Get FREE Heating, Renewable Energy and Insulation Energy Efficiency Upgrades Through The Energy Company Obligation Scheme (ECO4)

Want to have your old inefficient boiler replaced for free or insulation to make your home more energy efficient? The Energy Company Obligation Scheme (ECO) was introduced to help vulnerable homeowners across England, Scotland and Wales with the reduction of their energy bills.

ECO4 is a government energy efficiency scheme, where qualifying homeowners could get financial support for home improvements and have their inefficient boilers or electric storage heaters replaced free of charge or heavily subsidised. The scheme includes new Air Source Heat Pumps, Solar PV panels and replacemnet gas boiler in addition to insulation upgrades for homes throughout the UK.

Funding is aimed for properties with an existing EPC rating of E, F or G to upgrade these inefficient homes to a C rating. Limited funding is available for D rated properties so is subject to availability. Private Rented dwellings must first meet the minimum energy efficiency standard (MEES) and there are some restrictions on what improvements qualify. Contact us to find out more information.

The aim of this initiative is to lower the cost of heating homes and reduce the carbon footprint of low-income households. This is a non-repayable grant and there are no complicated terms and conditions.

Need more details about the Energy Company Obligation Scheme? Click here to find out more.

Who Qualifies For ECO4 Funding?

In order to be eligible for ECO funding, you either need to be a member of the help to heat group (HTTG) on one of the below qualifying benefits, or qualify through your Local Authority Flexibility (LA Flex) route where the qualifying criteria should be detailed in a statement of intent (SOI) and published on the authorities website.

Help To Heat Group (HTHG) qualifying benefits

1) Income based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)

2) Income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

3) Income Support (IS)

4) Pension Credit Guarantee Credit (PCGC)

) Working Tax Credit (WTC)

6) Child Tax Credit (CTC)

7) Universal Credit (UC)

8) Housing Benefit

9) Pension Credit Savings Credit (PCSC)

10) Child Benefit (subject to income caps and composition)

Households with disabilities would be eligible only where they are in receipt of a means tested benefit or found eligible under one of the four routes outlined in ECO4 Flex.

In order to be eligible to apply for the ECO funding, you must own your own home or have the permission of your landlord, including if your property is owned by a social housing provider or management company.

ECO Flex Eligibility Routes

Route 1 – Household combined income: Pre-project SAP bands D-G owner occupied households and private rented sector E-G households, with a combined gross income from all sources under £31,000. 

Route 2 – Proxy Targeting: Pre-project SAP bands E-G for owner occupied households and private rented sector households and meeting a combination of two proxies outlined in Table 5.

Examples include:

1. Homes in England in Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) 1-3 areas

2. Householders receiving a Council Tax reduction (reductions based on low income only)

3. Householders vulnerable to living in a cold home as identified in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidance

4. A householder receiving free school meals due to low-income

5. A householder referred under a LA run scheme which aims to support low income and vulnerable households

6. A household referred to the LA for support by their energy supplier or Citizens Advice because they have been identified as struggling to pay their gas and electricity bills.

Route 3: NHS referrals: Pre-project SAP bands D-G owner-occupied households and private rented sector E-G households and identified by either a General Practitioner, a Health Board in Scotland, a Health Board in Wales, an NHS Foundation Trust, or by an NHS Trust as suffering from a severe and /or long-term health condition that could be severely impacted by living in a cold home.

Route 4: Bespoke targeting: Suppliers and LAs can submit a proposal via an application form to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) where they have identified new methods 58 Guidance – Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) Guidance: Delivery to identify low income and vulnerable households. The application must be approved by or on behalf of the Secretary of State for DESNZ.

Apply Now

Please submit your details and a member of the team will be in touch to arrange a free consultation.