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Energy bills have skyrocketed in the past few years. As the winter approaches, people in the UK are concerned about comfort and warmth along with affordability. It’s not easy for a household with limited income to afford the cost of energy bills with limited resources.
Apart from a surge in energy bills, the majority of households are using the same old boilers to heat up their homes. Replacing it with a new one almost requires a fortune. The replacement of an old boiler with a new one is pivotal for not only slashing the bills but also reducing carbon emissions.
That is where the ECO4 scheme comes in to rescue vulnerable households relying on government benefits such as working tax credit, pension savings credit, child benefits, housing benefits, universal credit, and Income-based Job seeker’s Allowance.
The fourth phase of the government ECO scheme started in 2022 will end in 2024. So what exactly is the ECO4 scheme and how it can help you reduce your energy bills? Here’s everything you need to know.
What is the ECO4 Scheme?
The government of the UK has come up with a plan to reduce carbon emissions and achieve net zero by the year 2050. The ECO Scheme has been there since 2013 and impacted millions of households.
The ECO4 scheme is the continuation of the ECO3 scheme that will run until 2026. However, there are few changes that makes it much more viable and effective.
The ECO4 scheme offers grants to inefficient and vulnerable households posing a threat to the environment by upgrading their heating systems and other energy-efficient measures. It primarily includes boiler grants, air source heat pump grants, and first-time central heating grants.
In case of poor insulation of a house, the ECO4 scheme also covers cavity and loft insulation.
The core purpose of the ECO4 scheme is to reduce carbon emissions, cut down the bills, improve heating efficiency (EPC), and fight fuel poverty.
ECO4 Scheme Eligibility Gov UK?
The eligibility criteria for ECO4 Scheme Gov UK is simple and straightforward. The eligibility criteria depend on the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating of the property. If you are unaware of EPC, it is a certificate required by the government when a homeowner sells or rents out the property.
The Energy Performance Certificate entails all the information regarding the usage of energy, cost of consumption, and recommendations to reduce consumption If your property’s EPC rating is E, F, or G, you are eligible for the ECO4 scheme. Furthermore, there are some conditions that need to be met to qualify for the ECO4 Scheme such as:
- Residents of the UK, Wales, and Scotland
- Homeowners and Private Tenants
- Government Benefits Recipients
- Household Income is Less than £31,000
If you are a recipient of government benefits, you can also qualify for the ECO4 Scheme. Check if you are eligible for the ECO4 Scheme as a government benefit recipient or not
- Income-based Job seeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)
- Working Tax Credit (WTC)
- Child tax credit (CTC)
- Universal Credit (UC)
- Housing benefit
- Pension Guaranteed Credit
- Child benefit
- Income Support
How to apply for ECO4 Scheme Gov UK?
If you fulfill certain criteria we have mentioned earlier, you can apply for the ECO4 scheme without waiting further. All you need to do is check your eligibility by entering your postcode, answer a few questions, and once eligible leave the rest to Eco Energy Services team.
If you are eligible for the ECO4 Scheme, we will send a team to your home to:
- Assess the Property
- Recommend Energy Efficient Measures
- Install Energy Efficient Heating System
For further information, queries, and assistance, you can contact our customer representative to help you out. Call us at 020-4525-9721
Objectives of the ECO4 Scheme Gov UK
The ECO4 Scheme Gov UK is offering several benefits to households in the UK. Some of the objectives of ECO4 Scheme Gov UK include:
Funding for Low Income Households
The ECO4 Scheme is fully funded by the government of the UK to equip households with energy-saving measures. It includes everything from heating systems to loft and floor insulation so that minimum energy is lost and maximum is utilized. In fact, households that have an EPC rating of D, E, F, or G are eligible for the scheme but can’t afford to invest a big amount.
Installation of Energy-Efficient Heating System
Under the ECO4 Scheme, energy companies are liable to fund and install energy-efficient heating systems and other measures such as home insulation. All of the processes will help households reduce overall consumption of energy by preventing heat loss and also lower energy bills for years to come.
Overcome Fuel Poverty
The ECO4 Scheme is an initiative by the government of the UK to combat fuel poverty by equipping vulnerable homes with energy-efficient measures and heating systems. It ultimately helps in reducing energy bills and allows families to utilize their funds for other household needs.
Reduce Carbon Emissions
The ECO4 Scheme is not only to equip low-income households with energy-efficient technology and reduce energy bills. It is also meant to reduce carbon emissions that is commonly seen in the old heating systems.
How the ECO4 Scheme Can Help You Reduce Energy Bills?
The ECO4 scheme is centered around saving our lovely planet from carbon monoxide and other greenhouse gases by equipping houses with energy-efficient heating systems. With little energy consumed and more heat produced, it becomes obvious to have an impact on promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Low-income households are finding a way to meet their day-to-day expenses while also reducing energy bills this winter and in the future as well. But how does ECO4 scheme help in reducing energy bills will be discussed in the section. Stay tuned.
Energy-Efficient Heating System
The ECO4 Scheme is fully funded by the government of the UK. It has already served millions of homes in the UK with low income and relying on government benefits.
The ECO4 Scheme can help you reduce your energy bills by providing you an energy-efficient and less carbon-emitting equipment to keep your home warm and comfortable.
For instance, old boilers are less energy efficient and consume a lot of energy and warm up your home after long hours. This results in more energy consumption, which is reflected in your energy bills.
Insulating Your Home
If your property’s EPC rating is E, F, or G, your home is highly inefficient. Upon hiring an assessor, you will be given a few recommendations that would also include that your home needs proper insulation.
If your home is not insulated properly and you have qualified for the ECO4 scheme, your home will also be insulated. Once done, there will be a significant decrease in heat loss, which reduces energy consumption and saves on energy bills.
Increased Property Value
We have already talked about the EPC rating in this post. If you are interested in knowing more about it, you can read how to improve EPC rating?
So how does the EPC rating help you in saving money? It’s simple, once you take appropriate measures to reduce carbon emissions and save energy, the EPC rating of your house will turn from bad to good.
This results in increasing the value of your property and if you want to rent you can expect higher rental yields over the years. Instead of just saving money, you are also maximizing your returns.
Long-Term Savings
The ECO4 scheme is valid until 2026. If you have not applied, go for it now provided that you meet the eligibility criteria.
The ECO4 Scheme will not help you save on energy bills for a year or two. If you take proper care of your boiler, insulation, and other heating system, you can save money on energy bills for a long period. Winters will no longer be a burden for you but will provide the comfort and warmth you need in extreme cold.
Summing Up
That’s all for now. In this post, we have discussed all you need to know about the ECO4 scheme, the objectives of the ECO4 scheme, how to apply it, and how it helps in reducing energy bills.
If you are still not sure what it is all about, we can help you with it. Our team of representatives will guide you about anything related to the ECO4 scheme, boiler grants, air source heat pump grants, and first-time central heating grants.
Just give us a call at 020-4525-9721
Stay tuned and explore our Blogs for more updated news/posts like this.
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