ECO4 vs GBIS: The Honest Comparison

ECO4 vs GBIS: which one still exists in 2026?

If you have been researching free or subsidised home insulation, you have probably seen two schemes named repeatedly: ECO4 and GBIS. A lot of the advice online treats them as interchangeable, or lists both as if you can still apply for either. That is out of date. As at 14 July 2026, only one of these two schemes is open.

Here is the plain-English position. The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) closed to new applications on 31 March 2026 and has no successor. ECO4 is still open, having been extended to 31 December 2026. So while this page compares the two schemes so you understand how they differed, the practical takeaway is simple: you cannot apply for GBIS any more, and if you want funded insulation now you should look at ECO4 and the other live schemes. We cover exactly what to do instead further down.

Both schemes were part of the same legal framework, the Energy Company Obligation, which places a duty on larger energy suppliers to fund energy-efficiency measures in homes across Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales — neither scheme ever operated in Northern Ireland). But they were designed for different households and different jobs.

ECO4 vs GBIS at a glance

This table sets out the core differences. Read the status row first — it is the one that changes what you can actually do today.

What ECO4 is, and why it is the one that matters now

ECO4 is the current phase of the Energy Company Obligation. In January 2026 the government confirmed a nine-month extension, moving the end date from 31 March 2026 to 31 December 2026. There is no ECO5 and no successor supplier obligation planned after that, which was confirmed in the November 2025 Budget. So ECO4 is best understood as a closing window rather than a permanent programme.

The defining feature of ECO4 is that it is a whole-house, fabric-first scheme. Rather than fitting one measure in isolation, an installer assesses the property and installs the package of measures needed to move it towards a better energy rating. That can include loft insulation, cavity or solid wall insulation, underfloor insulation and heating improvements, all as part of one coordinated retrofit.

Eligibility runs through two routes. The main route is a qualifying means-tested benefit — Universal Credit, Pension Guarantee or Savings Credit, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Income Support, Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and Child Benefit within income thresholds. The second route is ECO4 Flex (LA Flex), where your local council can refer lower-income households who are not on those benefits, under a published Statement of Intent. Our dedicated ECO4 guide walks through both routes in detail, and the not-on-benefits page is worth reading if you think you fall outside the standard benefit list.

You do not apply to Ofgem directly. ECO4 is delivered by obligated energy suppliers, so you go via a supplier or an accredited installer, or via your council for the Flex route. One practical warning: suppliers may stop taking new referrals before the official end date once they have met their targets, so leaving it late is a real risk this year.

What GBIS was, and why it has gone

The Great British Insulation Scheme launched in 2023, originally announced as "ECO+". Its job was different from ECO4. Where ECO4 does a whole-house retrofit for lower-income homes, GBIS was designed to fit a single, standalone insulation measure — most often loft or cavity wall insulation — into a much wider pool of homes.

It did this through two groups. The General Group opened eligibility to households in lower council-tax bands with a poor EPC, regardless of benefits — a genuinely broad audience. The Low-Income Group used a benefits-based test similar to ECO4. Importantly, the government was always explicit that GBIS was a contribution towards the cost of a measure, "not a grant scheme", so it was never accurate to describe it as guaranteed-free insulation.

GBIS closed to new applications on 31 March 2026. It has not been extended and there is no direct replacement. The gov.uk eligibility checker for it is shut. If you see a website still inviting you to "apply for GBIS" or advertising "the General Group", treat that as a sign the information is out of date — or, worse, that it is a lead-generation funnel rather than an official channel. There is also no such thing as an "ECO5" or "new free grants from April 2026"; sites claiming these are inventing them.

So which was better — and does it matter?

When both were open, the honest answer was "it depends on your household and your home". ECO4 delivered far more value for a lower-income household that needed several measures, because it funded a coordinated whole-house upgrade rather than a single job. GBIS suited an able-to-pay household in a lower council-tax band that only needed one straightforward measure such as topping up loft insulation, and that did not qualify for ECO4.

Today, though, the comparison is largely historical. GBIS is closed, so there is no live choice to make between the two. The useful question now is not "ECO4 or GBIS?" but "GBIS has gone — what do I apply for instead?"

GBIS has closed — what to apply for now

If you were counting on GBIS, here are the live options as at July 2026. Which ones apply depends heavily on where in the UK you live, so check your nation carefully.

• ECO4 — still open across England, Scotland and Wales until 31 December 2026, if you qualify on benefits or via council ECO4 Flex. This is the closest direct alternative for lower-income homes. See our ECO4 page.
• Warm Homes: Local Grant (England only) — delivered by your local council at no cost to the occupant, running to around 31 March 2028. It is open to homes rated EPC D-G where the household is on a qualifying benefit, has income usually at or below £36,000 a year, or lives in an eligible low-income postcode. This income and postcode route is genuinely useful for people not on benefits. Read more on our England schemes page.
• Scotland — the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan (no benefits test; up to £7,500 or 75% of cost for efficiency measures, with a rural uplift) plus Warmer Homes Scotland. Start at our Scotland page.
• Wales — the Welsh Government's Warm Homes Nest scheme, covered on our Wales page.
• Northern Ireland — neither ECO4 nor GBIS ever operated here; the routes are the Affordable Warmth Scheme and NISEP, on our Northern Ireland page.

Whatever your situation, the fastest way to see which of these you can access is our free eligibility checker, and the full grants and funding hub lists every current scheme in one place.

One thing both schemes shared: your EPC

Nearly every insulation grant, past and present, is gated on your Energy Performance Certificate. ECO4, GBIS, the Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Scottish and Welsh schemes all use an EPC band — typically D to G — as a core eligibility test. Before you apply for anything, it is worth finding your current EPC and checking which insulation measures it recommends, because a compliant grant job starts with a proper retrofit assessment, not a sales call.

It is also worth knowing that even without a grant, installing qualifying insulation in Great Britain has been at 0% VAT under the Energy-Saving Materials relief — a real saving for able-to-pay homeowners. Confirm the current rate against HMRC's guidance rather than assuming it is permanent. Our cost page and is it really free? guide explain the honest numbers, including where a contribution may be asked for on high-cost measures such as solid wall.

Watch out for scams either way

Because GBIS closing has left a lot of people searching for alternatives, cold-callers and doorstep sellers are exploiting the confusion. Real schemes are applied for via gov.uk, Home Energy Scotland, the Northern Ireland channels, your council or an accredited installer — never through an unsolicited text promising a "free insulation grant". Insist on TrustMark registration and PAS 2035 or PAS 2030 accreditation, never pay upfront, and never let work start before written grant approval. Our scams and myths page covers the warning signs, including the specific risks around spray-foam loft insulation.

Next steps

ECO4 versus GBIS is no longer a live choice: GBIS closed on 31 March 2026, and ECO4 is the scheme still standing, open until 31 December 2026. If ECO4 is not right for you, the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England and the devolved schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are the routes to check. Use our eligibility checker to see what fits your home, read how to apply, or send us a question through the contact form. Applying to any of these schemes through official channels is always free.

Authoritative sources: read the government's confirmation of the ECO4 extension in its official response on gov.uk, the now-closed Great British Insulation Scheme page, and the Warm Homes: Local Grant page for the current England route.