The Great British Insulation Scheme: insulation help for landlords

A new scheme could help landlords to make their properties more energy efficient, helping them to comply with changing regulations and lowering bills for tenants.

Formerly known as ECO+, the Great British Insulation Scheme is launching this autumn.

Read on to find out what this means for landlords and how you can get funding towards insulating your rental property.

What is the Great British Insulation Scheme?

The Great British Insulation Scheme is a government initiative that aims to improve the energy efficiency of UK homes by investing in insulation.

It’s part of the government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, which requires energy providers to help their customers, and will complement the ECO4 scheme.

From the autumn, the Great British Insulation Scheme will be available to private rental properties with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E or lower.

Landlords whose properties are eligible for the scheme could benefit from grants of up to £1,500, which are being funded by energy suppliers.

The expanded £1 billion scheme, which will run until March 2026, is expected to help up to 300,000 more households across the UK to improve their energy efficiency.

Households that use the scheme will benefit from funding towards installing loft and cavity-wall insulation, plus boilers and smart heating controls.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, it can cost up to £900 to install loft insulation, saving up to £600 a year on energy bills. Cavity-wall insulation is more expensive to install, at an average cost of around £1,800, and can save up to £700 a year on energy bills.

Help for landlords ahead of changes to EPC rules

Landlords who own properties with a low EPC rating and tenants who meet low income requirements can apply to use the scheme.

Better insulating your rental will not only lower energy costs for your tenants but make sure it remains eligible as a rental property.

In the coming years, the minimum EPC rating for a rental property is expected to rise to C. As the current minimum rating sits at E, this could be an opportunity for landlords to fund the insulation of their properties to meet new legislation.

Our survey of almost 1,500 landlords found that 42 per cent of landlords consider making their property more energy efficient as one of their greatest challenges.

Half of respondents (50 per cent) said they’d need to make improvements to their property if the minimum EPC rating is increased to C.

Of those, a quarter (25 per cent) estimated they’d need to spend between £5,001 and £10,000 on energy efficiency improvements, while almost a fifth (18 per cent) said they’d need to spend more than £10,000.

The most popular planned energy efficiency improvements among landlords are:

• increasing loft insulation (48 per cent)
• installing double or triple glazing (36 per cent)
• increasing draft proofing (36 per cent)
• installing a heat pump (10 per cent)

Which rental properties are eligible for the Great British Insulation Scheme?

For landlords to be eligible for help with improving energy efficiency through the scheme, their properties must meet the following criteria:

• the property has an EPC rating of E or below
• someone living at the property qualifies for certain benefits, such as pension credit, universal credit, child benefit, income support, or housing benefit

How can landlords claim on the Great British Insulation Scheme?

First, you need to make sure your property has an up to date Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating.

If you need to get your property assessed, you’ll need to organise an assessment through the government’s register. Here you’ll find a list of qualified providers in your area.

If you meet the criteria for the scheme, you can apply directly through one of the participating energy suppliers.

An energy installer will then complete a survey of your property to see which energy efficiency improvements you could get. They’ll then complete the work, which you’ll receive a grant for.

Depending on the scale and complexity of the work needed, the grant may cover the full cost of the installation or you may be expected to contribute towards some of the costs.

Will the Great British Insulation Scheme be useful for your property? Let us know in the comments below.

More useful articles for landlords

• Carbon monoxide and smoke alarm regulations for landlords in the UK
• How to do a landlord tax return
• How can landlords get a buy-to-let remortgage?
• What is landlord insurance?

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