⚡ Key Takeaways
- Before closure, open to properties in council tax bands A-D (England) or A-E (Scotland and Wales)
- Covers cavity wall insulation and loft insulation as single-measure upgrades
- No means test required — eligibility is based on property, not income
- Home must have an EPC rating of D-G
- Funded by energy supplier obligations (separate to ECO4)
- For new enquiries, check ECO4, LA Flex, Warm Homes and supplier-led alternatives first
⚠️GBIS referral service closed on 31 March 2026The GOV.UK referral route for new GBIS applications is now closed. Some suppliers may still handle existing enquiries; new applicants should check ECO4, LA Flex and Warm Homes routes. Check current grant routes →
The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) was a UK government programme that provided free cavity wall and loft insulation to households in council tax bands A–D (England) or A–E (Scotland/Wales), with no means test required. It closed on 31 March 2026 and was not extended. Funded by a £1 billion energy supplier obligation (DESNZ), the scheme covered measures worth up to £3,000 per household. According to BRE, 19 million UK homes are rated below EPC Band C, making the majority of the housing stock potentially eligible. The GOV.UK referral service for GBIS closed on 31 March 2026; some suppliers may still handle existing enquiries, while new applicants should check the Warm Homes: Local Grant (England, to March 2028), ECO4 and LA Flex (both until 31 December 2026), Warmer Homes Scotland or Nest in Wales. Cavity wall insulation saves £200–£400 per year, and loft insulation saves £180–£350 per year (Energy Saving Trust).
Current status (18 July 2026, re-verified against GOV.UK): GBIS closed to new measures on 31 March 2026. Ofgem supplier administration can continue for notified or late measures, but new households should check ECO4, LA Flex, Warm Homes and supplier-led alternatives. ECO4 now runs to 31 December 2026.
GBIS ended on 31 March 2026, and ECO4 ends on 31 December 2026 with no ECO5 to follow. Work under ECO4 has to be installed, not just approved, before then. After that, help comes through the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England (to March 2028), Warmer Homes Scotland, Nest in Wales and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme — see
what replaces ECO4.
What you can get now · checked 10 October 2026
GBIS has closed: what you can get instead
The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026 and was not extended. If you wanted free or cheap insulation, these are the routes open today.
- No benefits? Use the income or postcode route (England) — no scheme uses council tax bands any more. The closest replacement is the Warm Homes: Local Grant: household income of £36,000 or less, or a home in one of the most deprived postcodes, in a home rated EPC D–G. Check the postcode route.
- In Scotland or Wales? — the Warm Homes: Local Grant is England only. In Scotland, Warmer Homes Scotland funds insulation and heating (Home Energy Scotland, 0808 808 2282); in Wales, Nest does the same for low-income households in homes rated EPC E or below (0808 808 2244).
- ECO4, while it lasts — ECO4 can still fund work where a local installer has capacity, but only until 31 December 2026, and the work has to be finished, not just booked. There are no new targets and no ECO5. What replaces ECO4.
- Paying yourself? — Insulation, heat pumps and solar panels installed in your home carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027 (5% after that). Installers quote the cost you pay.
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England & Wales) — £7,500 off an air source or ground source heat pump for most homeowners replacing fossil-fuel heating — no income or benefits test, and since 28 April 2026 no valid EPC needed. Homes heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas connection get £9,000 off an air source or ground source heat pump until 31 March 2027. The installer claims it and takes it off the quote; you pay the rest. Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide.
Check what you qualify for now →Sources, checked 10 October 2026: GOV.UK Warm Homes: Local Grant, GOV.UK Boiler Upgrade Scheme, SI 2026/390, Ofgem ECO, HMRC VAT Notice 708/6, GOV.UK Warm Home Discount, Home Energy Scotland, gov.wales Nest.
Business or non-domestic property?
Do not use household grant rules for a business, school, charity, farm, warehouse or office roof. Route commercial enquiries through the business solar pages instead.
GBIS has closed — what replaced it in 2026
The Great British Insulation Scheme referral route closed on 31 March 2026, but the funding for home insulation did not disappear — it moved into other schemes. If GBIS was your route, one of the three options below is now the way to get insulation paid for. Which one fits depends mainly on whether you receive benefits and where you live.
| Route | Who it suits | Funding window |
|---|
| ECO4 | Households on qualifying benefits (Universal Credit, Pension Credit and others) in an EPC band D–G home. Covers insulation and heating. | Open now, runs to 31 December 2026 |
| LA Flex | Lower-income or vulnerable households without qualifying benefits. Your council sets the local rules and issues the referral — the closest replacement for the "no benefits needed" side of GBIS. | Runs alongside ECO4 (to 31 December 2026) |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant | Lower-income owner-occupiers referred by their local authority; funds insulation and low-carbon heating. | April 2025 – March 2028 |
Not sure which route fits you? The quickest way to find out is to check your eligibility — it compares ECO4, LA Flex, Warm Homes and supplier-led routes for your postcode in about a minute.
What was the Great British Insulation Scheme?
