I would like to know if we as pensioners will we qualify for a grant to wards loft insulation our house is in Surrey and our Council tax band is “G” This I’m sure would help reduce our heating bills if we qualify..
Solved
Do we qualify for Government's ECO4 scheme 2023 for home insulation?
Best answer by Emmanuelle_OVO
Updated on 28/01/25 by Abby_OVO
The Great British Insulation Scheme offers households in England Wales and Scotland access to one free or discounted insulation measure.
This scheme is open to all, meaning there is no requirement to be an OVO customer to get this.
Customers must be a home owner, reside in a property with a Council Tax Band of A-E in Scotland / Wales and A-D in England and have an EPC rating of D or below.
Applications are open and very welcome here.
If you have a query or question, contact ECO@ovo.com we will be happy to help and will respond within 48 hours.
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.
+7- Super User
Hope that helps.
Yes, it does, thanks. I’ve learnt that A is lower than D, except when it’s not. I’m sure you’ll agree that the wording in the article might be confusing for some readers.
Great British Insulation Scheme and ECO4 LA and Supplier Flex Decision Statement:
Publication date
12 June 2023
On 5 April 2023, we published a consultation seeking stakeholder views on our proposed administration of the Great British Insulation scheme for LA and Supplier Flex including potential amendments to our current administrative approach within ECO4 Flex. The consultation closed on 28 April 2023 and we received 16 responses from a variety of stakeholders, including Local Authorities, energy suppliers, managing agents, installers and charities.
The document below is our consultation decision which sets out our final position. In the decision document, we summarise stakeholder views, present the points raised and respond to that feedback. We then outline the outcome of the consultation and, where relevant, how we have changed our approach.
Thanks for sharing this,
There’s seems to be a lot of consensus in the answers to the questions raised in the report. What’s the next steps in the process?
Such an important outcome to insulate the UK’s existing housing stock, which is apparently some of the worse insulated in western Europe.
Its a wait and see with Ofcom and local authorities and power suppliers now.
You don’t have to be on any kind of benefits or state support to access the Great British Insulation Scheme / ECO+.
Some other energy efficiency programmes are only accessible for people in that position, but the whole point of GBIS is that it is available for buildings that need it as well as the people in them.
It’s worth clarifying the original response from OVO, and the page on their website.
Log in to the OVO Forum
No account yet? Create an account
Enter your E-mail address. We'll send you an e-mail with instructions to reset your password.
Contact us
Tips & advice
Resources
For business
OVO Energy Ltd, registered office 1 Rivergate Temple Quay Bristol, BS1 6ED, company no. 06890795 registered in England and Wales.
OVO (S) Gas Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No. 02716495) at 1 Rivergate, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6ED.
OVO (S) Gas Limited is part of OVO Group Ltd