The Great British Insulation Scheme, the government's flagship insulation programme, installed just over 1,000 energy efficiency measures between March and October 2023, according to analysis published by the End Fuel Poverty Coalition1. At that rate, the coalition says it would take 190 years to upgrade the energy efficiency of the UK's housing stock1.
The coalition cites survey data commissioned by the Warm This Winter coalition, carried out by Opinium among 2,000 UK adults, which found that 39% of UK households say they cannot afford to insulate their homes1. The figure was highest in London at 50%, followed by Wales at 46% and Yorkshire and Humber at 45%1. The coalition also states that the majority of UK homes are rated EPC Band D or below and around a fifth have no roof insulation1.
The coalition says upgrading inefficient homes to EPC band C would collectively save consumers £24 billion on their energy bills by 2030, and that insulation would give the UK more energy independence by lowering the gas required to heat homes1. It states that energy bills rose by a further £94 for the average household at the start of the year1. Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho has conceded that the government's Oil and Gas Licensing Bill will not bring down energy bills, the coalition notes1.
"This government is obsessing over oil and gas drilling, which will do absolutely nothing to lower bills, while progress on energy efficiency, which is the quickest and cheapest way to keep people warm this winter, has slowed to a crawl."
"While households struggle in cold, damp, mouldy homes and struggle to pay their bills, Ministers are sitting on their hands."
Why it matters for households
The pace of installation matters to any household waiting on a grant-funded insulation measure, because a programme delivering just over 1,000 measures in seven months implies long waits and limited capacity. The coalition's affordability figures suggest cost, not just availability, is a barrier: 39% of households say they cannot afford to insulate at all1. For a home's energy independence, the coalition's argument is that insulation lowers the gas required to heat a home, and that gas will increasingly come from abroad as North Sea production declines1. Households in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland face separate grant arrangements, covered in the site's guides to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Eligibility for the scheme is set out in the guide to GBIS eligibility, and the benefits that qualify for energy grants are listed separately.
What happens next
The coalition calls for urgent action on energy bills and the cost of insulation, and criticises the Oil and Gas Licensing Bill1. It says ministers have refused to introduce an Emergency Energy Tariff for vulnerable households and have ruled out reform to energy tariffs1. No further installation figures for the scheme beyond October 2023 have been reported1.
Sources1 cited
- Public priced out of essential warm home measures, endfuelpoverty.org.uk