You could be eligible for free energy efficiency upgrades via the ECO4 scheme. 

If you want to make your home warmer and more energy efficient, take a look!

If you’re eligible, you could get a wide range of energy-saving measures installed through ECO4 – from loft insulation to a new boiler, or even high-end tech like heat pumps. You could get a whole package installed, all for free.

OVO have made a guide to ECO4 here which covers:
 

• ECO4: what is it?
• What’s included in ECO4?
• Who’s eligible for ECO4?
• Eligible benefits
• How to apply for ECO4

See the guide here, or check if you’re eligible here. 

As of June 2023, 

Who’s eligible for ECO4?

To access ECO4 through OVO Energy, you’ll need:

• To be a homeowner or a private tenant. 
• An EPC rating of D, E, F or G if you own your home (E, F or G for tenants). Not sure of your Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating? Check your EPC if you live in Scotland, or if you live in England or Wales. 
• You don’t need to be an OVO Energy customer.
• To receive one or more benefits (see below).

Eligible benefits

• Income-based Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
• Income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income Support
• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Universal Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Pension Credit Saving Credit
• Warm Home Discount payment
• Child Benefit (maximum income levels apply – see below)

We’ve created a new ECO and GBIS referral platform!

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) team have developed a new referral platform to allow both OVO customers and non-customers access to funding from the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS).
 

What are these schemes?

ECO4 

• A government energy efficiency scheme designed to tackle fuel poverty and help reduce carbon emissions in Great Britain 
• The scheme offers a full house retrofit for those who qualify and is aimed at those most at risk of fuel poverty
• Customers will need to be receiving an eligible benefit to apply
• More info on the scheme here.
   

Great British Insulation Scheme 

• Currently being developed by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) 
• Aims to deliver energy efficiency upgrades in homes in Great Britain by installing one insulation measure such as Cavity Wall or Loft Insulation to eligible properties
• Has a much wider reach than ECO4 and up to 80% of Great Britain could qualify, including many of us in the OVO community
• No requirement to be receiving an eligible benefit for the largest part of this scheme - homes just need to be in the right council tax band and have a low energy efficiency rating
• More info on the scheme here. 

How to apply

You can apply via the websites linked above.  

The application forms will cover the initial qualification criteria so you can send them the link to apply directly.  

The government is also about to launch a referral scheme for the GBIS and ECO through the gov.uk website so OVO customers, and non-customers, will be able to refer themselves to OVO via the platform. 

You can get an update on your referral from eco@ovoenergy.com. 

FYI - Email - ovo@cse.org.uk is incorrect now. But it will still reply and provide the correct email address to contact. Please update your information.

Hey @StewMagoo,

Thank you for your message, I’ve removed the out of date email from the comment 

You must meet certain criteria to be eligible for ECO funding. To find out if you’re are eligible for funding, you can contact The Centre for Sustainable Energy:

Could you possibly supply a more direct link to the above? I have spent an hour trying to find if I am eligible.

Thanks

@joss I couldn't see anything obvious for the general ECO4 scheme. So you may have to phone CSE and ask. 

Info from the Ofgem website is below

So if  on one of these benefits you should be able to contact OVO I think? Even if you are not, but are struggling with bills there is mention of EcoFlex which may be appropriate? Again OVO should handle this? 

@Emmanuelle_OVO if someone is on these benefits do they simply email OVO as it says on the Ofgem website? There is no reference in the scheme on the Ofgem website about having to always talk to CSE? 

I think we need OVO to be much clearer on their process and what they need. It is too generic. What do OVO need from CSE if anything? 

Can I benefit from ECO?

In order to benefit from ECO your property will need to require energy efficiency upgrades. The specific measures that would benefit your home would be determined by a retrofit assessment. You must own your own home or have permission from your landlord, including if the property is owned by a social housing provider or management company.

You can contact any of the obligated energy suppliers to find out how they may be able to help you benefit from the ECO scheme, even if they are not your energy provider.

Who is eligible?

You could be eligible for ECO if you receive at least one of the following benefits:

• Child Benefit
• Pension Guarantee Credit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• Tax Credits (Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits)
• Universal Credit
• Housing benefit
• Pension credit saving credit

Local authorities are also able to refer residents in their areas to obligated energy suppliers so that they can be offered support under the ECO Flex.

Energy suppliers can also refer households under ECO4 Flex where they are either struggling with persistent fuel debt and are supported by suppliers or are using pre-payment meters and have regularly been unable to stay connected to their fuel supplies due to financial hardship.

