ECO Flexibility assistance

Funding for those living in fuel poverty

You may be eligible for a grant for improvements to your home thermal efficiency, such as:

  • new central heating systems
  • upgrades to existing heating systems
  • insulation measures

Under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) Local Flexibility, the major energy producers/suppliers are required by central government to make funds available and allocate to qualifying householders. This allows them to install fully-funded or subsidised energy saving measures in the home, which have been declared eligible by the council see our Statement of Intent (SOI).

Previous Statements of Intent:

Statement of Intent V.4 (December 2023 to August 2024) (Withdrawn)

Statement of Intent V.3 (February 2023 to November 2023) (Withdrawn)

Statement of Intent V.2 (January 2021 to January 2022) (Withdrawn)

Statement of Intent V.1 (August 2018 to December 2020) (Withdrawn)

Local Authorities can decide to participate in ECO Flexibility and aims to support low income households living in the least efficient homes with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rated D, E, F, G (some expectations apply). 

The scheme will run from April 2022 to 31 March 2026.

Am I eligible to apply?

In order to be eligible for this funding, a household must fit one of the following criteria:

  • Route 1: Owner-occupied and private rented sector households with a gross annual income less than £31,000. This cap applies irrespective of the property size, composition or region and is from all sources of income, including both non means test and means test benefits

  • Route 2: Owner-occupied and private rented sector households that meet a combination of two of the following proxies:

    • Proxy 1 - Homes in England in Lower-layer Super Output Area 1-3 (LSOA)(Published on the government website, the deciles are published in “File 7: all ranks, deciles and scores for the indices of deprivation, and population denominators”.)

    • Proxy 2 - A person living at the premises is entitled to a Council Tax reduction on the grounds of low-income (excludes single person discount).

    • Proxy 3 - A person living at the premises is considered to be vulnerable to the cold under the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidance NG6: Recommendation 2, for a reason other than their low-income.
      Great British Insulation Scheme and ECO4 Flex NHS referral letter template

    • Proxy 4 - A child living at the premises is eligible for free school meals, due to low-income under section 512ZB(4) of the Education Act 1996.

    • Proxy 5 - Not applicable

    • Proxy 6 - A household referred to the LA for support by their energy supplier or Citizens Advice or Citizens Advice Scotland, because they have been identified as struggling to pay their electricity and/or gas bills. 
      Great British Insulation Scheme and ECO4 Flex Citizens Advice referral letter template

    • Proxy 7 - [for supplier owned debt data and is listed here for information only]. Households identified through energy supplier debt data. This route enables obligated suppliers to use their own debt data to identify either non pre-payment meter households (non-PPM), or pre-payment meter households (PPM)*. 

      • Non-PPM customers: These are customers who have been in debt for more than 13 weeks ending with the day on which the declaration is made, and are in a debt repayment plan with their energy supplier or repaying their fuel debt through 3rd party deductions. 

      • PPM customers: Suppliers may also identify PPM households who: 

      • Have either self-disconnected or received supplier Discretionary/Friendly credit within the last 13 weeks ending with the day on which the declaration is made; or  

      • are in a debt repayment plan with their energy supplier; or  

      • repaying their fuel debt through 3rd party deductions.

        Note - Proxies 1 and 3 cannot be used together. Proxy 7 cannot be used in combination with proxy 5 or proxy 6.

  • Route 3: Owner-occupied and private rented sector households that have been identified by either a person registered in the General Practitioner Register, a Scottish Health Board, a Welsh Health Board, an NHS Foundation Trust, or an NHS Trust as vulnerable, with an occupant whose health conditions may be adversely affected by living in a cold homes.  These health conditions must be cardiovascular, respiratory, immunosuppressed, or limited mobility related.

Great British Insulation Scheme and ECO4 Flex NHS referral letter template

How do I apply?

We can only accept applications from qualified installers. Please see a list of installers below.

We do not provide the ECO funding to eligible householders; it is provided directly by the major energy producers/suppliers to the installers. There are a number of installing companies working across the district to provide ECO; the names of which are listed below. Each of these installing companies must sign our Memorandum of Understanding.

The installing companies will undertake an initial survey on the property to assess factors such as heating, insulation, room sizes etc and will result in a report of what the ECO installer can carry out. It is likely that you will receive multiple measures. They will also provide details of the costs to do the works.  If the cost of works is below the financial offer the from ECO installer, the offer will proceed free of charge to the household. If the cost of works is greater than the offer from the ECO installer, then there may be a financial contribution for the householder to make. You may be eligible for a ‘warm up’ grant to assist with these cost (see 'warm up grants' below).

The contractual relationship is between you (the householder) and the installer. The ECO installer will produce a quote with a detailed summary of works. You must ensure that you are aware of the full cost of works and if there is any requirement for a customer contribution to complete works.

