The Great British Insulation Scheme
How to get free insulation – it could save you over £300 a year
There are freebies on offer from energy providers and local authorities to make your home warmer and more energy efficient. The most common are loft and cavity wall insulation, but there are plenty of other improvements up for grabs. So if you're on benefits and/or live in a home with a low energy performance rating, you might be eligible for free insulation. Here's how to find out...
1-min read: Free insulation – check NOW to see if you qualify
The Government has been helping the least energy efficient households become more energy efficient by funding home improvement measures, such as insulation and boiler upgrades. There are two schemes – the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, designed for those on a low income, and the Great British Insulation Scheme which is open to a further 400,000 households.
Here, we've a summary and quick links to get you started. Or read the full guide below for detailed info.
- It takes a few minutes to check if you qualify. The Government has launched an online eligibility checker to see if you can get any energy-efficiency measures for your home under the Great British Insulation Scheme.
Fill out the form and if you're eligible, your energy supplier will contact you within 10 working days to ask for additional information and to arrange an assessment of your property. If you can't use the online service, you can phone the helpline on 0800 098 7950 or contact your supplier directly. See how to apply for full info.
If you're on low income, you should contact your energy supplier directly to see what's available to you.
- You could get free insulation or a new boiler. Under the schemes, households can get free insulation, including loft, roof, cavity wall and other types of insulation. Low-income households can also get new boilers and heating controls (through the ECO scheme only). But most will only be able to get one energy efficiency measure for free. See full details of what you can get.
- If you don't qualify, there are alternative schemes. You may be able to apply for similar freebies through your local council, or you can try other schemes for energy-efficient improvements, such as the Home Upgrade Grant, the Warm Homes Nest scheme (Wales only) and the Warmer Homes Scotland initiative.
Do I qualify for free insulation?
You can get free insulation, and possibly other energy-efficiency improvements, if you fall into one of the following groups. It's available to households in England, Wales and Scotland (there are similar schemes in Northern Ireland).
The 'low income' group
If you meet the criteria below, you could be eligible to have multiple energy-efficient improvements made to your home under the ECO scheme:
You own your own home (or, in some cases, rent from a private landlord); AND
- Your home has an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of D or below (EPC E or below if renting); AND
- Someone living at the property qualifies for certain benefits, such as pension credit, universal credit, child benefit (subject to income limit), income support and housing benefit. See the full list of qualifying benefits; OR
- You live in social housing, or are considered by your local council as being on low income (total household income under £31,000 a year) and vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home.
The 'general' group
Under the Great British Insulation Scheme, those who meet the criteria below may be eligible for free insulation – though you will only be able to get one type installed (eg, cavity wall insulation OR loft insulation, but not both). You may also have to pay a proportion of the costs, but you'll be told this before any work is approved. To be eligible, ALL of the following needs to apply:
- You own your own home or rent (either renting privately or from a housing association).
- Your home is in council tax band A to D in England, A to E in Scotland and Wales. You can easily check your home's council tax band on the Government website.
- Your home has an EPC rating of D or below.
One MoneySaver, Del, applied to the ECO scheme and emailed us his success:
I contacted the Help for Households government website after it was mentioned on a news article from you guys. I was called a few weeks later by UK Energy Management to arrange a survey and discovered my place was E rated [for energy performance].
Turned out I qualified for 12 solar panels, an air source heat pump, loft insulation, and new radiators throughout (plus plumbing) – all for free! (it would have cost £40k otherwise).
- Del
What free insulation can you get?
When you apply for the scheme, your energy supplier or local authority will determine whether you meet the criteria for the scheme. If you do, it will arrange to send out a professional to assess what measures might be most suitable for your home. These are main insulation improvements that could be offered to you.

Free loft and cavity wall insulation
While there are several different types of insulation available under the scheme, for the vast majority of homes, loft or cavity wall insulation will be the key measures available. According to the Government, these are "two of the most cost-effective energy efficiency measures to install to reduce energy bills".
- Cavity wall insulation. Most homes built between 1920 and 1990 have a gap between internal and external walls. Filling the cavity with insulating material means cold air's kept out, and warm air stays in – but it's not suitable for all.
- Loft insulation. Up to a quarter of your home's heat escapes through the roof, but you can limit this by laying mineral wool under the rafters.
The Energy Saving Trust reckons cavity wall insulation costs up to £1,800 to install (including building work), and can save between £180 and £690 a year on your energy bills, depending on your home. Loft insulation costs up to £890 and can save between £330 and £590 a year.
Cavity wall insulation ISN'T right for everyone
Most homes built between 1920 and 1990 have a gap between internal and external walls. By filling the cavity with insulating material, you can keep cold air out, and warm air stays in – but it's not suitable for all.
Installed properly, and in appropriate properties, cavity wall insulation can improve energy efficiency and cut home heating bills. Yet there have been numerous horror stories of damp and mould problems emerging after installation. If you're considering cavity wall insulation, it's vital to first check that it's suitable for your home.
Other types of free insulation you could get
- Solid wall insulation (external and internal)
- Pitched roof insulation
- Flat roof insulation
- Underfloor insulation
- Solid floor insulation
- Park home insulation
- Room-in-roof insulation
Availability will vary by supplier and is dependent on your energy company having contracts in place for these measures in all areas.
Solid wall insulation fitted under official Government schemes may be putting homes at risk of damp and mould
Trustmark, the independent body which oversees tradespeople working in homes, said it had found "significant examples" of solid wall insulation installed under the ECO4 and Great British Insulation Schemes "that did not meet the required standard".