It is important to note that eligibility for ECO doesn’t necessarily mean that an energy supplier or installer will decide to install energy efficiency measures in your home.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes/energy-company-obligation-eco/homeowners-and-tenants

Thanks for the replies folks, much appreciated.

I will be claiming Eco 4 Flex on NICE guidance medical grounds/cold home. I have printed off the NHS referral letter in readiness for my GP to complete.

Let us know how you get on including links to any useful information. 

I am sure it will be very useful for many other people. 

Hope all goes well and do pop back at any time with any other questions.

Cheers @Jeffus 

I used Nice guidelines plus a few other useful links for the medical side of ECO Flex 4

Preventing excess winter deaths and illness associated with cold homes.

ECO 4 Flex referral letter for NHS Medical Professionals

Final ECO4 Guidance: Local Authority Administration

Hey @Jeffus and @joss,

I’ve updated the best answer on this thread to hopefully make it more informative and easier to understand- let me know what you think! 

Looks much better

Yes, it look more ordered thank you

@Emmanuelle_OVO Good morning. I have popped an email over to eco@ovoenergy.com  for details. However, the email keeps bouncing back.

“ The response was:

The recipient server did not accept our requests to connect. Learn more at https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7720 aovo.energy.com 34.205.122.86: timed out]”

Is the email address correct? eco@ovo.energy.com

Regards

Hey @joss,

It’s  eco@ovoenergy.com without the dot between ovo and energy.

Let me know if you have any further issues 

Will Do thanks @Emmanuelle_OVO 

@Emmanuelle_OVO Hello Emmanuelle Any chance of an update on this topic please? thanks.

Update to my last post.

I just got this email on updates to below. follow link for the updates. The consultation has now concluded.

Design of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO): 2023-2026

I have not at this time had chance to read through the above, Hopfully we can now get some progress from OVO on this.

Hey @joss 

Thanks for bringing this to us. It’ll be good to get some more information on what this means for OVO and our customers so I’ve asked about this update internally, and I’ll come back on here when I have any more on this.

Looking forward to your feed back on this @Abby_OVO 

Hey @joss 

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you on this, I asked our teams about how we are progressing with this and what our customers can expect. 

They’ve got back to me to let me know that they’re in the process of creating a new main page on the OVO website dedicated to ECO4 and the Great British Insulation Scheme. This will include a detailed breakdown on the eligibility criteria for both schemes, making it easier for our customers to understand what they qualify for, as well as details on how non-OVO customers can still benefit from these through us. They expect this to go live next week on the 1st June. 

If I find anything more before the page goes live I’ll come back and let you know

I did find this from Ofgem regarding the new draft, and while it’s rather lengthy, I found it an easier read on the eye than the publication from the Government, especially using the contents page which is nicely broken down, so it may be of interest to you:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2023-05/Draft%20Great%20British%20Insulation%20Scheme%20Delivery%20Guidance%20V0.1.pdf

@Abby_OVO Thanks for getting back to me Abby. I look forward to the page going live.

I will read the link that you posted shortly.

Thanks again

Regards

joss

@Abby_OVO  Good morning abby. Just wondering if theNew main page has been created yet? “They’ve got back to me to let me know that they’re in the process of creating a new main page on the OVO website dedicated to ECO4 and the Great British Insulation Scheme. This will include a detailed breakdown on the eligibility criteria for both schemes, making it easier for our customers to understand what they qualify for, as well as details on how non-OVO customers can still benefit from these through us. They expect this to go live next week on the 1st June. “

I have looked and don’t see it.

Thanks

@joss https://www.ovoenergy.com/help/eco-scheme

Sorry to go off-topic. but as usual I’m bamboozled by that page, or a bit of it at any rate. “Households with an EPC rating of D or lower and in a lower Council Tax band area can apply.” 

“D or lower”? My Council Tax band is A, while my EPC rating is F. Is A lower or higher than D? Is D higher or lower than F? How do I know whether the area I live in counts as higher or lower as far as Council Tax is concerned?

I do wish ‘content creators’ would try a bit harder to make their texts unambiguous. 

@Firedog Your council tax band A is the lowest band.

Don’t mix up your council tax band with you EPC band/rating. If your EPC is F then that is lower than D.

So you should meet the requirments Okay.

Hope that helps.

Thank you @BPLightlog