Official Statistics

Summary of the Great British Insulation Scheme: November 2024

Published 21 November 2024

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Introduction

The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) is a government scheme to help people insulate their homes, make them more energy efficient and save money on their energy bills.

The Government announced the scheme at the end of March 2023. The £1 billion scheme aims to help the least energy efficient households across the country with the cost of installing new home insulation. The scheme is scheduled to run until March 2026.

What you need to know about these statistics

These statistics are based on data provided by Ofgem covering installations of measures since the start of the scheme at the end of March 2023 up to September 2024. Data are based on the date of completed installation of measures as recorded in the Ofgem register.

All figures are provisional and subject to revision.

Key statistics

Delivery by month

Since the start of GBIS, there have been 37,500 measures installed in 30,200 households up to the end of September 2024.

Measure delivery has continued to increase, with 7,100 measures installed in 5,700 households in September 2024 – the highest level since the scheme began. This is an increase of 26% compared to measure delivery in August.

In the last three months (July to September 2024), average monthly measure delivery was 6,000, which was 80% higher than the previous three-month average (April to June 2024).

Figure 1: Number of Measures Installed by Installation Month

The data used in Figure 1 can be found in Table 1 of the Accompanying Tables.

GBIS targets two eligibility groups: a low-income group, similar to the Help to Heat Group in ECO4, and a general eligibility group. Within the low-income group, Local Authorities can identify and refer on to the scheme households that are low-income, fuel-poor or vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home through a mechanism called Flexible eligibility. More information on these eligibilities can be found in the GBIS delivery guidance.

To the end of September 2024, around 18,000 (48%) of the measures installed under GBIS were delivered to households in the low-income eligibility group. Of those measures, around 800 were delivered under the Flexible Eligibility mechanism.

Around 10,600 (35%) of the households upgraded under GBIS to the end of September 2024 were in the low-income eligibility group. Of those households, around 400 were upgraded under the Flexible Eligibility mechanism.

Innovation measures are measures that can demonstrate an improvement over comparable measures currently deliverable under the scheme. Innovation measures can only be installed in the low-income group or in social housing band D. To the end of September 2024, around 3,600 innovation measures were installed.

Delivery by measure type

As shown in Figure 2, the most common measure so far has been cavity wall insulation, accounting for 16,400 (44%) of the total 37,500 measures. This was followed by loft insulation, accounting for 10,400 (28%) and heating controls (which are only available as secondary measures for those in the low-income group under the scheme), accounting for 7,300 (20%).

Figure 2: Number of Measures Installed by Measure Type (May 2023 to September 2024)

The data used in Figure 2 can be found in Table 3 of the Accompanying Tables.

Delivery by region

As shown in Figure 3, the highest regional delivery has been in the North West (15%), followed by the West Midlands (14%) and Yorkshire and The Humber (12%).

Figure 3: Proportion of Total Measures Installed by Geographic Region (May 2023 to September 2024)

The data used in Figure 3 can be found in the ‘Percentage of Total Measures Installed’ column of Table 4 in the Accompanying Tables.

The regional breakdown of upgraded households is largely the same as the regional breakdown of measures installed, as the majority of households (around 26,200 out of 30,200) have had only one measure installed under the scheme up to the end of September 2024. The remaining households have had one or more heating control measures installed (these are secondary measures that can only be installed in households in the low-income eligibility group under the scheme).

There have been 30,200 households upgraded under GBIS to the end of September 2024, meaning they have had at least one measure installed under the scheme. This is around 108 households upgraded per 100,000 households in Great Britain (based on estimated household levels for 2023). The rate of upgrades is higher in Wales at around 138 per 100,000. In England, the rate is closer to that of Great Britain at around 110 upgrades per 100,000. Scotland has seen a lower rate of around 69 upgrades per 100,000. The regions with the highest rate of upgrades so far are the North East, West Midlands and Yorkshire and The Humber, with 193, 158 and 150 households upgraded per 100,000 respectively.

Delivery by local authority area

GBIS measure delivery, upgrades and estimated rates per 100,000 households are provided at the local-authority level in Table 5 of the Accompanying Tables. The estimated rate of upgrades per 100,000 households is also presented in Map 1.

The level of delivery under GBIS varies at the local authority level. The local authorities with the highest rate of upgrades so far are West Lindsey (664 per 100,000 households), City of Kingston upon Hull (507 per 100,000 households), and Salford (498 per 100,000 households).

Map 1: Households upgraded under GBIS per 100,000 households by Local Authority (May 2023 to September 2024)

The data used in Map 1 can be found in the ‘GBIS households upgraded per 100,000 households’ column of Table 5 in the Accompanying Tables.

Delivery by property type and tenure

This release provides an update to quarterly data on the tenure and property type of properties receiving measures under GBIS.

Houses were the most common property type upgraded under GBIS to the end of September 2024, accounting for around 24,000 (80%) of the upgraded households. This was followed by bungalows, which accounted for 16% of households upgraded. Flats accounted for 4% and maisonettes accounted for less than 1%.

The most common tenure of households upgraded under GBIS to the end of September 2024 was ‘owner-occupied’, making up around 24,900 (82%) of the upgraded households. Socially rented households accounted for 11% and private rented households accounted for 6%.

Annex: Further Information

Next publication date

The next publication will be at 09:30am on Thursday 19 December 2024.

Scheme Information

More information on the GBIS scheme can be found at the Department’s website and at Ofgem.

Accompanying tables

Tables showing the number of measures installed and households upgraded under GBIS are available.

Revisions policy

The Department’s statistical revisions policy sets out the revisions policy for these statistics, which has been developed in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority Code of Practice for Statistics.

User engagement

Users are encouraged to provide comments and feedback on how these statistics are used and how well they meet user needs. Comments on any issues relating to this statistical release are welcomed and should be sent to: EnergyEfficiency.Stats@energysecurity.gov.uk. The Department’s statement on statistical public engagement and data standards sets out the department’s commitments on public engagement and data standards as outlined by the Code of Practice for Statistics.

Pre-release access to statistics

Some ministers and officials receive access to these Official Statistics up to 24 hours before release. Details of the arrangements for doing this and a list of the ministers and officials that receive pre-release access to these statistics can be found in the Department’s statement of compliance with the Pre-Release Access to Official Statistics Order 2008.

Contact

Responsible statisticians: Isi Avbulimen and Mark Piatek

Email: EnergyEfficiency.Stats@energysecurity.gov.uk

Media enquiries: 020 7215 1000

Public enquiries: 07927 579551