UK Energy Efficiency Grants: Available Schemes & How to Apply

The UK government provides various energy efficiency grants to low-income and low-energy efficient households in the UK. These government grants for energy efficiency specifically target households at risk of fuel poverty or those who struggle to keep their home warm.

According to the UK Parliament, most UK households pay 10% of their monthly income on energy bills which makes these grants highly desired.

This blog will dive deeper into the details of available UK government grants for energy efficiency measures. We will explore different measures installed under these grants and the application process to make it easier for homeowners to apply for these energy efficiency grants.

Stick to this guide for detailed insights on available schemes and a guide on how to apply them.

UK Government Grants for Energy Efficiency

Whether you need a fully-funded government grant for energy efficiency measures or partial funding to support the process, UK government grants have got you covered. The ultimate goal of these grants is to make UK households more energy-efficient, comfortable and with less carbon emissions.

These grants serve the purpose of reducing the use of fossil fuels for heating reasons, which emit more greenhouse gases, impacting the environment badly.

To make sure households who have low income and struggle to keep their homes warmer or are at risk of fuel poverty are preferred under these schemes, they have certain eligibility criteria. Homeowners need to meet that criterion in order to get a hold of them.

1. Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)

Designed to deliver energy efficiency and heating measures in Great Britain, the ECO4 scheme aims to alleviate fuel poverty. This scheme provides whole-house energy efficiency grants to low-income households living in poorly insulated homes.

England, Wales, and Scotland households can access energy efficiency measures like free boilers, air source heat pumps, central heating systems and insulation measures to improve their energy performance rating.

Eligibility Criteria for ECO4

To avail of these grants, homeowners or private tenants (with the landlord’s permission) are required to meet the eligibility criteria mentioned below:

You must be a homeowner or a private tenant with the landlord’s permission for upgrades to the property.
Must have a low EPC rating of D, E, F, or G.
Gas metre installed before April 2022
Boiler installed before 2005 (Non-condensing)
Your household income must be below £31000 annual threshold.

You must receive any of these benefits:

Income-based Job seeker’s Allowance (JSA)
Income-related Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)
Income Support Allowance (ISA)
Working Tax Credit (WTC)
Child Tax Credit (CTC)
Universal Credit (UC)
Pension Guarantee Credit
Pension Savings Credit
Child Benefit
Housing Benefit

Households which do not meet this eligibility criteria can contact the local authorities to ensure they can double-check and take steps to make them eligible for this scheme. This is possible under ECO4 flex, where local authorities can tailor the eligibility criteria to local energy requirements.

Measures Installed Under ECO4 Grants

As mentioned before, this scheme focuses on a whole-house approach and provides various energy efficiency grants to eligible households.

Below are the measures installed under these grants:

Free Boiler Grants: ECO4 enable you to get your non-condensing boiler replaced with a new energy-efficient and condensing boiler and reduce household energy bills.
Air-Source Heat Pump Grants: Air-source heat pumps are a preferred heating system for houses which are off the gas grid.
First-Time Central Heating Grant: ECO4 grants provide the opportunity for eligible UK households to get central heating systems installed for more comfortable homes at zero upfront cost.
Insulation Grants: for households lacking insulation measures, which reduces the energy efficiency of their heating systems upgraded. This significantly reduces energy bills and improves overall heating and EPC rating of properties.

If you meet the eligibility criteria you can proceed to the application process to get a hold of these schemes.

Application Process for ECO4

The application process for the ECO4 scheme is quite simple if you meet the eligibility criteria. Here are the steps you need to follow to get this energy efficiency grants:

Check Eligibility Criteria: Visit the ECO Energy Services website and use the eligibility calculator to ensure you really qualify for the scheme.
Fill Out the Contact Form: once you are eligible for the ECO4 scheme, you can fill out the provided form at ECO Energy Services so the team of experts can contact you.
Get your Heating System Installed: after the survey, the team will decide which measure needs to be carried out, which will be installed at your property after approval.

By following the simple application process, you will get your heating systems installed at zero upfront cost.

Check Eligibilty For ECO4 Scheme

Get Free Heating System Installed Today at your Property Under ECO4!

