Free scheme to make homes more energy efficient only taken up by 129 homes in Greater Manchester

Just 129 households in Greater Manchester have had insulation measures installed under a government scheme to help them save money on energy bills. The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) was launched at the end of March 2023 to help people save money on their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient.

There is a three year target to help around 300,000 households, but eight months in, figures published by the government show just 3,284 households nationally have received help.

In Greater Manchester the number of households which have had measures, mainly cavity wall insulation, installed under the scheme up until the end of December, was just 129.

The figures, recorded by Ofgem, said 35 homes had been helped in Tameside, 29 in Stockport and 23 in Oldham. Ten homes had received intervention in Bury, eight each in Bolton, Rochdale and Wigan and just seven were recorded for Manchester. Figures were not published in the chart for Salford and Trafford.

In Parliament on Tuesday 27 February, energy minister Amanda Solloway was grilled by MPs about the scheme. Afzal Khan, MP for Manchester Gorton, raised the matter with the minister.

Speaking after the parliamentary session, he said: “Greater Manchester suffers from some of the worst levels of fuel poverty, with the fuel poverty gap rising by £134 a year in the North West. This has led to an increasing number of people visiting warm hubs because they can’t afford to heat their homes.

“We know one important solution to reducing the fuel poverty gap is improving the energy efficiency of homes and keeping more money in the pockets of households is improving home insulation.

“Shamefully, the measures the Government have introduced do not go anywhere near far enough to do this.”

Another North West MP, Kate Hollern, who represents Blackburn, said at present rates of intervention, the scheme will take 60 years to meet its three-year target. She said: “The latest energy efficiency policy, the Great British Insulation Scheme was supposed to insulate 100,000 homes a year, but so far just 3,000 families have been helped in eight months, across Lancashire only 35 homes and in Blackburn only six.

“Can the minister explain why currently it will take 60 years to meet its three-year target?” Replying, energy minister Amanda Solloway, said: “Energy efficiency is incredibly important to this Government and we have many schemes that are available.

“We have the Great British Insulation Scheme, which alone has committed £592 million.” Under the Great British Insulation Scheme, those who meet all the three criteria below may be eligible for free insulation.

• You own your own home or rent (either renting privately or from a housing association).
• Your home is in council tax band A to D in England, A to E in Scotland and Wales.
• Your home has an energy performance certificate rating of D or below.

If you think you might be eligible, find out how to apply here: www.gov.uk/apply-great-british-insulation-scheme

Chris Gee, Local Democracy Reporter