You'll be contacted directly if you're impacted and if any issues are found, the installer will be required to fix the problem(s) as soon as possible, at no cost to you.
Read the full story on what we know so far and what will be done about it.
On a low income? You could get a new boiler
If you qualify under the 'low income' group, there are other energy-efficient measures you could get access to beyond free insulation. You'll be told what you could get when you have an assessment. These measures are only available under the ECO scheme and not through the Great British Insulation Scheme, so make sure you're applying to the right scheme if you're looking for one of these measures:
- Boilers. You could get your boiler repaired, upgraded or even replaced, but there's a limited number available each year – and it depends on your current boiler and its condition.
- Heating controls. If you own your home, you may qualify for free heating controls, such as thermostatic radiator valves and thermostats.
- Electric storage heaters. If you own your home, you could get your existing electric storage heaters replaced or repaired.
- Other measures. Some homes may also be eligible for improved window glazing (from single to double, or upgrading existing double-glazing), draught proofing and better quality external doors.
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How do I apply for free insulation?
The quickest and easiest way to start the application process is to use the Government's online eligibility checker. You'll be asked who your energy supplier is, whether you're a homeowner, renter or landlord, your address and council tax band (you can use the online tool for this).
Then, if you are eligible, your energy supplier should contact you within 10 working days to discuss your application and ask for any additional information. It will then arrange for a home survey to be done. If you don't hear from your energy supplier after 10 working days, you'll need to contact them to follow up.
Alternatively, you can go direct to your supplier, though this isn't always simple, as some don't let you do it online. All energy suppliers with more than 150,000 customers are required to offer improvements under the Great British Insulation and ECO schemes. However, the number of measures they'll install depends on their market share, so smaller suppliers will generally have limited availability.
Here's how to apply through your energy supplier:
How to apply through your energy supplier
Energy supplier | How to apply |
British Gas | Register online |
E | Call 0333 103 9575 |
E.on Next | Register online |
Ecotricity |
Call 0345 555 7100 |
EDF Energy |
Register online |
Octopus Energy |
Register online |
Outfox the Market | Apply through Gov.uk |
Ovo |
Register online |
Scottish Power |
Register online |
So Energy |
Apply through Gov.uk |
Utility Warehouse |
E.on Next will be managing installations on behalf of Utility Warehouse. On the Government portal, when selecting Utility Warehouse as your energy supplier, you'll receive a message that E.on Next will subsequently be in touch to complete your referral. |
Utilita Energy | Register online |
I've applied, what happens next?
Once you've been approved as eligible, your energy firm will contact an installer on your behalf. The installer will then do a home survey to check which measures are appropriate. The installer has to be accredited by TrustMark.
When your home survey is completed, the installer will let you know which measures are needed to improve your home's EPC rating, and confirm when it can start the work. You'll need to agree to all measures it suggests in order to be eligible (if it suggests more than one).
Been rejected? You may still be able to get the measures through your council
If you don't qualify under the criteria above, you may be able to apply through your council, under what's known as ECO Flex. The ECO Flex scheme enables councils to help reduce fuel poverty in their communities, by giving funding to those who are eligible in their local area.
To be eligible under ECO Flex will depend on the EPC rating of your home, and you must meet two qualifying criteria, which includes your age, health, low income, or the area you live. But not all local authorities may be taking part, so contact your local council to find out if it can help you.
Other schemes that offer free insulation and similar energy-efficiency measures
There are other energy-efficiency initiatives available to some:
- Home upgrade grant in England. If you're off the main gas grid, on low income and have an EPC rating from D to G, you might be eligible for a home upgrade grant. This could include energy-efficiency measures such as wall, loft and underfloor insulation, installation of heat pumps, solar panels, double glazing, low energy lighting and electric storage heaters.
It's only available to certain postcodes in England, and you need to apply through your local council. You can check if you're eligible and if you are, you'll be redirected to your local council to apply.
- Wales Warm Homes Nest scheme. The Welsh Government set up the Warm Homes Nest scheme in 2011 to help reduce fuel poverty. The scheme offers free energy-efficiency home improvements (including insulation, heat pumps and solar panels) to homeowners and renters who receive certain benefits. But you must also have evidence of suffering with a chronic respiratory, circulatory or mental health condition to be eligible. You could get a new boiler, radiators, heating controls and insulation.
- Warmer Homes Scotland. Home Energy Scotland's Warmer Homes Scotland initiative offers free energy-efficiency installations to homeowners and private renters who have lived in their property for at least six months and are on certain benefits. The improvements may include a new central heating boiler, radiators, heating controls, insulation or renewables.
The Great British Insulation and ECO schemes aren't available in Northern Ireland, but there are similar alternatives
While there's no insulation or ECO scheme for Northern Ireland, there are number of similar schemes aimed at helping those in need improve their home's energy efficiency, including:
- Northern Ireland Affordable Warmth Scheme. If your annual household income is less than £23,000, you could be eligible for improvements, from insulation to heating systems and controls, and even a full conversion from heating oil to gas central heating.
- The Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme (NISEP). This is generally only open to low-income households in Northern Ireland. It provides funding for energy-efficiency measures, such as boiler upgrades, new LED lights, smart heating controls and draught proofing.
You can find out more details in our Cheap Northern Ireland energy guide.
Other ways to cut your energy bill
Here are five energy-saving basics to keep your costs down:
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