Millions of British homes are missing out on energy-saving insulation offered through a government scheme, official figures have revealed.
Households are able to apply for support to insulate their homes through the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS), which was launched in March last year by the government under Rishi Sunak and aims to help around 300,000 households with the cost of installing it.
Through the £1bn scheme, energy companies have to install insulation for their customers and are commissioned to carry out the work.
But figures show that up to April there have been just 11,600 installation measures installed in 9,400 households, according to Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
As a result, campaigners are calling on the new Labour Government to offer more support to households hoping to make use of the scheme. The Government has said it will support investment in insulation under its Warm Homes Plan but the specifics are yet to be laid out.
As part of the scheme, homes can apply for cash to upgrade insulation in solid walls – as well as cavity walls, which are easier to insulate. But so far, just 816 out of a potential 7.7 million eligible households have been fitted with solid wall insulation.
Solid walls are generally made up of brick or stone, and can be both internal and external. They are trickier to insulate than cavity walls which have space inside them. Around half of all the heat lost from a typical solid-walled home escapes through the walls.
The GBIS scheme is scheduled to run until March 2026 but the new Government has not yet announced if it will continue after this. Fuel poverty charity National Energy Action (NEA) has blamed the low uptake on the scheme on energy firms being hesitant to take on jobs over future funding uncertainty.
Matt Copeland, head of policy at the NEA, said: “They are not willing to do much installation work because they can’t see where the money will come after April 2026. Everyone is at capacity and they are reluctant to increase the capacity and grow. People feel left in the dark.”
Work carried out through the scheme must meet a technical standard called PAS 2035, which is a higher standard than normal building regulations and requires intensive training for builders who do the work.
Climate change think-tank E3G claimed that installers are reluctant to carry out installations because it means they have to pay their workers to complete a PAS 2035 qualification before they are able to do the work.
James Dyson, a senior researcher at E3G, said the standards are “too heavy-handed for the low-risk, low-cost single measures that GBIS is installing”.
He said that the scheme should be underpinned by lower standards, saying: “A lighter touch approach which still ensures quality for households needs to be considered.”
He also called on the Government to convene a new group of installers and sector experts to quickly draw together a new standard.
Mr Dyson said: “The Conservative government have left a legacy of shambolic home insulation initiatives like the Great British Insulation Scheme.
“[Labour ministers] should get round the table with industry and sector experts to understand what the right solutions are, while also setting out a long-term plan to upgrade the UK’s cold and damp homes.”
Those eligible for the scheme include those who have an energy performance certificate (EPC) of D to G and people can get help to install cavity wall, loft and underfloor insulation.
Some homeowners have complained on social media that despite them applying for the scheme on energy company websites, their suppliers have not contacted them to acknowledged receipt of it, or inform them of the next steps.
Others who have applied for support with solid-wall insulation have claimed that energy companies have told them that they do not offer this product through the scheme.
Stewart Paterson, who lives with his wife in Richmond, North Yorkshire, applied for the scheme in September last year via his supplier EDF Energy and lives in a home with an EPC rating of F. An EPC shows how energy efficient a building is and gives a rating from A (most efficient) to G.
Despite him repeatedly emailing EDF for an update since applying, he received no response until a firm which does the work on behalf of the company contacted him this month to book a surveyor to visit his home to asses what materials are most suitable.
In his application, Mr Paterson stated he would prefer solid-wall insultation to be fitted because his home is made from solid-wall concrete, and solid-wall insulation is the recommended material for making homes of this type more energy efficient.
EDF told Mr Paterson in an email seen by i that it does not “provide any insulation product which is suitable for a solid walled property” through the scheme and he is now considering having different types of insulation fitted.
Mr Paterson, an account director at PR firm Abode Worldwide, told i he feels extremely frustrated with the scheme and called on the Government to work with energy companies to provide better support for people who want to make their homes warmer.
He said: “There is no way we could get this installed in our home without some government assistance, there is no way we could pay for it on our own.
“Our bills are very high because it gets hot really quick and the heat escapes quickly when we turn it off. It is not fun to be cold in your home in this day and age.
“If the government wants to help people then they need to sit down with energy companies and come up with a plan.”
Energy UK, the trade organisation for the UK energy industry, said: “GBIS has not delivered on its true potential, despite the best efforts of Ofgem and suppliers”.
It said the industry is supportive of an immediate consultation by the new Government to improve the scheme and ensure these vital measures for reducing energy bills and improving GB energy security are installed in as many homes as possible.
Charles Wood, deputy director at Energy UK, said: “Long-term certainty and improved information and advice are required if we are to give consumers a smooth journey to greener and more comfortable homes, while also giving the supply chain and engineers the confidence to expand their training and manufacturing capability across the UK, where hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of pounds of investment are up for grabs.
“It is critical that the new Government looks holistically at the approach to heat and energy efficiency, delivering a long-term approach that attracts investment alongside more detailed advice and information for households and businesses across the UK.”
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “The energy shocks of recent years have shown the urgent need to upgrade British homes and secure our energy independence.
“Our Warm Homes Plan will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating– upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament.
“By providing £13.2bn of investment to deliver this plan, we will cut bills, reduce fuel poverty and get the UK back on track to meet our climate goals.”
An EDF spokesperson said the company is playing a leading role in the GBIS scheme, having installed over 50 per cent of measures across all suppliers as part of the scheme, more than any other obligated supplier.
EDF said the GBIS could be widened to extend the benefits to more customers, including by allowing the installation of more than one measure per home and extending the scheme eligibility to include Council Tax Band E homes in England.
Ofgem, which administers the scheme, has been contacted for comment.