The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS), formerly known as ECO+, was a UK government programme designed to improve home energy efficiency by providing free or heavily subsidised insulation to millions of households. It launched in March 2023 and closed on 31 March 2026; it was not extended and no council-tax-band scheme has replaced it.
What made GBIS different from ECO4 was its broader eligibility. While ECO4 requires you to receive means-tested benefits, GBIS used a simpler council tax band-based approach that opened the scheme to a much wider group of homeowners and tenants. For that group today, the nearest equivalent is the Warm Homes: Local Grant income route (household income £36,000 or less, no benefits needed).
The scheme is funded by energy suppliers as part of their government obligations and delivered through approved installers. Like ECO4, you don't need to be a customer of any particular energy company to benefit.
Who is eligible for GBIS?
Before it closed, GBIS had two eligibility groups:
General Group (no benefits needed)
- England: Home in council tax bands A, B, C, or D
- Scotland: Home in council tax bands A, B, C, D, or E
- Wales: Home in council tax bands A, B, C, D, or E
- Property must have an EPC confirming an insulation need
- Available to homeowners and private tenants (with landlord consent)
Low-income Group
If you receive any of the qualifying benefits (same as ECO4 — Universal Credit energy grants, Pension Credit, etc.), you can qualify regardless of your council tax band. This group may also access additional measures.
Key difference from ECO4: GBIS focused purely on insulation and used council tax bands for eligibility. ECO4 covers a wider range of measures but requires benefits. Many households that didn't qualify for ECO4 did qualify for GBIS — today those households should look at the Warm Homes: Local Grant income and postcode routes instead.
What insulation does GBIS cover?
| Insulation Type | Typical Savings | Installation Time | Disruption Level |
|---|
| Cavity wall insulation | £395/year | 2-3 hours | Low — drilled from outside |
| Loft insulation (full) | £590/year | Half a day | Low — laid between joists |
| Loft insulation (top-up) | £175/year | 2-3 hours | Very low |
| Flat roof insulation | £350/year | 1-2 days | Moderate |
| Room-in-roof insulation | £490/year | 1-2 days | Moderate |
GBIS vs ECO4: which one is right for you?
| Feature | GBIS | ECO4 |
|---|
| Main focus | Insulation only | Insulation + heating |
| Eligibility | Council tax band | Benefits-based |
| Benefits required? | No (general group) | Yes |
| Covers boilers? | No | Yes |
| Covers solar? | No | Yes |
| Status | GOV.UK referral service closed 31 March 2026 | Runs to 31 December 2026 |
If you receive qualifying benefits, check ECO4 first. If ECO4 does not fit, check the LA Flex scheme, Warm Homes and supplier-led support — the council-run routes that can qualify you without benefits now that the GBIS referral route has closed.
How to apply for GBIS
- Check current alternatives — Enter your postcode above to compare ECO4, LA Flex, Warm Homes and supplier-led routes.
- Property assessment — An approved installer surveys your home to determine which insulation measures are needed and suitable.
- Installation — Approved tradespeople carry out the work. Most insulation jobs are completed in a single day with minimal disruption.
- Quality inspection — An independent check may follow to ensure the work meets required standards.
Why insulation matters
Insulation is the single most cost-effective way to reduce your energy bills permanently. An uninsulated home loses heat through:
- Walls: Up to 35% of heat escapes through uninsulated walls
- Roof: Up to 25% through an uninsulated loft
- Floors: Up to 10% through uninsulated floors
- Windows and doors: Up to 20% through draughts and single glazing
By insulating your walls and loft, you can cut heat loss by up to 60% — meaning your boiler or heat pump works less hard, your bills drop, and your home is more comfortable year-round.
Insulation and heat pumps: the perfect combination
If you're considering a heat pump, getting insulation first is crucial. Heat pumps are most efficient in well-insulated homes because they operate at lower temperatures than gas boilers. Funded insulation (now through the Warm Homes: Local Grant, since GBIS has closed) combined with a £7,500 BUS grant for a heat pump is one of the most cost-effective energy upgrades available to UK homeowners.
Common GBIS questions
Is GBIS really free?
For the general group, GBIS insulation was typically free or heavily subsidised before the GOV.UK referral route closed. In most cases, there is no cost to the homeowner. If a small contribution is required, your installer will tell you upfront before any work begins.
My home is in council tax band E — can I still apply?
Before closure, England bands A-D qualified for the GBIS general group, with band E also included in Scotland and Wales. Now, use ECO4, LA Flex, Warm Homes and supplier-led checks for live support.
I already have some loft insulation — do I still qualify?
GBIS did fund top-ups where existing loft insulation was below the recommended depth, but it closed on 31 March 2026. Today a funded top-up comes through the Warm Homes: Local Grant (England) or ECO4 until 31 December 2026, usually alongside other measures. Many older homes have only 100-150mm of insulation, well below the recommended 270–300mm.
Will insulation cause damp or condensation?
Properly installed insulation should not cause damp. In fact, cavity wall insulation can help reduce condensation by keeping internal wall surfaces warmer. GBIS installations had to meet PAS standards, and so do installs under ECO4 and the Warm Homes: Local Grant: qualified installers assess for damp before proceeding.