The Powering Up Britain Energy Security Plan, published on 13 April 2023, sets out a Great British Insulation Scheme, previously known as ECO+, intended to upgrade 300,000 of the country's least energy efficient homes1. The plan also extends the Boiler Upgrade Scheme until 2028 and creates a new £30 million Heat Pump Investment Accelerator1.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides grants of up to £6,000 towards a heat pump for homes in England and Wales1. Its extension coincides with an aim to ensure a minimum of 600,000 heat pumps are being installed annually from 20281. The insulation scheme sits alongside the existing Home Energy Grants and Schemes in the UK landscape, in which the Great British Insulation Scheme is aimed at the least efficient properties.
The industry body HIES, which represents accredited installers, welcomed the package. It said:
"We especially welcome the extension of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme until 2028"
HIES also said the extension "reflects what HIES members are telling us", adding that members want to invest further but need "the peace of mind and surety of a long-term, sustainable market"1. The body said it has "a vast network of vetted and accredited installers across the UK ready and waiting to help homeowners who want to go green"1.
The plan covers larger infrastructure measures as well, including investment in offshore wind, Great British Nuclear, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, carbon capture and storage, and round five of investment in renewable electricity1.
| Measure | Detail as reported |
|---|---|
| Great British Insulation Scheme | Formerly ECO+; to upgrade 300,000 of the least energy efficient homes1 |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme | Extended until 2028; grants of up to £6,000 towards a heat pump in England and Wales1 |
| Heat Pump Investment Accelerator | New, £30 million1 |
| Heat pump installation aim | Minimum of 600,000 installed annually from 20281 |
Why it matters for households
The insulation scheme is directed at the least energy efficient homes, the properties that lose heat fastest and cost most to keep warm. For a household, the practical link between insulation and energy independence is that a home needing less energy to stay warm depends less on whatever the grid and the wholesale market are doing. The extension of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme matters to any household weighing a heat pump, because it fixes the grant at up to £6,000 for England and Wales for a longer period. Eligibility rules for the insulation scheme, and how it compares with ECO4, are set out in the site's pages on Great British Insulation Scheme eligibility and Great British Insulation Scheme vs ECO4. The wider context of how the country's housing performs is covered in the energy efficiency of the UK housing stock.
What happens next
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is to continue until 2028, with the stated aim of a minimum of 600,000 heat pump installations a year from 20281. No start date, delivery body or eligibility detail for the Great British Insulation Scheme is given in the announcement1.
Sources1 cited
- Powering Up Britain Energy Security Plan - HIES, hiesscheme.org.uk