The UK is in the midst of an ‘insulation crisis’, warn experts, with Brits urged to take up government funding which could slash up to £400 a year off their energy bills.
The £1 billion Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) was launched in March 2023 and is aimed at supporting 300,000 homes with an energy performance certificate rating of D to G and those within council tax bands A to D in England (and A to E in Scotland and Wales).
But more than half way into the three-year scheme just 30,182 households across the country have been upgraded. This means only 10% of the 300,000 homes that the scheme aimed to support have so far benefited. Households that qualify for GBIS can benefit from new roof, loft or cavity wall insulation, saving around £300 to £400 a year on their energy bills.
One Home CEO and environmental scientist, Angela Terry, said: “At a time where much of the country has been battered by storms and snow, and as householders face energy prices rising yet again in January, the issue of adequate home insulation has never been more pressing.
“Energy bills are still 65% higher than the winter of 2020/21. This country has some of the least energy efficient homes in Europe and six million households living in fuel poverty, and while the new Government has promised a Warm Homes Plan, there is currently a lack of detail on what this involves, what funding has been secured or when it will be rolled out. We have to face facts that the UK is in the grip of an insulation crisis and we urgently need to upgrade our housing stock.”
Data obtained by climate solutions charity, One Home, reveals that uptake is highest by households in Lincolnshire’s West Lindsey, Kingston-upon-Hull and Salford – yet is still low overall.
Fourteen of the top 20 areas (70%) with the highest uptake are in the North and Midlands – including Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Leicester and Birmingham – whilst 95% of the 20 areas with the lowest uptake are in the South – including Cambridge, St Albans, Mid Devon and Winchester.
Households in Lincolnshire’s West Lindsey have taken advantage of the initiative more than anywhere else in the country. 664 households per 100,000 have been upgraded – that is having one or more types of insulation or ‘measures’ installed – since the scheme’s launch in March 2023, followed by 507 per 100,000 in Kingston-upon-Hull and 498 per 100,000 in Salford.
In comparison, zero homes per 100,000 have used the scheme in Camden, the City of London, Islington and Kensington and Chelsea. In Inner London as a whole, just 24 households per 100,000 have been upgraded by having insulation installed via the GBIS initiative.
One Home has called on the Government to extend the scheme past its current deadline of 31 March 2026 – in order to achieve the adoption rates needed to have real impact.
Angela Terry added: “This is the third winter that consumers have been living with excessively high energy bills – I implore homeowners to act now. If they don’t take action to insulate their property and protect themselves against expensive heating costs, future winters will continue to be cold, bleak and costly.
“The scheme should be a great tool to address this yet the low levels of uptake are heart breaking when millions are struggling to heat their homes. It’s essential that the Government does more to promote its benefits and that consumers are empowered with the knowledge they need to cut their bills.”
HOW TO APPLY TO THE SCHEME
You may be able to get free or cheaper insulation to reduce your home’s energy bills if your property has an energy performance certificate (EPC) of D to G. To find out, go to gov.uk/find-energy-certificate
You can also get support if you live in Council Tax bands A-D in England or A-E in Scotland or Wales – check your Council Tax band
You can be a homeowner, landlord or tenant (either renting privately or from a housing association). If you’re a tenant, speak to your landlord before you apply. You’ll need their permission before any insulation can be installed.
To apply for the scheme go to check-eligibility-for-gb-insulation-scheme.service.gov.uk/9742dfb2-7bd8-421c-a488-aec50b0c6cc4/country/
ANGELA TERRY’S 7 TIPS ON HOW TO REDUCE YOUR ENERGY BILLS
1. Switch to a fixed tariff
About 28 million households are on standard variable tariffs affected by the energy price cap – which recently jumped up, meaning an average home is paying more than £12 a month extra, or £149 a year. You might be much better off switching to a lower fixed rate so it’s worth exploring with your supplier or through a comparison website.
A fixed rate can give you more peace of mind for the period it’s in place as you’ll be protected from unexpected price increases and some rates are below the cap so should save you money.
2. Bleed your radiators
When your home’s radiators aren’t working efficiently, you’re more likely to turn your heating up or adjust the boiler thermostat, leading to higher heating bills. Avoid this by bleeding your radiators. EST has a step-by-step guide here – or you can ask a plumber to do it for you. Remember to adjust each radiator individually using the thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) once they’re bled, so you’re not over-heating any rooms you don’t regularly use.
3. Install radiator reflector panels
Energy is lost from radiators essentially heating the wall behind them at the expense of heating your room up quickly. To redirect that precious heat back to where it’s most needed, install radiator reflector panels or radiator foil behind each unit. This works if you have older radiators that are on uninsulated external walls. Reflectors should cost around £30 to install, or a five-metre roll of foil should cover three radiators. This simple fix could lower your heating bills by £25 on average a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
4. Draught-proof your windows, doors, chimney and floors
With some simple draught-proofing, you can expect to save about £45 per year on average. Professional draught-proofing typically costs around £230, but you can make your home warmer yourself at a much lower cost. Draught-proofing strips for windows and doors cost about £2 per metre, making them an accessible way to improve your home’s energy efficiency and comfort. With some simple draught-proofing, you can expect to save about £45 per year on average. For more details, visit One Home’s website to learn more about draught proofing.
5. Insulate your walls
Up to a third of your home’s heat can escape through the walls so it’s smart to insulate them. For cavity-wall insulation, small holes are drilled in the external walls and insulation beads are blown in. The holes are then sealed. The process is usually completed within a few hours and typically comes with an independent 25-year guarantee. If you don’t have cavity walls, insulating your interior or exterior walls is still worthwhile, but it involves more extensive work and will cost more. Internal insulation is cheaper but it does involve loosing a bit of space whilst external insulation is more convenient for many people.
6. Turn down your thermostat and hot water heating
Lowering your thermostat by just one degree could save you around £145 a year. Around 21°C is recommended. Wearing an extra layer indoors or getting cosy under a blanket while watching telly will help save on heating bills. Also, take some time to programme your heating so your radiators aren’t running while you’re out. If you have a hot water tank, instead of a combi boiler, double-check that your hot water comes on only when you need to wash so it isn’t set to constant. Alternatively, if you have a combi boiler you can turn down the flow temperature of the water that circulates around your home to save money. Nesta has a good guide for this.
7. Insulate your loft
Without insulation, a home loses about 25% of its heat through the roof, so the most effective way you can reduce heat loss quickly is to insulate your loft with around 27cm (about one foot) of mineral wool or fibreglass material. Sheep’s wool is a natural alternative, although it’s more expensive. You can do this yourself, which is cheapest option or hire an approved installer. However, avoid using spray foam insulation in your roof, as most mortgage lenders will not finance homes with this material in the loft. Around eight million homes in the UK collectively lose over £8 billion per year due to inadequate loft insulation. So – if you have one – starting in your loft is a great idea to keep your house warm.