GBIS (Great British Insulation Scheme) - is it functioning for anyone

MLSP

Hello all

I applied to the GBIS (formerly Eco+) a few days after the scheme became live in early October.

My gas supplier (Scottish Power, who is responsible for delivering the scheme) told me: "The next step in this process is you will be contacted shortly by a Scottish Power accredited installer, the installer will determine which type of insulation measure may work best in your property."

That was two months ago however. Nothing has happened and they (Scottish Power) are not responding to my emails.

My flat is poorly insulated and my gas bills are high, even with the heating mainly off and the flat cold.

Has anyone had any success using the GBIS? If so, what sort of timescale and/or results?

Thank you in advance for any information.

drp1971

Hi MLSP,

I'm in a similar situation.  Applied to the GBIS scheme (Scottish Power is my dual-fuel supplier) around 15/09 then received an email on 28/09 advising the same statement you list above.

Heard nothing in the next few weeks, so sent a chase-up email on 21/10 and received the same statement again as above from the ecoenquiries@scottishpower.com email address.

Further chase-up email sent on 10/11 to the above address and a response received on 13/11 advising I should hear from an installer within 14 working days from 1st November 2023.

Still no email or phone call from any accredited installer in November so another chase-up email sent on 09/12 , nothing as yet back.

Maybe they will be in touch by summer 2024...

markin

The just aren't the installers, This time the uptake has been huge, Everyone wants in. 

ArbitraryRandom

I applied for my parents via Ovo a few months ago - we had the initial phone screening and provided their paperwork (council tax bill etc) by email for cavity wall. I was advised there would be a delay as the government department had to approve the paper applications before the first survey could be arranged, and that was taking a long time. 

AFAIK, there's two surveys - the first for checking entitlement (basically a mini EPC because you might have changed things since the EPC was carried out), and the second by the local installation team to agree the specific work/when and how it will happen.  

The 'good' news is that according to the rep we spoke to, as long as they've accepted the results of the EPC survey, you're in the programme with funding allocated and if the scheme is pulled it should go ahead (at least he said that's how it worked for previous schemes) - so I'm just hoping we get that far by March. 

Chrysalis

Never heard of it until now, at first glance it seems better for renters than the older schemes which greatly favoured home owners.

However unlike everything else it doesnt seem to offer double glazing instead concentrating on far less effective form so insulation.  My windows are easily the biggest source of cold air inlet, probably followed by my front door.  I also see it isnt offering boilers or heat pumps.

Not an urgent thing though not used gas heating at all this winter as its been really mild, room temp mid teens with no heating, briefly used electric blanket during a short early cold spell accompanied by bursts of portable heater (which is far cheaper than gas central heating).

My new blackout curtains seem to be surprisingly effective.  The few times I used portable heater temps held for much longer compared to old curtains.  Also since last winter open gaps were given a band aid fix by landlord, because my wooden window frames are rotting away, two glass panes had slid down a bit creating a gap at the top, one in living room, and another in bedroom, they reinforced frame in living room and put new pane in with no gap, the gap in bedroom was much smaller and they filled it with fillant which is holding.

Amandamax

Hi. I am with octopus and applied for the GBIS in September the day the application opening on their website. 

I have been informed three times that they have done a desktop survey of my property and I am eligible for the scheme and I will be contacted shortly by an approved installer for the to come to the house and do the assessments etc. 
I email every week asking for an update of my application as I have been informed three times  and nothing has happened.
i am now being told that there is no progress with my application and they will be in contact when they have moved my application to their next step. This response is coming from octopus themselves not their eco team who are looking after the applications. 

i have since found a process diagram on their website and it states the whole process takes 2-6months to compete the whole process.

I have lost faith completely that I will get my house insulated as I can afford to do it on my own. 

muckybutt

I applied on the 22/12/23, had the confirmation email back that day from Scottish Power.

Today 24/1/24 the assessor visited and did the inspection. Took about an hour and seeing as we have a failing EPC of F/G he’s recommended the full works for us.
Solar PV with battery, Full ASHP installation including rads and pipe work as we have no central heating, full cavity wall insulation, underfloor insulation once the ASHP has been installed, and finally loft insulation-the only stumbling block there is the loft is partially floored out and has been since the house was built in the 70’s.

They already have work scheduled in a few doors away so he’s trying to get all our work done when the work down the road has been completed.

They’d do the cavity first and loft if it’s accepted, then the Solar / battery and ASHP system, then the underfloor insulation.

MLSP

They phoned me this week! 

They asked if anyone in the house is on benefits. I replied no. They said they'd phone back in two weeks but would have proceeded immediately if anyone was on benefits.

It sounds like progress. Fingers crossed.

stripling

Amandamax said:

Hi. I am with octopus and applied for the GBIS in September the day the application opening on their website. 

I have been informed three times that they have done a desktop survey of my property and I am eligible for the scheme and I will be contacted shortly by an approved installer for the to come to the house and do the assessments etc. 
I email every week asking for an update of my application as I have been informed three times  and nothing has happened.
i am now being told that there is no progress with my application and they will be in contact when they have moved my application to their next step. This response is coming from octopus themselves not their eco team who are looking after the applications. 

i have since found a process diagram on their website and it states the whole process takes 2-6months to compete the whole process.

I have lost faith completely that I will get my house insulated as I can afford to do it on my own. 

The same here but it's not Octopus' fault. In my area after the initial assessment it's passed by Octopus to another company who have had all my details and approval from Octopus since October. I chased them directly, they tried to bounce me back to Octopus but Octopus backed me and I bcc them into emails for a paper trail.

After a few phone calls struggling to get past the receptionist, this company finally admitted they had no trades people in my area. So I'm now stuck. 

stripling

stripling said:

Amandamax said:

Hi. I am with octopus and applied for the GBIS in September the day the application opening on their website. 

I have been informed three times that they have done a desktop survey of my property and I am eligible for the scheme and I will be contacted shortly by an approved installer for the to come to the house and do the assessments etc. 
I email every week asking for an update of my application as I have been informed three times  and nothing has happened.
i am now being told that there is no progress with my application and they will be in contact when they have moved my application to their next step. This response is coming from octopus themselves not their eco team who are looking after the applications. 

i have since found a process diagram on their website and it states the whole process takes 2-6months to compete the whole process.

I have lost faith completely that I will get my house insulated as I can afford to do it on my own. 

The same here but it's not Octopus' fault. In my area after the initial assessment it's passed by Octopus to another company who have had all my details and approval from Octopus since October. I chased them directly, they tried to bounce me back to Octopus but Octopus backed me and I bcc them into emails for a paper trail.

After a few phone calls struggling to get past the receptionist, this company finally admitted they had no trades people in my area. So I'm now stuck. 

Just to update, Octopus have just told me that the 'big' company that's the (outsourced) agent for the work has now found a fitter for my area so hopefully they will come and give me an assessment.

I recently had the loan of one of Octopus' Thermal Imaging cameras - I'd forgotten I applied for one last year - so I've scanned my entire house, inside and out, to identify heat-leaking spots. 

The loft hatch... [🤦🏻‍♀️] 

FreeBear

stripling said: I recently had the loan of one of Octopus' Thermal Imaging cameras - I'd forgotten I applied for one last year - so I've scanned my entire house, inside and out, to identify heat-leaking spots. 

The loft hatch... [🤦🏻‍♀️] 

Replaced my old loft hatch with one of these - https://www.manthorpebp.co.uk/loft-access/push-loft-doors/push-loft-door - Immediately noticed the difference.