GBIS for flats/apartments

Dichrist

I recently started looking for options to insulate my flat and I found out that GBIS is right for me. My property falls into the general eligibility criteria: council tax band A, EPC rating D, so I should qualify. Anyway, I checked my eligibility in gov.uk, and next thing after entering 'type of property - flat' was a message that I'm not qualified, without even a need to give more details of the property. Once I changed 'flat' with 'house' and filling up the rest of the questionnaire, there you go, I may be eligible for the scheme. I got the same response from my energy supplier, E.ON, that my property isn't eligible. So there is the question: if I cover the general criteria, why am I not eligible, what reasonable ground could it be not to qualify, and are flats/apartments not covered by presumption by the scheme. I couldn't find anything about this topic in the official guidance.

Netexporter

The problem with insulating individual flats is that it may cause problems in adjoining flats, with condensation etc. The whole building needs to be upgraded at one time. That can be extremely problematic unless all residents agree to the work, assuming the flats are in private ownership.

Dichrist

Thanks for your comment. By my understanding the participation in the scheme should be initated by the property managing company and only after an agreement of all homeowners? So better carry out the works on my own expenses...

Scot_39

Are you a shared freeholder or a leaseholder ?

Most flats are leasehold - and if so anything potentially building related - external but also things like cavity filling work, loft insulation etc  likely to fall in the building owners remit not yours.

There might be something that could be done internally - but as above - it is definitely more complex - as even that can impact the cavity and so adjacent properties.

Many flats - modern ones at any rate - are already pretty efficient - does it have any sort of recent EPC ?

Dichrist

I'm a leaseholder. The entire building has a solid walls, it has been a former tannery converted in dwellings in late 1980s. The latest EPC is from 2019. I was considering internal insulation only (walls, floors, eventually ceilings), nothing external.

Netexporter

Is it a Listed Building? If not, external insulation would be the best solution, giving you the advantage of the thermal mass of the walls whilst putting the dew-pont outside the building envelope, obviating condensation risk. The downside is that everybody would have to agree to having it done in one operation.