ECO4 Scheme
UK Government ECO4 scheme explained
The UK Government introduced the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme to tackle fuel poverty, rising energy and heating costs, and climate change. This government ECO scheme is administered through Ofgem and has been through 4 different iterations, and the latest version called ECO4 has £4 billion of funding for eligible applicants. The great news is you could be eligible for an ECO4 grant today. Just use our free grant checker to see if you qualify.
What is the ECO4 scheme?
The UK Government has committed to Net Zero by 2050, and to support this target a number of energy efficiency grant schemes have been legislated.
The good news is that if you are eligible for an ECO4 grant it is likely any heating upgrades you receive will be fully paid for by the energy companies. The list of main heating measures covered under the ECO4 scheme include:
- boiler upgrades
- air source heat pumps with solar panels
- electric storage heater upgrades with solar panels
- insulation measures (roof insulation, loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, internal wall insulation and more)
How much funding can I access via the ECO4 scheme?
The total funding pool available for the ECO4 scheme is £4 billion, and the amount of funding for individuals will vary depending on a number of factors (see further details below). The good news is that Energy Saving Genie has designed a simple quiz to determine your eligibility for an ECO4 grant (it takes as little as 23 seconds!). In most cases, applicants can access from £7,000 up to £20,000 or more of funding to install energy saving heating and insulation upgrades.
Who is eligible for the ECO4 scheme?
The eligibility rules for the ECO4 scheme can seem quite confusing, which is why Energy Saving Genie can do the checking for you. Our free grant checker will ask you for information to help best determine your eligibility for grants. The Energy Performance Certificate (known as EPC) rating of your property determines if you are eligible for an ECO4 grant and a minimum improvement needs to be made to your property (sometimes referred to as the minimum uplift). The bigger the improvement on your EPC rating, the more ECO4 grant funding your property will receive.
What is the process for applying for the ECO4 scheme?
First, you need to apply for an ECO4 grant. The application takes from 23 seconds, and you can use our free grant checker to see if you are eligible (results are immediate). Your application will be processed within 48 hours (sometimes it is immediate) and allocated to a registered installer covering your area. The installer will assess the application and may ask for additional information to check your property qualifies.
If you are deemed eligible for an ECO4 grant, the registered installer will book a free no obligation survey with you at a convenient time. If the surveyor gives the green light, the installer will arrange a consultation with you to determine the best installation date.
The installer will submit the application to the relevant energy company on your behalf, and the energy company pays the ECO4 grant direct to the installer. The installation can take place once the energy supplier approves the application.
Enjoy your new heating upgrades provided by the ECO4 grant scheme!
How long do I have to wait for my free ECO4 grant?
It’s difficult to give exact timeframes given the varying complexity of the rules. Some heating measures take longer to obtain planning and approval, but the following table is a rough guide for ECO4 grant timings from application to installation.
| Boiler | From 2 weeks |
| Insulation (loft, cavity wall, solid wall and underfloor) | From 2 weeks |
| Heat Pump (air source and ground source) | From 4 weeks |
| Solar PV | From 4 weeks (depending on how long it takes for DNO approvals) |
What grants are available under ECO4?
There are a range of heating measures available to keep heat in and make your home more energy efficient. Heating measures being offered as part of the scheme include:
- non-condensing boiler upgraded to an A-Rated boiler
- inefficient storage heaters upgraded to high heat retention storage heaters
- inefficient heating upgraded to air source heat pumps
- wall insulation (cavity wall or internal wall insulation)
- loft or roof insulation
- ventilation
- heating controls
However, at the current rates we are generally only seeing loft insulation and cavity wall insulation as fully-funded grants.