GBIS - Octopus Energy

OxleyS01

I applied for the Great British Insulation Scheme and my application went from the Government website to Octopus Energy on 20th September 2023.  I waited 10-days for a response as to Octopus receiving my application - no joy.  It was 12th October 2023 before I received a response to my many emails, that informed me they did have my application, (30-days)!

I eventually received a telephone call on Friday 2nd February 2024, informing me that I am entitled to loft and cavity wall insulation.  Oh good, this should enable me to lower the thermostat.

Not good news, albeit the Government and Octopus say I am entitled to loft and cavity wall insulation, Octopus have found a get out clause, for which it has taken them, a few days under 21-weeks, (exactly 144 days) to say they will not carry out work in a conservation area.  I didn't even know that I was until I looked it up when the "eco rep" was on the phone.  Does loft insulation really affect the outside of my building, or for the cavity wall insulation, would the dribble bars really be objectionable.  I have looked on my local council website, and there is nothing to say I would need permission to have these works carried out.

Her reasoning behind this, was Ofgem will not allow them to install insulation in a conservation area.  Why not, my home is no different to any home built outside.  The only reason I can think of is they have sub-standard fitters.

I am so disgusted that they are treating me, and possibly many others like this.  Just another penny-pinching company, that doesn't give a damn about its' customers, as long as they are turning the profits!!!  

If the Government website informs I am entitled to both they types of insulation, then why do Octopus think they can overrule them?  I thought Octopus were intent on Net Zero, but obviously not if they have to help towards it!!!

Until the above, I was pro-Octopus, but now, I just await the end of my fixed term tariff, then I'm off.  Octopus, you cannot be trusted anymore.

MeteredOut

I think you've jumped to conspiracy mode too soon. There is a chance that Octopus have been told (or have assumed) that they cannot do the work since you are in a conservation area.

Have you asked them who told them that?
Have you asked your council whether they would block such work, or whether it would require planning permission?

BillyHorner

It will simply be because, in a conservation area, any permitted development rights (things you can do without planning permission) can be withdrawn by the council under an Article 4 direction. This could include the right to have cavity wall insulation fitted without first obtaining planning permission. You might think that dribble bars might not alter the external character of your property, but the council may have a completely different view.

To check whether this is the case in your area, you will need to speak to the planning department at your local council. I suspect that Octopus (like most energy companies) would consider it too time consuming and potentially risky to do this for every property that's within a conservation area. Companies (and homeowners) can be fined by a council for undertaking unapproved works in a conservation area. Much easier, therefore, to simply exclude them from the programme.

If you do speak to the council and they advise you that cavity wall insulation would be okay in your conservation area, get something in writing from them and then maybe go back and discuss with Octopus. It may still be that they are unwilling to take the risk, but perhaps worth the conversation first.

cmats

So the actual reason for this is because the applicable building regs - mandated for the scheme by the GB Insulation Scheme Ofgem guidance - say you can’t retrofit insulation unless you meet certain ventilation minimum requirements, which would mean installing trickle filters in all windows, which requires permission in a conservation area. Of course they are ruling out properties that may already meet these minimum requirements just because they are in conservation areas, but that is the reason why they are doing it.

The same thing happened to me - I waited 6 months only to be told they couldn’t do the work in a conservation area. From the bits of information Octopus have given me, this is what I’ve pieced together. I am bitterly disappointed and frustrated, but in fairness to Octopus (and I have given them a pretty rough time over it), I think it isn’t their fault.

orcnys

We had the same experience with OVO and their installer. Application for loft insulation went all the way through, the survey was done, plans made and contract drafted only to be voided promptly after they found out the house is in a conservation area and we cannot have trickle vents installed.

I reached out to GIBS who couldn't provide more info, but referred me to Ofgem, who also didn't know much (still waiting for a proper response). OVO replied saying: "For the installer to install air ventilation you would need to get planning permission from the council. Even then, the property is still ruled out under the scheme. However, you would be able to get it done privately."

It's dissapointing for a few reasons. Firstly, nobody bothered checking eligibility criteria until the very end, it went through gov.uk, OVO and the installer who sent a surveyor over, surely someone could have checked or asked about the conservation status? Secondly, there doesn't seem to be any workaround for houses like ours, is there really no alternative to trickle vents? Perhaps the vents could be installed in the rear facing windows only, and combined with, for instance, mechanical ventilation? That's my plan for doing it anyway, privately, without planning permission.

By the way, when done privately, the cost of loft insulation (materials only) will be around £300, when I asked the OVO's installer for a private quote for the insulation-part only (no ventilation), they quoted £1,250, which I guess is what they would have charged OVO through the GIBS grant. This is how much the price inflates due to labour cost.