FAQs

About ECO Funding

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is a Government energy efficiency scheme in Great Britain to help reduce carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty. The scheme began in April 2013, and over time it has been amended. The latest policy (ECO4) commenced on 1 April 2022, and applies to measures completed from 1 April 2022 and will run until 1 April 2026. We have access to ECO funding via the installation companies we work with, meaning we can arrange the installation of a wide range of energy efficiency measures in your home to help reduce your fuel costs.

Is it really free of charge?

Yes, so long as you meet one of the following:

Someone in your household is in receipt of a qualifying benefit.
Flexible Eligibility Criteria through your Local Authority:

If your household earns less than £31,000 per year (before tax), we can complete an application and submit evidence to your local Council for them to assess and issue a declaration.

Evidence Required:

Bank statements dated within the last 3 months from every adult resident in the household, to confirm you meet the earnings criteria. You are welcome to cover as much information as you like (account number/sort code etc), so long as the Council can clearly see the following:

Full name and address
Date of the statement
All incoming amounts

Minimum Requirement

For us to access ECO funding for boiler/heating upgrades, we need to meet the'minimum requirement'. This means that there must be the following:

If walls are of cavity construction, they must be insulated
If there is a standard loft space, there must be at least 270mm of existing loft insulation

If the walls and loft are already insulated to the above standards, we won't have to address anything else to do with the 'fabric' of the property and can simply proceed to installing the boiler/heating upgrade in your property.

Where needed, we can install both cavity wall and loft insulation, and it will be completely free of charge to yourself.

If we're having to install insulation, we will need to address ventilation in your property, which means we will have to do the following at the time of installation:

Install trickle vents on all windows (visit www.air-box.co.uk for more information)
Install extractor fans in all 'wet rooms' in your property - any room that has a sink in it (Kitchen/Bathroom/WC etc)

Ownership & Occupancy

If we’re completing a gas boiler upgrade in your property, this is strictly only open to owner occupiers. We have to demonstrate that you both own the property and that you live there. For us to do this we need to do the following:

Land Registry search to see who the registered owners of the property are. If you’ve moved into your property within the last 12 months, there’s a chance Land Registry hasn’t been updated yet, where we’d have to ask you for further proof. Likewise, you may have owned the property for a very long time, where your property isn’t registered at Land Registry. If this is the case, we may need to take a photo of your deeds instead.
Obtain proof of address dated in the last 12 months

What happens next?

We will book you in for a full technical survey where it involves completing a full energy assessment of your property. Prior to the survey, we will be processing your application and sending everything off to your Local Authority (if applicable) where we should receive a FLEX (funding) declaration that enables us to carry out works free of charge. After your survey, we will then pass it over to a Trustmark accredited installer to carry out the installation. You will typically hear from the installer within a couple of weeks.

Is the work guaranteed?

Each measure is installed by a Trustmark accredited installer, giving you peace of mind that they must consistently meet high levels of workmanship and quality. Boilers installed under the ECO scheme have a minimum of two-year financial protection for all works carried out in and around your home.

Will I be asked to pay anything towards the cost?

99% of the time, everything is carried out completely free of charge. However, there are some rare instances which may require a contribution for us to carry out the works. For instance, if you have a one pipe central heating system, we will have to upgrade your entire heating system to a two pipe system to meet building regulations. If we need to ask you for a contribution you will be contacted before any works commence.

I’ve changed my mind, can I cancel?

If at any point you change your mind about having an installation you can change your mind at any time, with no cost to you whatsoever. Just contact us to let us know.