The ECO installer can assist the householder to complete the online application, upload relevant documentation and sign the Householder Declaration Form to confirm eligibility in line with the Council’s Statement of Intent.

ECO Flexibility Grant application - for installer use only 

The ECO installer will receive confirmation (Declaration of Eligibility) from North Devon Council if you are eligible, based on the information contained in the application. You are under no obligation to proceed with the works.

It should be noted that the final decision on whether any individual household will benefit from energy saving improvements or heating rests with obligated energy suppliers or their contractors.  Inclusion in a Declaration of Eligibility issued by North Devon Council to a supplier will not guarantee installation of measures.  The final decision will depend on:

  1. Identification of measures eligible under Help to Heat
  2. The supplier’s assessment of the cost-effectiveness of installing measures in relation to achieving its obligation
  3. Whether the supplier has achieved their targets or require further measures to meet their Energy Company Obligation targets

There are minimum requirements for a property’s Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating to be increased.  SAP are used to underpin EPC’s. To meet the minimum requirement any starting Band F or G property treated must be improved to at least a Band D.  Any starting Band D or E property treated must be improved to at least a Band C.

Please note: We make no recommendation, nor can we endorse any specific company. Inclusion on the list merely indicates that an installer has been approved to work under our SOI (the order of listing shows simply which company applied soonest). 

Council-agreed installers

Happy Energy Solutions Ltd t/a HEAT Project (Unit 1, New Road, Perranporth, Cornwall, TR6 0DL) 

City Energy incorporating Consumer Energy Solutions (Contact Centre and Installation Teams) (Coptic House, 4-5 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff, CF10 5EE)

Curtis Anstee ECO Installations Ltd (Unit 2 New Cross Hill, New Cross, South Petherton, Somerset, England, TA13 5HZ)

Energy WON (Unit 2, Shipton Close, Worcester, WR4 9NX)

South Coast Insulation Services (Unit 12a – 10 Centre, Stephenson Road, Segensworth, Fareham, Hants, P015 5RU)

Stellar Energy UK Ltd (54 Stepney Street, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, SA15 3TG)

Zing Energy Ltd (Unit 6 & 7 Beck Court Cardiff Gate Business Park Cardiff CF23 8RP)

All Seasons Energy (1A Meadowbrook Park Halfway, Sheffield, S20 3PJ)

Baxter Kelly Ltd (Douglas House, Tollgate Drive, Tollgate Industrial Estate, Stafford, ST16 3HS)

C&T ECO Consultants Ltd (1 High Street, Pontardawe, Swansea, SA8 4HU)

Switch Energy Network Ltd (Fountain House, South Parade, Leeds, LS1 5QX)

Complete Remedial Solutions Ltd (Fairway House, Fortran Road, St. Mellons, Cardiff, Wales, CF3 0LT)

WarmaUK (1 Swan Street, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 1HF)

My ECO Move Ltd (33 Bowden Hill, Lacock, Chippenham, SN15 2PP

Envo Energy Solutions Ltd (Road One, Winsford Industrial Estate, Winsford, CW7 3PZ)

Commercial Improvements Ltd, Suite E2, Basepoint Business Centre, Luton, LU2 8DL

Evolve Home Energy Solutions, Wyastone Business Park, Monmouth NP25 3SR

Monza Installs Ltd, (27a Mitton Road Business Park, Mitton Road, Whalley BB7 9YE)

Therm-Eco (EWI) Ltd Trading (Unit 9, Vulcan Estate, Water Lane Exeter EX2 8BY)

Platinum Park Homes Services (Unit 16 Northbrook Business Park, Northbrook Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN14 8PQ)

Green Improve Ltd (10 Bolton Road West, Ramsbottom, Bury, England BL0 9ND)

RJM Insulation Limited (464 Uxbridge Road, Hayes, UB4 0SD)

Earth Inspired Ltd, Unit 9 Coxleigh Barton,
Shirwell, Barnstaple, EX31 4JL

We will charge the installer administration fee of £100.00 for providing the Declaration of Eligibility.  This charge must be paid by the installer or their agent and may not under any circumstances, to passed on to you the householder.

Warm up grants - up to £3,000

These grants, up to a maximum £3,000 per property, provide top up funding for energy efficiency measures where energy providers are part funding energy efficiency measures under their Energy Company Obligation (ECO) or to fund energy efficiency measures which do not attract Energy Company Obligation, for example insulation to mobile homes and the installation of central heating for the first time.

 Eligibility

To qualify for the top up grant, applicants must have applied to an installing company under Energy Company Obligation (ECO) 4 or Local Flexibility. The installing company will assist with the paperwork and submit the relevant documentation to North Devon Council for our approval.

The grant will normally be paid direct to contractors and no grant will be paid until a satisfactory invoice has been received and the works have been carried out to the satisfaction of the client and council.