Great British Insulation Scheme

Great British Insulation Scheme local authority and supplier flex 

This scheme is now closed to new installations.  

The Great British Insulation Scheme  was a government energy-efficiency scheme that  was administered by Ofgem. It  was 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.  

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

This allowed 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 targeted low-income households unlikely to fit the scheme’s standard approach to eligibility. 

The role of local authorities 

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

Local authorities were responsible for determining whether households were eligible and  also needed to provide declarations for all households they identified as in need of support. They could also identify households in their area and for other areas where they were  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, were 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  were required to have issued an SoI and a declaration. The auditing and governance sections of the Great British Insulation Scheme local authority and supplier flex guidance  only applied to local authorities in devolved areas who refer households independently from their devolved administration. 

The role of suppliers 

Suppliers could 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  were required to 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 collected sufficient evidence from all Great British Insulation Scheme local authority and supplier flex measures that had been installed to ensure that they met the eligibility and compliance requirements of the scheme. 

Ofgem sent suppliers an annual sample of measures that they had notified throughout the duration of the year and requested that suppliers carry out internal checks on them to ensure that they have complied with the scheme’s requirements If the supplier’s evidence were insufficient or incorrect, they will needed to engage with the local authority to review their data. 

Where Ofgem identifies that local authorities had not carried out adequate due diligence checks, we included this in the report.