Great British Insulation Scheme in Lancashire: Closed, and What Funds Insulation Now

The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026. It provided free or heavily subsidised insulation to eligible households across England, Scotland and Wales, including many Lancashire homes in Council Tax bands A to D. In Lancashire, where thousands of homes still have inadequate loft and cavity wall insulation, the routes still open are ECO4, for eligible low-income households until 31 December 2026, and the Warm Homes: Local Grant, run by councils for homes rated EPC D to G where the household has a gross income under £36,000, gets a means-tested benefit or lives in an eligible postcode.

How to Apply for Insulation Funding Now GBIS Has Closed

1. Check your eligibility — the Great British Insulation Scheme and its council tax band route closed on 31 March 2026. In England, the Warm Homes: Local Grant covers homes rated EPC D to G where the household has a gross income under £36,000, gets a means-tested benefit or lives in an eligible postcode, and ECO4 funds eligible low-income households until 31 December 2026
2. Confirm your property is suitable — cavity wall, loft, flat roof, solid wall and room-in-roof insulation were all GBIS measures until it closed; for the Warm Homes: Local Grant, the council and its installer decide what is funded
3. Contact an approved installer or your energy supplier — ECO-obligated suppliers including British Gas, OVO and Octopus can assess your ECO4 eligibility and arrange a survey until ECO4 ends on 31 December 2026; for the Warm Homes: Local Grant, contact your council
4. Book a property survey — an assessor visits your home to confirm insulation type, measure areas, and check the existing condition
5. Receive and accept the offer — the installer provides a written offer detailing the measures, timescales and any contribution required
6. Installation is carried out — work typically takes 1 to 3 days depending on the measures, and is fully funded for eligible households

The Great British Insulation Scheme aimed to insulate 300,000 UK homes before it closed on 31 March 2026. In Lancashire, cavity wall insulation and loft insulation were the most commonly delivered measures, saving households roughly £140 to £380 a year each where the loft or cavity starts empty (Energy Saving Trust figures), though a loft top-up saves far less. It no longer takes applications, so for funding now ask your council about the Warm Homes: Local Grant or check ECO4 before it ends on 31 December 2026.

Who Qualified for the Great British Insulation Scheme in Lancashire?

There were two routes to eligibility, and which one applied determined what a household could receive and how quickly things moved.

The general eligibility group covered homeowners and private tenants living in properties with an EPC rating of D, E, F or G that were in Council Tax bands A to D in England. This gave Lancashire a significant advantage – a large proportion of the county’s housing stock falls into these bands. Terraced houses across Burnley, Pendle and Hyndburn, semi-detached homes in Blackburn and Darwen, and older properties throughout the Ribble Valley and Lancaster districts were very likely to qualify.

The low-income group covered anyone receiving qualifying benefits such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Child Tax Credit (with income under £16,480), or Housing Benefit. If you received any of these, you were eligible regardless of your Council Tax band. This was particularly relevant for households in areas like central Blackburn (BB1, BB2), parts of Preston (PR1) and Burnley (BB10, BB11) where benefit claim rates are above the national average.

What Insulation Measures Were Available?

The scheme covered several types of insulation, and what a household received depended on its property type and insulation status. Measures included:

• Cavity wall insulation – suitable for most homes built between 1920 and 1990 with unfilled cavities, common across Lancashire’s inter-war and post-war housing estates
• Loft insulation – topping up existing insulation to the recommended 270mm depth or installing from scratch in uninsulated lofts
• Solid wall insulation (internal or external) – for pre-1920 homes without cavities, including stone terraces across East Lancashire
• Flat roof insulation – for properties with flat roof extensions, common on terraced homes across Bolton, Wigan and Leigh
• Underfloor insulation – for homes with suspended timber floors, often found in Victorian and Edwardian properties
• Room-in-roof insulation – for converted loft spaces and dormer rooms

The most commonly installed measures in Lancashire are cavity wall insulation and loft top-ups, as these are the quickest improvements to install. A cavity wall fill saves about £200 a year in a semi-detached house and £380 in a detached one, while insulating an empty loft saves about £140 (mid-terrace) to £360 (detached) and a top-up from 120mm only about £17 to £35 (Energy Saving Trust figures).

How to Apply in Lancashire: Step by Step

The application process is straightforward, but knowing the right route will speed things up and help you avoid scams.

Start by contacting your energy supplier directly. The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026, but under ECO4, which runs until 31 December 2026, the big energy suppliers pay for insulation for eligible low-income households. The major suppliers operating in Lancashire – British Gas, EDF, OVO Energy, Octopus Energy and E.ON – all participate. Call them or check their website to see whether you qualify.

Alternatively, contact a TrustMark registered installer in the Lancashire area who is approved to deliver ECO4 measures. They can assess your property’s eligibility, survey the work needed, and manage the application on your behalf. Ensure any installer you use displays the TrustMark logo and can provide their registration number.

