Warm home grants

ECO is a government energy efficiency scheme in Great Britain to tackle fuel poverty and help reduce carbon emissions.

Obligated energy suppliers must promote measures that improve the ability of low-income, fuel-poor and vulnerable households to heat their homes.

This includes the installation of measures to reduce energy usage, such as:

• wall insulation
• loft insulation
• solar panels
• air source heat pumps
• boiler upgrades

The ECO scheme is administered by Ofgem and its current version, ECO4, is available until March 2026.

Ofgem ECO4 information

ECO4 and ECO4 Flex

There are two ways you could be eligible for ECO funding:

• ECO4 is for households in receipt of certain means-tested benefits, and evidence of these benefits would confirm your eligibility
• ECO4 Flex is for households not in receipt of these benefits, but who have been identified as low-income, vulnerable or fuel-poor. Participating Local Authorities publish a ‘Statement of Intent’ which details the criteria for this and can then provide declarations of eligibility to Ofgem for households who meet the criteria.

Find out if you are eligible for ECO4

You could be eligible for ECO4 if you receive at least one of the following benefits:

• Pension 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

Find out if you are eligible for ECO4 Flex

You could be eligible for ECO4 Flex if you meet one of these criteria:

• your household has an annual income of less than £31,000 (before tax)
• a person in your household has a severe or long-term health condition that is adversely affected by living in a cold home, and is due to a cardiovascular condition, a respiratory disease, limited mobility or immunosuppression.

There are also other criteria that can be used to identify eligible low-income, vulnerable and fuel-poor households. Full details of the eligibility routes can be found in the Statement of Intent. 

If you have joined our Warm Homes Register, then you will be notified if you meet the eligibility criteria and will be provided with information on how to apply.

Join the Warm Homes Register

How to apply

All applications for ECO4 and ECO4 Flex can be made directly via a registered installer. The current list of registered installers and their contact details can be found linked in the section below.

Households in receipt of means-tested benefits also have the option to apply for ECO4 via an obligated energy supplier.

Contact details for obligated energy suppliers

Eligibility for ECO4 or ECO4 Flex does not guarantee that an energy supplier or installer will decide to install energy efficiency measures in your home.

Registered installers

We cannot recommend an installer or endorse the quality of their workmanship. Companies registered with us have been verified as holding the correct certifications, accreditations, and insurances. We recommend that you conduct your own research when deciding which installer to use. Any agreement to install energy efficiency measures in your home will be between yourself and the installer. 

We will verify eligibility for ECO4 Flex applications from registered installers and provide declarations to the installer and to Ofgem. We will have no involvement in ‘standard’ ECO4 applications. We cannot accept applications directly from residents.

ECO4 Flex Statement of Intent

The Cumberland Council ECO4 Statement of Intent:

Installer enquiries

If you are an installer and wish to offer ECO4 Flex in the Cumberland area, contact the Housing Energy Team.

Email: housing.energy@cumberland.gov.uk