Great British Insulation Scheme

Information for energy suppliers about the Great British Insulation Scheme.

Energy suppliers

The Great British Insulation Scheme is a government energy-efficiency scheme that is administered by Ofgem. It is designed to deliver improvements to the least energy-efficient homes in Great Britain to help tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions.  

To find out more about the Great British Insulation Scheme, see the About the scheme web page. 

When do energy suppliers become obligated to take part in the Great British Insulation Scheme?

Following legislation coming into force on 25 July 2023, large and medium-sized energy suppliers have legal obligations under the Great British Insulation Scheme if they meet the obligation threshold. This is determined by customer numbers and supply volumes which we will request from suppliers at specific times.

We offer advice and assistance to all newly obligated suppliers to make sure they are sufficiently prepared to take part in the scheme.

To access all scheme guidance and relevant forms, go to the Contacts, guidance, and resources web page.

What are energy suppliers’ responsibilities?

Energy suppliers are responsible for meeting their obligations and ensuring that they, and any members of the supply chain acting on their behalf, comply with scheme requirements.

How are energy suppliers’ targets worked out?

As scheme administrator, we are responsible for setting energy suppliers’ obligations. We do this using a calculation based on their share of the gas and electricity supply market. This is determined by the Great British Insulation Scheme legislation, referred to as the ECO4A Order.

Can suppliers trade their obligations?

Obligated energy suppliers have the option to trade their obligations with other obligated energy suppliers.

The Great British Insulation Scheme Supplier Administration guidance includes information on how energy suppliers should go about this.

Are there innovation incentives?

The scheme includes incentives designed to support the delivery of innovative measures that can provide further energy efficiency improvements, or that offer additional benefits, via the New Measures and Products (NMAP) innovation route. 

How do suppliers notify us of measures?

Obligated energy suppliers notify us of the measures they’ve delivered. We are currently building a register to allow measure notification and processing to take place. Ofgem will contact the relevant suppliers once the digital platform is ready.  

More details can be found in the Great British Insulation Scheme Supplier Administration Guidance. We have also published the Great British Insulation Scheme Supplier Data Dictionary, in order to provide suppliers with advance notice of the information they may be required to obtain in the Great British Insulation Scheme for the purposes of notification.

How do we engage with stakeholders?

We believe that engaging with stakeholders when designing and delivering schemes brings real benefits. We do this via forums and working groups which gather contributions from a range of stakeholders about the main operational and delivery issues in the Great British Insulation Scheme. To find out more, see our section dedicated to Stakeholder Engagement.

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