Everyone deserves to live somewhere warm, comfortable and, more than anything else, safe. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Rising energy costs, poorly insulated homes, and the current economic climate here in the UK means that many of its residents cannot afford to sufficiently heat their homes.
Luckily, though, help is available to those who need it: there are several government-funded eco heating grants designed to assist low-income, fuel poor and/or vulnerable households with improving their living conditions. If you’re worried about how you’re going to heat your home this winter and want to find out more about the funding available to you, keep reading – here’s UK Energy Management (NE) Ltd with a Q&A-style guide to the ECO3 government grant.
What is ECO3 funding?
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, now in its third incarnation, helps low-income, fuel poor, and/or vulnerable households to cut their energy costs through home improvements. The energy efficiency measures that can be installed under ECO3 include internal and external wall insulation systems, loft insulation, heating systems, and new boilers. Other measures may qualify, subject to review by Ofgem and other relevant parties.
ECO3 is a government-led energy efficiency scheme which, with the support of both medium-sized and larger energy companies, aims to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions throughout the UK. Each of the obligated energy suppliers must meet a target, based on their share of the domestic energy market, to ensure they are doing their bit to help – these are tracked in monthly Ofgem reports.
The scheme is currently only in operation until 2022, so don’t hesitate to take further action if you think you’re eligible! UK Energy Management (NE) Ltd helps its customers access the funding they need. So far this year, we’ve saved people throughout the UK a total of £72 million, so you can be sure you’re in good hands.
UK Energy Management (NE) Ltd can also assist with the installation of most of the energy efficiency measures covered by ECO3. Our highly skilled technicians will be happy to install various insulation systems and gas heating, as well as providing storage heaters and performing cavity wall extractions where necessary. Talk to our team today for more information about our installation services, or find out more about us here.
What are the eligibility criteria?
Certain eligibility criteria must be met in order to qualify for the ECO3 scheme. There are plenty of online tools available to help you check your eligibility, so no need to worry – head over to the UK Energy Management (NE) Ltd website to find ours.
The scheme is open to those living in either privately-owned homes, rented accommodation, and social housing – particularly if your property has an EPC (energy performance certificate) rating of E, F, or G. If you are in a rented property, we will require your landlord’s permission to carry out ECO3 measures. This is normally granted using a LLPF, otherwise known as a landlord permission form.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that some home improvement measures are usually only entitled to those who own their home, for example replacements for broken gas or oil boilers and broken electric storage heaters. That said, crucial energy efficiency measures are available to all who qualify, including insulation and first-time central heating.
The main requirement for qualifying for the ECO3 scheme is receiving certain benefits from the state. You may be eligible for the scheme if someone in your household is in receipt of any of these benefits:
● Armed Forces Independence Payment
● Attendance Allowance
● Carer’s Allowance
● Child Benefit
● Child Tax Credits
● Constant Attendance Allowance
● Disability Living Allowance
● Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
● Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
● Income Support
● Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
● Pension Credit
● Personal Independence Payment
● Severe Disablement Allowance
● War Pension Mobility Supplement
● Working Tax Credits
● Universal Credit
The ECO3 scheme no longer has income thresholds or requirements in order to access funding, so if you qualify for any of the above benefit schemes, you’ll automatically be entitled to the ECO3 grant.
I don’t receive benefits. How can the ECO3 flexible eligibility scheme help me?
If you’re not eligible according to the usual criteria, UK Energy Management (NE) Ltd can contact your local authority to see if you qualify under the Local Authority Flexible Eligibility (LA Flex) scheme.
The ECO3 scheme is also available to any household deemed low-income, fuel poor, and/or vulnerable by their local council. This means that, if you don’t claim benefits but you have high fuel costs, are older than 65, are pregnant, have young children, or have a health condition, you may still be able to access the ECO3 funding.
UK Energy Management (NE) Ltd assists local authorities with the implementation of the LA Flex scheme, such as by advising them on the Statement of Intent that they must submit when outlining their eligibility criteria. We can also help with determining the qualifying criteria set by councils, which includes working alongside local energy suppliers to identify which households would benefit from energy efficient improvements.
We recommend you contact a member of our team to discuss your eligibility, even if you don’t receive benefits – you never know, you might be covered by the LA Flex scheme.
What if I don’t meet these criteria either?
If you don’t qualify under the LA Flex scheme either, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t access the funding you require.
The flexible eligibility scheme also has in-fill mechanisms, which means that even more customers are eligible for the ECO3 grant, so long as they meet the extra criteria. This can apply to homeowners or private tenants, as well as those who do not meet the criteria set out in their local authority’s Statement of Intent. These in-fill mechanisms enable local councils to make more households eligible, such as in cases where:
● Individuals are vulnerable to the consequences of living in a cold, damp home
● Residents are living in fuel poverty, which means they are spending more than 10% of their household income on heating their home to an adequate level
● Occupiers are living in a property adjacent to one which meets the Statement of Intent criteria (e.g. homes in the same building or the same terrace)
If you’re concerned about keeping your home and your family warm this winter, feel free to talk to a member of our team about your eligibility for ECO3 – whether you receive benefits or not. You might still qualify, thanks to the flexible eligibility scheme and its in-fill requirements.
How do I go about securing funding?
We know all of this might sound confusing, but it couldn’t be simpler! The friendly team at UK Energy Management (NE) Ltd will gladly guide you through the process from start to finish. Meanwhile, you can rest easy knowing that making your home warm, comfortable, and safe is always our top priority.
If you choose us here at UK Energy Management (NE) Ltd to help you with your case, the process of securing funding will consist of just four simple steps:
- Complete our online eligibility form to see whether you qualify for the ECO3 scheme..
- If you do meet the eligibility criteria, we’ll visit your home to carry out a free, no-obligation survey – this is so we know exactly what home improvement measures you’d benefit from.
- Your brand new energy saving measures will be installed in due course, so long as you (and possibly your landlord) are happy with our proposed ideas.
- That’s it – time for you to enjoy your warm, comfy home! And let’s not forget the savings on your energy bills.
Manage your funding with UK Energy Management (NE) Ltd
If you’re interested in checking your eligibility for the ECO3 scheme or any other eco grants in the UK, look no further than UK Energy Management (NE) Ltd. We take pride in helping people secure the funding they need in order to get the living conditions they deserve, and our experienced technicians will be happy to install the upgrades you need to make your home warm and comfy this winter. For more information on how we can help you, or to see if you’re eligible for a grant, visit our website or contact us today.