Check Eligibility

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The teams that arrived were absolutely incredible. Loft installation was in before I knew it.
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2. Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is another government initiative to make UK households more energy-efficient, comfortable and with less carbon emissions.

Under this scheme, UK households can get their low energy efficiency and non-condensing boilers upgraded with renewable energy heating systems like biomass boilers and air source heat pumps.

These upgrades contribute majorly to alleviating fuel poverty and meeting the UK government’s goal of reducing carbon emissions by up to 68% by 2030.

Eligibility Criteria for BUS

The eligibility criteria for BUS are quite simple:

The property must be located in England or Wales.
BUS applies only to retrofitting properties with existing fossil fuel or electric heating systems.
The property should have a valid Energy Performance Certificate issued within the last 10 years.
The property should be of an eligible type; newly constructed properties are ineligible.

Application Process for BUS

For the application process, you can check the eligibility criteria on the official government website and contact a skilled installer to your work installation done, if eligible.

3. Great British Insulation Scheme

Great British Insulation is another government-funded scheme that provides insulation grants to underprivileged households in the UK.

This scheme only provides energy efficiency grants to your insulated homes. These grants provide funding for loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, solid wall insulation, and many other insulations.

Eligibility Criteria for the Insulation Scheme

The eligibility criteria are very simple for insulation grants:

You must be a homeowner or private tenant.
Your home must have poor insulation, and you must meet certain income or benefit criteria.

Application Process for the Insulation Scheme

To apply, you can contact ECO Energy Services, a reliable installer, our team will apply on your behalf and once approved, your insulation will be installed.

Final Thoughts

To conclude this discussion, there are three major government grants currently available for UK households to meet their energy efficiency requirements.

All three grants serve different energy efficiency grants from free boiler grants, air source heat pumps, first-time central heat grants, and insulation grants. They prefer the households at the risk of fuel poverty and those who struggle to keep their homes warm.

In this article, we have compiled everything you may need to know about these schemes. Measures they install, eligibility criteria, and application process. Contact ECO Energy Services today to get your heating systems upgraded at zero costs under the ECO4 scheme.

FAQs

How do I apply for the Warm Homes Local Grant?

These grants specifically target households at risk of fuel poverty or those who struggle to keep their home warm.

To apply for the Warm Homes Local Grant, follow these simple steps:

Check Eligibility Criteria: Visit your local council website to ensure you qualify for the scheme.
Fill Out the Contact Form: Once you are eligible for the Warm Homes Local Grant, you can fill out the provided form on your local authority’s website.
Home Assessment: After initial approval, an assessor will visit your property to determine which energy efficiency measures would be most suitable.
Get your Energy Efficiency Measures Installed: After the survey, the team will decide which measures need to be carried out.

What are the benefits of cavity wall insulation grants?

These grants serve the purpose of reducing the use of fossil fuels for heating reasons, which emit more greenhouse gases, impacting the environment badly.

The benefits of cavity wall insulation grants include:

Reduced energy bills by preventing heat loss through walls
More comfortable home environment with consistent temperatures
Lower carbon emissions, helping meet the UK government’s goal of reducing carbon emissions by up to 68% by 2030
Improved Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of your property
Zero upfront costs for eligible households
Quick installation with minimal disruption

These insulation grants prefer the households at the risk of fuel poverty and those who struggle to keep their homes warm.

How can I check if my home qualifies for a free boiler replacement?

You must be a homeowner or a private tenant with the landlord’s permission for upgrades to the property. Must have a low EPC rating of D, E, F, or G. Gas metre installed before April 2022 Boiler installed before 2005 (Non-condensing) Your household income must be below £31000 annual threshold. You must receive any of these benefits:

Income-based Job seeker’s Allowance (JSA)
Income-related Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)
Income Support Allowance (ISA)
Working Tax Credit (WTC)
Child Tax Credit (CTC)
Universal Credit (UC)
Pension Guarantee Credit
Pension Savings Credit
Child Benefit
Housing Benefit

The application process for the free boiler replacement is quite simple if you meet the eligibility.