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newjerseyminx
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September 7, 2023
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Great British Insulation Scheme - Loft insulation, is it worth it?

  • September 7, 2023
  • 16 replies
  • 3033 views

Has anyone else been contacted by Efficient Homes regarding the GBIS?  I registered as in a band D, EPC D house that is badly in need of loft insulation.  My understanding is that under this scheme you will be given a Gov grant towards the cost with the rest funded by you.  I was expecting to pay a couple of hundred quid but I got a call this morning from Efficient Homes and was told my contribution would be over £1500 to insulate the loft plus I was not able to have the pitched roof insulation which is what I really wanted.  I’m sure I could get a professional insulation company to do the job cheaper than £1,500 but was curious to know if anyone else had registered?  What have your experiences been so far?  Anyone know how much the actual grant amount is?

Best answer by newjerseyminx

Updated on 22/05/25 by Emmanuelle_OVO:
 

The Great British Insulation Scheme offers households in England Wales and Scotland access to one free or discounted insulation measure. 

 

This scheme is open to all, meaning there is no requirement to be an OVO customer to get this.

 

Customers must be a home owner, reside in a property with a Council Tax Band of A-E in Scotland / Wales and A-D in England and have an EPC rating of D or below.

 

Applications are open and very welcome here.

 

If you have a query or question, contact ECO@ovo.com we will be happy to help and will respond within 48 hours.

I’ve received an email response from Ofgem re the GBIS and here it is:

The Great British Insulation Scheme is a market-led scheme that works by setting customer bill savings targets that the larger energy suppliers must achieve by installing insulation measures in people’s homes. The government assumes that households in the “general group” (those not on low incomes and more able to pay) will contribute, on average, 10% of the cost of measures. This means that energy suppliers are likely to require financial contributions from some customers in the “general group” to meet their targets and ensure installations are cost-effective for them. We do not assume contributions from customers on a low income will be required. 

However, there is no requirement for customers to contribute, or to contribute a set amount. As a market-led scheme, it is up to the installer to negotiate any contribution that the customer is willing to pay, taking account of any property issues and the measure to be installed. 

We cannot comment on individual quotes or cases. Each installer operates differently and decides the amount of contribution required based on many factors.  

I have highlighted the paragraph that is most of interest.  So if there is no requirement for customers to contribute a set amount or at all then I can only assume it is Effective Homes that feel I should pay the £1,500 towards my project.  

I’m concerned that whilst the Government assumes that we will contribute on average 10% of the costs then if £1,500 is 10% of my project, the remaining 90% = £13,500.  Rather a lot to pay for loft insulation, wouldn’t you say?

 

16 replies

BPLightlog
Super User
BPLightlogSuper User
Super User
September 7, 2023

There’s some Ofgem information being a recently detailed government scheme 

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/great-british-insulation-scheme-delivery-guidance

The maximum grant I believe is £1500, so perhaps it depends on what needs doing. The little I’ve read tries to differentiate this from the ECO4 scheme referencing specific parts of the building rather than the ECO4 whole house approach. 
It will be useful to know how this progresses 

Bring me Sunshine ~ E&E {Solar PV, Battery Storage, Hybrid EV, ASHP and Home Assistant automation}
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    newjerseyminxAuthor
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    September 8, 2023

    Thanks for that.  I had already taken a look at the Ofgem site.  I can’t seem to find any info anywhere that explains the consumer contribution side of things so if the maximum grant is £1,500, how do I find out what the total cost of my project  is and what percentage of the total cost of my project am I funding?   The scheme on the whole sounds great for those on benefits/low income etc but once again it is those who fall just outside that bracket that receive little/no help.  £1,500 to pay out on insulation is a lot of money for most folks and I suspect that once again, there will probably be little take up from the ‘general group’ to the scheme.  If the Gov/energy suppliers expect folks to retro-fit their homes then the consumer contribution should be significantly less than 50% of the total cost of the work.

    Emmanuelle_OVO
    Retired Moderator
    Emmanuelle_OVO
    Retired Moderator
    September 11, 2023

    Hey @newjerseyminx,

     

    What an interesting topic,

     

    I had a look into this and couldn’t find any more information than has already been provided on this thread and on the OFGEM website, if you find out more please report back to this topic. It could be really helpful for other community members!

     

    I’ll ask internally about this too. 

    Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
      BPLightlog
      Super User
      BPLightlogSuper User
      Super User
      September 11, 2023

      There is this page from the website 

      https://www.ovoenergy.com/great-british-insulation-scheme

      although it may not provide much additional detail. There is an email address provided for more information 

      Bring me Sunshine ~ E&E {Solar PV, Battery Storage, Hybrid EV, ASHP and Home Assistant automation}
        N
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        newjerseyminxAuthor
        Rank 5
        September 11, 2023

        Another interesting snippet of info to pass on to anyone who is thinking of pursuing a project under the GBIS scheme.  Part of the process involves a survey of your property that is similar to an EPC survey.  My house had its EPC survey carried out in 2019 - rated D.  Apparently if you purchase a property with a poor EPC rating then carry out home improvements such as installing insulation, double glazing, new heating, etc then unbeknown to you, your EPC rating may have changed.  The GBIS survey aims to identify your current EPC rating AND if this has changed for the better then be aware that you would no longer be eligible to claim under the scheme.  This may be of particular interest to anyone with an old dated EPC that may have been upgrading/renovating their property.

          N
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          newjerseyminxAuthor
          Rank 5
          September 11, 2023

          I have emailed Ofgem to enquire about the consumer contribution towards GBIS funded projects and I will let you all know the outcome once I’ve received a response :)

            Emmanuelle_OVO
            Retired Moderator
            Emmanuelle_OVO
            Retired Moderator
            September 12, 2023

            Thanks for keeping us posted @newjerseyminx this is really helpful stuff!

            Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
            N
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            newjerseyminxAuthorSolved
            Rank 5
            September 14, 2023

            Updated on 22/05/25 by Emmanuelle_OVO:
             

            The Great British Insulation Scheme offers households in England Wales and Scotland access to one free or discounted insulation measure. 

             

            This scheme is open to all, meaning there is no requirement to be an OVO customer to get this.

             

            Customers must be a home owner, reside in a property with a Council Tax Band of A-E in Scotland / Wales and A-D in England and have an EPC rating of D or below.

             

            Applications are open and very welcome here.

             

            If you have a query or question, contact ECO@ovo.com we will be happy to help and will respond within 48 hours.

            I’ve received an email response from Ofgem re the GBIS and here it is:

            The Great British Insulation Scheme is a market-led scheme that works by setting customer bill savings targets that the larger energy suppliers must achieve by installing insulation measures in people’s homes. The government assumes that households in the “general group” (those not on low incomes and more able to pay) will contribute, on average, 10% of the cost of measures. This means that energy suppliers are likely to require financial contributions from some customers in the “general group” to meet their targets and ensure installations are cost-effective for them. We do not assume contributions from customers on a low income will be required. 

            However, there is no requirement for customers to contribute, or to contribute a set amount. As a market-led scheme, it is up to the installer to negotiate any contribution that the customer is willing to pay, taking account of any property issues and the measure to be installed. 

            We cannot comment on individual quotes or cases. Each installer operates differently and decides the amount of contribution required based on many factors.  

            I have highlighted the paragraph that is most of interest.  So if there is no requirement for customers to contribute a set amount or at all then I can only assume it is Effective Homes that feel I should pay the £1,500 towards my project.  

            I’m concerned that whilst the Government assumes that we will contribute on average 10% of the costs then if £1,500 is 10% of my project, the remaining 90% = £13,500.  Rather a lot to pay for loft insulation, wouldn’t you say?

             

              BPLightlog
              Super User
              BPLightlogSuper User
              Super User
              September 14, 2023

              Hi @newjerseyminx , trying to look up the company you refer to but earlier you mentioned Efficient Homes and then later Effective Homes. There are companies registered with both names

              Bring me Sunshine ~ E&E {Solar PV, Battery Storage, Hybrid EV, ASHP and Home Assistant automation}
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              newjerseyminxAuthor
              Rank 5
              September 14, 2023

              Sorry, probably got confused as the names are so similar but here are their contact details from the bottom of the email received from them:

              T  |  02392 065578 | 
              A  |  Unit 3  |  Crompton Business Park  |  Crompton Road  |  Doncaster  |  DN2 4PA 
              https://effectivehome.co.uk/

              Show more replies
              Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement

              OVO Energy Ltd, Floor 5, Crescent, Temple Back, Redcliffe, BS1 6EZ, (Company no. 06890795) registered in England and Wales.

              OVO (S) Gas Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No. 02716495) at Floor 5, Crescent, Temple Back, Redcliffe, BS1 6EZ.

              OVO (S) Gas Limited is part of OVO Group Ltd