered by local authorities and targets low-income households in private tenure. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme continues separately for heat pumps and is open to applications until 31 December 2029. In Scotland the route is Home Energy Scotland, which also handles referrals to the means-tested Warmer Homes Scotland; in Wales it is Nest, and in Northern Ireland it is the Affordable Warmth Scheme and NISEP — GBIS never applied in Northern Ireland.
Who qualified for GBIS?▾
According to Ofgem, there were two routes to eligibility. The General Group covered homeowners and tenants in Council Tax bands A-D (England) or A-E (Scotland and Wales) with specific insulation needs. The Low Income Group covered households receiving qualifying benefits such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, or Housing Benefit. Neither route is open now: GBIS ended on 31 March 2026.
What insulation measures did GBIS cover?▾
While it ran, GBIS covered cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, solid wall insulation (internal and external), flat roof insulation, underfloor insulation, and room-in-roof insulation. The scheme focused specifically on insulation rather than heating systems. It ended on 31 March 2026. Insulation is still funded by ECO4 until 31 December 2026 across England, Scotland and Wales, provided the work is completed by then. Beyond that, insulation funding for a household today runs through the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England, Home Energy Scotland (which also refers households to Warmer Homes Scotland), Nest in Wales, or the Affordable Warmth Scheme in Northern Ireland.
How is GBIS different from ECO4?▾
ECO4 focuses on low-income households and covers both insulation and heating measures; it runs until 31 December 2026, by which date the installation must be complete. GBIS had broader General Group eligibility based on Council Tax band rather than income, but covered only insulation measures, and it ended on 31 March 2026. No household can qualify for both now.
Check Your Insulation Grant Eligibility
GBIS closed on 31 March 2026, so it is not part of this check. ECO4 is still open for insulation, but the installation has to be finished by 31 December 2026.
Key eligibility factors:
- Open now — the installation must be completed by 31 December 2026
- England, Scotland or Wales (not Northern Ireland)
- On a qualifying benefit, in social housing rated EPC E–G, or referred through ECO4 Flex by a council that takes part
- Eligibility is not a guarantee — suppliers decide which measures they fund
Check your property against the live MHCLG EPC register to see your current band and the schemes you may qualify for — free, in under a minute.
Check your propertyGBIS has closed — ECO4 still funds insulation until 31 December 2026
GBIS ended on 31 March 2026, so nobody can apply to it now. Which route may be open to you depends on where you live — Warm Homes: Local Grant in England (applied for on GOV.UK), Home Energy Scotland or Warmer Homes Scotland, Nest in Wales, or Affordable Warmth in Northern Ireland. Energy Pages can connect you with approved installers who can survey your property and quote for the work; the eligibility decision rests with the scheme, not the installer.
No obligation. Energy Pages connects you with approved insulation installers in your area.
How GBIS worked, for the record
The route below is how an application ran while the scheme was open. It is kept as a historical description — none of these steps is available now. For the live equivalent in England, see Warm Homes: Local Grant.
Eligibility check
The household confirmed its Council Tax band or benefit status. Properties in bands A–D (England) typically qualified.
Installer contact
An approved installer taking part in GBIS confirmed eligibility and arranged a survey.
Property survey
A qualified surveyor assessed the property to decide which insulation measures were suitable.
Installation
Approved installers carried out the work at no cost to eligible households, with quality guarantees.
Related guides
Open to 31 Dec 2026
ECO4 scheme
Insulation and heating measures for low-income households, funded by the energy suppliers. Still open, but the installation has to be finished by 31 December 2026.
Read guide →All routes
All free insulation schemes
Complete guide to the routes to free or reduced-cost insulation — ECO4 and its council Flex referral, and more.
Read guide →EPC
Improve your EPC rating
How insulation improvements affect your EPC rating and what that means for grants and property value.
Read guide →GBIS has closed — find the route that is open
Insulation funding did not end with the scheme. Which route applies depends on where you live and your household income.