Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) and Solar

The Great British Insulation Scheme — GBIS for short — was a government-backed programme designed to improve home insulation across England, Scotland, and Wales. It closed on 31 March 2026. This article explains what GBIS was, who it helped, and — crucially — where to go now that it has ended.

What Was GBIS?

GBIS launched in 2023 as a complement to the ECO4 scheme. Where ECO4 focused on raising a home's overall EPC rating through multiple measures, GBIS was more narrowly focused on one big win: reducing heat loss through better insulation.

Energy suppliers with over 250,000 domestic customers were obligated to deliver insulation improvements under GBIS. The scheme had a target of helping 300,000 homes by March 2026. Unlike ECO4 — which was extended to December 2026 — GBIS was not extended and closed on its original date.

How Solar Fitted Into GBIS

GBIS was not a solar-first scheme. The primary eligible measures were:

• Loft insulation
• Cavity wall insulation
• Solid wall insulation (internal or external)
• Underfloor insulation
• Flat roof insulation
• Room-in-roof insulation

Solar PV could be funded under GBIS, but only as a secondary measure installed alongside a primary insulation measure. Standalone solar was not available through GBIS.

In practice, the likelihood of getting solar through GBIS depended on the installer and supplier. Some bundled solar as a secondary measure; others focused solely on insulation because it was more straightforward for meeting their scheme obligations.

Who Qualified?

GBIS had two eligibility routes:

General Group

• Home with an EPC rating of D, E, F, or G
• Properties in council tax bands A–D were prioritised (in England and Wales)
• No benefits required
• Owner-occupiers, private tenants, and social tenants were all eligible

Low-Income Group

• Receiving means-tested benefits (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, etc.)
• Home with an EPC of D, E, F, or G
• Higher funding caps applied, making additional measures like solar more likely

What Replaced GBIS?

GBIS is not being replaced on a like-for-like basis. The government has confirmed there will be no GBIS successor scheme. Instead, insulation funding for eligible households moves to the Warm Homes: Local Grant, which is already live.

The Warm Homes: Local Grant is meaningfully different from GBIS:

• It is direct government grant funding, not a supplier obligation
• It covers a wider range of measures — including solar panels, not just insulation
• Your council manages the process, not your energy supplier
• Income threshold: under £36,000. EPC requirement: D–G

If you were planning to apply for GBIS, apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant instead. Call 0800 098 7950 or visit gov.uk/apply-warm-homes-local-grant.

How to Apply (Warm Homes: Local Grant)

Since GBIS is closed, here is the current process for insulation and solar funding:

1. Check your EPC at find-energy-certificate.service.gov.uk
2. Confirm your income — the threshold is under £36,000 household income
3. Apply online at gov.uk/apply-warm-homes-local-grant or call 0800 098 7950
4. Your council arranges the assessment and installation — you do not need to find a contractor yourself

GBIS vs ECO4 vs Warm Homes: Local Grant

Now that GBIS has closed, it is useful to understand how it compared to the schemes that remain active:

If you previously qualified for GBIS's general group (no benefits, but low EPC), the Warm Homes: Local Grant is the most likely successor — provided your household income is under £36,000. ECO4 remains open until December 2026 for benefits-eligible households.

What to Expect from a Warm Homes: Local Grant Installation

The Warm Homes: Local Grant follows similar quality standards to what GBIS required:

• Your council identifies and approves your application
• A TrustMark-registered installer carries out the work
• There is no cost to you for eligible measures
• Work follows PAS 2030/2035 retrofit standards
• Appropriate guarantees apply (25-year insurance-backed for cavity wall insulation; MCS certification for solar)

For insulation alone, work typically takes 1–3 days. If solar is included, add another 1–2 days for the PV installation.

GBIS Timeline

GBIS ran from 2023 to 31 March 2026. It stopped accepting new applications in October 2025 and closed on its original end date without extension. Unlike ECO4, which was extended to December 2026, GBIS was wound down as planned. The Warm Homes Plan — specifically the Warm Homes: Local Grant — now covers the households GBIS served.

The synergy between good insulation and solar remains as strong as ever, even though GBIS itself has ended. If you are planning a private solar installation and want to improve your home's insulation at the same time, these are popular panel options:

JA Solar JAM54D41 450W N-type TOPCon

£82

watt peak

450

efficiency pct

22.8

dimensions mm

1722 x 1134 x 30

weight kg

21.5

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GivEnergy All-in-One 5kW Hybrid Inverter

£1,200

rated power kw

5

max pv input kw

7.5

mppt channels

2

battery voltage v

48V

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Is GBIS-Style Support Still Available?

GBIS itself is gone, but the support it provided has a successor. The Warm Homes: Local Grant is the current route to funded insulation — and it goes further than GBIS ever did, including solar panels in the same package.

If you need insulation and potentially solar:

• Household income under £36,000 and EPC D–G: Apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant at gov.uk/apply-warm-homes-local-grant
• On qualifying benefits: Apply for ECO4 — still open until December 2026
• Neither of the above: Explore solar panel finance options and note that 0% VAT applies to all residential solar installations regardless of income

The combination of good insulation and solar remains one of the most effective whole-house efficiency upgrades available. Getting insulation right first means your solar generation goes further — less heat loss means less heating demand, and your solar electricity covers a larger proportion of what remains.

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