ECO4 and the Great British Insulation Scheme

Overview

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) is a government provided energy-efficiency scheme that is designed to tackle fuel poverty while also reducing carbon emissions through supporting ‘whole-house’ energy efficiency improvements for eligible households.

The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) is a government scheme which compliments ECO, offering eligible households free or cheaper insulation for a single retrofit insulation measure. GBIS supports a broader range of households than ECO, so residents who may not be eligible for ECO, may be eligible for GBIS.

Both schemes are overseen by Ofgem and delivered by individual energy suppliers. South Kesteven District Council only approves applications under ECO4 Flex and GBIS Flex and are not involved or liable for any works that take place on a resident’s house. The responsibility of following up on work and quality of works delivered is the responsibility of the resident. Any complaints regarding your installer should be made to Ofgem or your energy provider.

ECO4

ECO4 is a national funding scheme which requires medium and large energy suppliers to support energy efficiency improvements for eligible households. ECO is not a grant scheme as it is your energy providers decision which retrofit projects that they choose to fund.

ECO4 is designed to help households on low incomes and is available for private owner-occupiers and private rented properties which meet the necessary eligibility criteria.

Some of the measures that may be installed are:

• Insulation
• Boilers and central heating
• Solar and renewable energy technologies 

To apply you must meet both of the following eligibility criteria:

• You must be in receipt of means tested benefits
• You must live in a property with an energy performance certificate rating of D, E, F or G (you can find the energy efficiency rating of your home by looking on the EPC Register webpage and entering your postcode and selecting your house from the list).

The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS)

The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) is a government scheme offering eligible households free or cheaper insulation in privately owned homes or rented homes with permission from the landlord. GBIS compliments ECO but unlike ECO’s ‘whole house’ approach, GBIS generally delivers a single insulation measure. You might be able to get support if your home has an EPC of D to G and is in council tax bands A to D. Some of the insulation measures available include:

• Loft
• Solid wall
• Pitched roof
• Flat roof
• Under-floor
• Solid floor

To access GBIS, you need to apply through the government’s Great British Insulation Scheme webpage or by calling the Great British Insulation Scheme helpline on 0800 098 7950 (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 12pm).

More information can be found on Ofgem’s website.

ECO Flex and GBIS Flex

If you are not eligible to access ECO4 or GBIS through your energy company, you could be eligible through the Flex route.

ECO Flex and GBIS Flex are household referral mechanisms that fall within ECO and GBIS, which allows local authorities to use a wider eligibility criteria for the schemes.

To apply through the flex process you must meet any of the following criteria:

• Income – households with a gross household income of under £31,000
• Proxies – households that meet a combination of two proxies (examples of proxies include homes in areas of high multiple deprivation and households receiving a Council Tax rebate)
• NHS referral – households identified as low-income and vulnerable, with an occupant whose health conditions may be impacted further by living in a cold home

This is just a brief overview of the eligibility, please see the central and south Lincolnshire councils’ statement of intent for the full eligibility criteria.

If you are a homeowner or tenant and would like to know more about ECO4-flex please read our ECO Flex Guidance for Householders.

If your query cannot be answered within the guidance document and you would like to discuss this further, please contact a member of the council’s Sustainability and Climate Change Team at climatechange@southkesteven.gov.uk.

If you are an installer and want to know how to access ECO4-flex on behalf of a South Kesteven householder, please read our ECO Flex Guidance for Installers.