Fuel poverty hits 10 million households six months after ECO4 and GBIS insulation schemes closed with no replacement in place.
Six months after the government closed the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) and the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS), no equivalent retrofitting or insulation support measures have been introduced to replace them. According to National Energy Action, the number of UK households living in fuel poverty has now climbed past ten million.
The end of these grant-funded initiatives has effectively halted a major stream of funded insulation and heating upgrade work across the residential sector. Industry groups warn that the absence of a successor scheme leaves both low-income households without support and domestic retrofit installers without a clear policy framework.
What does this mean for a UK tradesperson or DIYer actually buying this kit — does it change what they should pay, buy, or watch out for? For heating engineers, insulation installers, and general builders, the grant-funded retrofit pipeline has effectively dried up, reducing immediate demand for scheme-compliant insulation boards, loft insulation, and heat pump integration kit. However, for domestic trades and DIYers, trade merchants like Screwfix, Toolstation, and Wickes remain well-stocked with standard insulation and draught-proofing materials. While grant-subsidised work is on hold, private homeowners looking to curb energy bills are still buying loft rolls, cavity slabs, and pipe lagging directly, keeping over-the-counter demand stable even as large-scale contract work slows down.
Without a clear government framework, installers previously reliant on ECO4 funding must pivot towards the private domestic market. Tradespeople should monitor upcoming policy announcements, as industry bodies continue lobbying for a replacement scheme to hit net-zero targets and ease household energy costs.
Reported by Installer Online — original article
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