If you have been searching for the great British insulation scheme hoping to apply, you are a little too late. The scheme closed to new applications on 31 March 2026, exactly as planned, and there is no direct like for like replacement. That does not mean funding for external wall insulation has disappeared, but it does mean the route to it has changed.
What the Great British Insulation Scheme Actually Did
Launched in 2023, the great British insulation scheme was a one billion pound government programme aimed at the least energy efficient homes in the country. Unlike the Energy Company Obligation, which takes a whole house approach and often bundles several measures together, this scheme mostly delivered a single insulation measure per property, frequently cavity wall insulation, though external wall insulation was also included for eligible solid wall homes.
Eligibility was based on a combination of council tax band and EPC rating, alongside support for low income and vulnerable households. Because the qualifying criteria were broader than some other schemes, it reached households who might not have qualified for benefit based support alone.
Why the Great British Insulation Scheme Closed
The scheme was always scheduled to run until March 2026, and the government has confirmed it closed as planned rather than being cut short. According to the government’s own Warm Homes Plan, supplier obligations under this scheme were brought to a close because they no longer represented strong value for money, particularly as insulation costs, including solid wall insulation, had risen in recent years.
Importantly, this was a deliberate policy decision rather than a funding shortfall. The government has been explicit that closing the scheme freed up focus for other routes, rather than ending support for insulation altogether.
What Replaces the Great British Insulation Scheme
There is no single scheme stepping directly into its place, but external wall insulation funding has not disappeared. A few routes remain genuinely open right now.
The Energy Company Obligation, known as eco4, continues to fund external wall insulation for eligible households, and its obligation period has actually been extended to 31 December 2026 to allow an orderly wind down. If your home is solid walled and you receive qualifying benefits, or your local authority refers you through eco4 Flex, this is currently the strongest route available.
Beyond that, the wider Warm Homes Plan includes grants delivered through the Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Social Housing Fund, alongside low and zero interest consumer loans for households who fall outside strict benefit thresholds. These are less centralised than the great british insulation scheme was, and eligibility varies by area, so checking directly with your local authority is worthwhile.
How to Check What You Can Still Get
Because there is no single national scheme replicating what closed, the practical first step is checking eco4 eligibility with your energy supplier, since it remains the most established and widely available route for external wall insulation funding. If you do not qualify under the standard criteria, contact your local council about eco4 Flex or any local Warm Homes Plan grants operating in your area.
It is also worth understanding the real cost of external wall insulation without funding, so you know what you are working towards if a grant only covers part of the work, or if you do not qualify for full funding.
What This Means If You Were Waiting on GBIS
If you were planning to apply through the great british insulation scheme and missed the closure, the good news is that the underlying need for insulation funding has not gone away, and the government has said explicitly that it intends to combine remaining support into a single offer for low income households later in 2026. In the meantime, eco4 is the most reliable route open today, and it is worth checking your eligibility before its own deadline arrives at the end of the year.
For a broader look at wall insulation options and what current funding routes actually cover, our guide to wall insulation, including what replaced the great British insulation scheme, covers cavity and solid wall approaches side by side.
Getting Started
Do not assume that because the great british insulation scheme has closed, insulation funding is no longer available to you. Check your eco4 eligibility first, then look at local authority grants under the Warm Homes Plan if you do not qualify. Contact our team today for a free assessment of what your home qualifies for under the schemes currently open.