The Great British Insulation Scheme closed to new applicants in October 2025, the Energy Saving Trust states in its energy jargon buster, a glossary page last updated on 20 March 20261. The Trust describes the scheme as "A UK Government scheme to help people get free or discounted insulation" and confirms that "It closed to new applicants in October 2025."1
The glossary entry gives no further detail on the closure. It does not state how many households used the scheme, how much was spent, whether applications already in progress will be completed, or whether any replacement scheme has been announced. None of these points has been reported in the source1.
The same page sets out other grant terminology that householders may still encounter. It defines the Boiler Upgrade Scheme as "A UK Government grant of up to £7,500 to help pay for a heat pump or biomass boiler in England and Wales"1. It describes the Energy Company Obligation as "A UK Government scheme that helps people with low incomes make their homes warmer and use less energy"1. It also notes that the Feed-in Tariff, an older export payment, "has since been replaced by the Smart Export Guarantee"1.
"A UK Government scheme to help people get free or discounted insulation. It closed to new applicants in October 2025."
| Term | What the source says |
|---|---|
| GBIS | Free or discounted insulation; closed to new applicants in October 20251 |
| ECO | Helps people with low incomes make their homes warmer and use less energy1 |
| BUS | Grant of up to £7,500 for a heat pump or biomass boiler in England and Wales1 |
| FiT | Old export tariff, replaced by the Smart Export Guarantee1 |
Why it matters for households
Insulation reduces how much heat a home loses, so it lowers the amount of energy needed to keep rooms warm. A grant that covered part or all of that cost removed the upfront barrier for eligible households. With the scheme shut to new applicants, that route to a better insulated home is no longer open, and the cost of insulation work falls to the household unless another scheme applies.
For a home's energy independence, the fabric of the building sets the floor on what any heating system, tariff or generation technology can achieve. A well insulated home needs less bought-in energy to stay warm, which reduces exposure to price changes and to periods of high demand. The closure does not change the physical benefit of insulation; it changes who pays for it.
Other support routes remain described on the same page, including ECO and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme1. Eligibility rules, funding levels and application windows for those schemes are not set out in this source.
What happens next
No next steps are given. The source does not say whether the scheme will reopen, whether a successor will be introduced, or what happens to applications already submitted before October 20251.
Sources1 cited
- Energy jargon buster - Energy Saving Trust, energysavingtrust.org.uk