Great British Insulation Scheme

What is Great British Insulation Scheme local authority and supplier flex?

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 by installing measures such as insulation, to help tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions. To find out more see the About the scheme web page. 

The Great British Insulation Scheme local authority and supplier flex is part of the overall scheme. It enables local authorities and devolved administrations to tailor energy-efficiency schemes to their own areas, by broadening eligibility criteria.

This allows them to refer households living in fuel poverty, or those on a low income and vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home, on to suppliers. It also targets low-income households unlikely to fit the scheme’s standard approach to eligibility.

The role of local authorities

Local authorities can sign up to participate in the Great British Insulation Scheme local authority and supplier flex to identify eligible households. They will need to publish a Statement of Intent (SoI) which outlines their intention to participate in the scheme and follow its rules.

Local authorities are responsible for determining whether households are eligible and will also need to provide declarations for all households they identify as in need of support. They can also identify households in their area and for other areas where they have been given delegated authority from another local authority.

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

The role of devolved administrations

The local authorities in Wales and Scotland, as well as the Welsh and Scottish Governments, are all able to make household referrals for Great British Insulation Scheme local authority and supplier flex. Where local authorities and Governments in Scotland and Wales refer households for the scheme, they must issue an SoI and a declaration. The auditing and governance sections of the Great British Insulation Scheme local authority and supplier flex guidance will only apply to local authorities in devolved areas who refer households independently from their devolved administration.

The role of suppliers

Suppliers can also use their own energy debt data to identify and refer eligible households through Great British Insulation Scheme local authority and supplier flex, or to work with relevant authorities under the scheme. Where suppliers self-refer an eligible household, they must produce details of this on their project notification.

Local authorities and devolved administrations should be aware that a supplier must provide information to us on projects delivered under the scheme and that the supplier will require information from the local authorities and devolved administrations to support this.

Suppliers, installers, and local authorities and devolved administrations are encouraged to establish their own working relationships.

Auditing

Suppliers and local authorities will need to collect sufficient evidence from all Great British Insulation Scheme local authority and supplier flex measures that have been installed to ensure that they meet the eligibility and compliance requirements of the scheme.

Ofgem will send suppliers an annual sample of measures that they have notified throughout the duration of the year and request that suppliers carry out internal checks on them to ensure that they have complied with the scheme’s requirements If the supplier’s evidence is insufficient or incorrect, they will need to engage with the local authority to review their data.
Where Ofgem identifies that local authorities have not carried out adequate due diligence checks, we will include this in the report. Ofgem would expect suppliers to consider results from the report when delivering local authority flex measures for the following year.

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