Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS): Closed on 31 March 2026
The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026 and takes no new applications. It ran from April 2023 and paid for one insulation measure, usually loft or cavity wall, for homes in Council Tax bands A to D in England (A to E in Scotland and Wales) with an EPC of D or below, and unlike ECO4 nobody in the house had to be on benefits. This page keeps the detail of what GBIS covered, because installers still quote against it, and sets out what is still open in 2026.
Who qualifies
GBIS has two groups.
General Group (no benefits required)
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Council Tax band | A to D in England (A to E in Scotland and Wales) |
| EPC rating | D, E, F, or G |
| Benefits required? | No |
| Property type | Owner-occupied or privately rented (with landlord permission) |
This is the key difference from ECO4. GBIS General Group is open to millions of homeowners regardless of income.
Low-Income Group
If you receive a means-tested benefit (the same qualifying benefits as ECO4), you qualify for the Low-Income Group regardless of your Council Tax band. This provides access to a wider range of measures.
What GBIS covers
GBIS focuses on single insulation measures rather than the whole-house approach of ECO4. The most common measures are:
| Measure | Annual saving | Your cost |
|---|---|---|
| Loft insulation (to 270mm) | £135 to £355 | Free |
| Cavity wall insulation | £170 to £395 | Free |
| Room-in-roof insulation | £200 to £400 | Free or subsidised |
| Flat roof insulation | £100 to £200 | Free or subsidised |
| Underfloor insulation | £40 to £115 | Free or subsidised |
Savings from Energy Saving Trust. Savings were calculated at the January to March 2026 gas price of 6.76p per kWh. From 1 October 2026 the Ofgem cap puts gas at 7.97p per kWh, so expect savings around 18% higher than shown.
GBIS vs ECO4
| Feature | GBIS | ECO4 |
|---|---|---|
| Benefits required? | No (General Group) | Yes (or Flex referral) |
| Approach | Single insulation measure | Whole-house retrofit |
| Measures | Insulation only | Insulation, heating, controls |
| Maximum value | Varies (typically £1,000 to £5,000) | Up to £10,000+ |
| Closing date | Closed 31 March 2026 | 31 December 2026 |
| EPC requirement | D, E, F, or G | D, E, F, or G |
If you qualify for both, ECO4 typically provides more comprehensive support. GBIS is the faster route for a single insulation upgrade.
GBIS closed on 31 March 2026
The scheme ended as planned. Nothing replaced it like for like: its insulation work folds into the government's Warm Homes Plan, the £15 billion programme published in January 2026. ECO4 still runs to 31 December 2026 for households on qualifying benefits. Check what you qualify for with our grant eligibility checker.
What you can still get in 2026
GBIS is closed, but three routes to free or subsidised insulation are open, and a fourth is coming.
| Scheme | Who it is for | What it pays for | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECO4 | Households on qualifying benefits, or referred by the council under flexible eligibility | Insulation, heating and controls as a whole-house package, often £10,000 or more | 31 December 2026 |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant | Low income households in England, privately owned or privately rented, EPC D to G | Insulation, solar panels and an air source heat pump where suitable, at no cost to the household | Runs through participating councils |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme | Any homeowner in England or Wales replacing fossil fuel heating, no income test | £7,500 off a heat pump, or £9,000 replacing oil or LPG | Open to 2030 |
| Warm Homes Plan | The successor programme, open to households at every income level | £15 billion to upgrade up to 5 million homes by 2030 | Rolling out in phases |
Scheme rules from GOV.UK and Ofgem, checked September 2026. The Warm Homes: Local Grant is run by councils, so both the eligibility route and the waiting list depend on where you live.
Step 1: Check your EPC rating on GOV.UK. Every remaining scheme is aimed at homes rated D or below, and the certificate is what an installer works from.
Step 2: Run our grant eligibility checker. It covers ECO4, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and the local grant routes in one pass.
Step 3: If you are on a qualifying benefit, contact your energy supplier about ECO4. If you are not, ask your council whether it holds Warm Homes: Local Grant funding and how its referral route works, because the flexible eligibility rules are set locally.
Step 4: If nothing fits, price the work yourself. Loft insulation pays for itself in two to four years even at full price, and our insulation calculator gives the saving for your own home.
After insulating, track your savings with an energy monitor. Seal remaining draughts with draught excluder strips. Check for damp with a damp meter.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be on benefits for GBIS?
No. The General Group is open to anyone in Council Tax bands A to D with an EPC of D or below. This is the key difference from ECO4.
Is GBIS still open?
No. The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026 and no new applications are accepted. Its work folds into the Warm Homes Plan. ECO4 runs to 31 December 2026 and the Warm Homes: Local Grant runs through participating councils.
Can I get GBIS and ECO4?
If you qualify for both, you can potentially receive measures from each scheme, but not the same measure twice. Use our grant checker.
Data sources
Scheme details from GOV.UK. Savings from Energy Saving Trust. Ofgem data from Ofgem.