Lancashire County Council and several borough councils including Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley and Preston also signpost residents to funding through their energy efficiency programmes, and councils run the Warm Homes: Local Grant for homes rated EPC D to G where the household has a gross income under £36,000, gets a means-tested benefit or lives in an eligible postcode. The Cosy Homes in Lancashire (CHiL) partnership runs the Warm Homes: Local Grant for 13 Lancashire councils, led by Blackpool; its 2026/27 funding is fully committed, and application forms reopen in March 2027.

Once you have made contact, the process typically follows these steps: eligibility check, property survey (usually within two to four weeks), measure recommendation, installation date booking, and installation itself. From initial contact to completed installation, most Lancashire households wait six to twelve weeks, though this varies by demand and the complexity of the work.

What Lancashire Homeowners Received

For those in the low-income group, Great British Insulation Scheme measures could be fully funded for eligible households (means-, EPC- and postcode-tested; not all applicants qualified). The energy supplier typically covered the full cost of the survey, materials and installation for those who were approved.

For those in the general eligibility group, the scheme covered the majority of the cost, but there could be a small homeowner contribution depending on the measure. In practice, many Lancashire installations under the general group were fully funded, particularly for cavity wall and loft insulation where the total cost is relatively low. For more expensive measures like solid wall insulation (which costs about £12,000 internally or £15,000 externally for a typical semi if paid for privately, according to the Energy Saving Trust), a contribution of £500 to £2,000 could be required, though this varied by installer and supplier.

All work must meet PAS 2030 installation standards under the TrustMark framework, and cavity wall insulation comes with a 25-year guarantee from CIGA (the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency). This means if anything goes wrong with the insulation within 25 years, you are covered for remedial work.

Common Lancashire Properties That Qualified

Lancashire’s housing stock is diverse, and different property types qualified for different measures. Here is how the scheme typically applied to common Lancashire homes:

Victorian and Edwardian terraces (pre-1919) in towns like Burnley, Nelson, Colne, Darwen and Accrington usually have solid walls without cavities. These qualified for solid wall insulation (internal or external) and loft insulation. The stone-built terraces are particularly energy-inefficient and stand to benefit the most from improvement.

Inter-war semis and terraces (1920-1945) across Preston, Blackburn, Chorley and Leyland often have unfilled cavity walls. These are ideal candidates for cavity wall insulation, which can be completed in a single day with minimal disruption. Many also have thin or absent loft insulation that can be topped up.

Post-war council homes (1945-1975) in areas like Ribbleton, Shadsworth, Plungington and Brookhouse are frequently suitable for both cavity wall and loft insulation. Some of these estates were built with non-standard construction methods, which may require specialist assessment.

1970s to 1990s homes across newer estates in Bamber Bridge, Clayton-le-Woods and Buckshaw Village may already have partial cavity insulation that has settled or degraded over time. These could often have the cavities topped up or refilled under the scheme.

Avoiding Insulation Grant Scams in Lancashire

Unfortunately, the availability of free insulation has attracted some unscrupulous operators. Lancashire Trading Standards has reported an increase in cold calls and doorstep visits from companies claiming to offer “government-funded” insulation. While grant schemes such as ECO4 are genuine, the approach should raise red flags. The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026, so be wary of anyone still offering it.

Never agree to work from a cold caller or doorstep visitor. Legitimate installers will not pressure you into signing up on the spot. Always verify that the company is TrustMark registered by checking the TrustMark website directly. Ask for their TrustMark registration number and the name of the energy company funding the work.

Be wary of companies that want to install spray foam insulation under a government grant umbrella. Even where spray foam is an eligible measure, it can cause problems with mortgage lenders and future property sales. Request mineral wool, blown fibre or rigid board alternatives instead.

Combining Insulation Funding with Other Lancashire Energy Schemes

The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026, so it can no longer be combined with other support programmes. ECO4, which ran alongside it, can fund insulation and heating system upgrades for eligible low-income households until 31 December 2026. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme can provide £7,500 towards a heat pump (£9,000 for homes heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas, for applications until 31 March 2027), which works brilliantly in combination with improved insulation.

Several Lancashire borough councils also run their own top-up programmes. Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, for example, has additional funding for energy efficiency measures in certain postcodes. Preston City Council runs a warm homes scheme that can add further improvements. Check with your local authority for area-specific support.

Do I need to own my home to qualify for insulation funding?

No. Private tenants can qualify, but you will need your landlord’s written permission before any work can proceed. Social housing tenants may be eligible through their housing association’s own energy programmes, which often use ECO4 funding (the Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026). Contact your housing provider to check what is available.

How long does insulation installation take?

Cavity wall insulation takes one day for a standard semi-detached house. Loft insulation top-ups take half a day to a full day depending on the size and accessibility of your loft. Solid wall insulation is a bigger job, typically taking one to two weeks for internal insulation or two to four weeks for external cladding.

Is the Great British Insulation Scheme still running?

No. The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026. For insulation now, ECO4 funds eligible low-income households until 31 December 2026, and in England councils run the Warm Homes: Local Grant for homes rated EPC D to G where the household has a gross income under £36,000, gets a means-tested benefit or lives in an eligible postcode. If you pay yourself, professionally installed insulation has 0% VAT until 31 March 2027 (then 5%).