ECO4 Grant Eligibility: Free Insulation and Heating for Low-Income Households

What ECO4 is

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is a programme that requires the largest UK energy suppliers to fund energy efficiency improvements in low-income households. ECO4 is the current phase of the scheme, running from April 2022 until March 2026, with ECO5 expected to follow.

Under ECO4, eligible households can receive free or heavily subsidised insulation, heating system replacements, and other energy efficiency measures. The work is paid for by the obligated energy suppliers as part of their licence conditions, not by the household.

Who is eligible

Eligibility falls into three main routes:

Route 1: Help to Heat (means-tested benefits)

You qualify if any member of the household receives one of the qualifying benefits, which include:

• Universal Credit
• Pension Credit (Guarantee or Savings)
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Housing Benefit (for ECO4 specifically)

Route 2: ECO Flex (local authority discretion)

Local authorities can refer households who do not receive a qualifying benefit but who are in fuel poverty or have other vulnerability factors (low income, health conditions made worse by cold homes). Each local authority publishes its own statement of intent listing the criteria. See the ECO Flex guide for more detail.

Route 3: Park homes and certain social housing

ECO4 has specific routes for residents of park homes and for low-EPC social housing.

What work is funded

ECO4 prioritises whole-house retrofit, meaning multiple measures installed together to reach a meaningful EPC improvement. Common funded measures include:

• Loft insulation
• Cavity wall insulation
• Solid wall insulation (internal or external)
• Underfloor insulation
• Window upgrades (limited)
• Heating system upgrades (replacing inefficient electric heating, oil, or coal with a heat pump or modern boiler)
• First-time central heating installation

Mains gas boiler replacement is generally NOT funded under ECO4 unless the existing boiler is broken beyond repair and the household qualifies under specific narrower routes. The scheme is targeted at homes that are currently very inefficient (EPC D, E, F or G).

How the application works

You do not apply directly to the energy supplier. Instead:

1. Contact an installer that participates in ECO4 (most large insulation contractors do)

2. The installer assesses your eligibility and the property

3. They apply to the obligated supplier on your behalf

4. If approved, the work is scheduled and carried out

5. You pay nothing (or a small contribution depending on the work)

Some local authorities run their own one-stop ECO Flex schemes that bundle the assessment and installer referral.

EPC improvement targets

ECO4 has specific EPC improvement targets. For most households, the work funded is sized to take the property from its current rating up to at least C, or to make the largest practical improvement possible. This means very inefficient properties (G) get more funded work than already-efficient properties (D), and households that are already at C are generally not eligible.

How to check your starting point

Search your address on Property Passport UK at [/search](/search) to see the current EPC rating and the recommended improvements from the official EPC Register. Installers will use this as the basis for their assessment.

What to watch out for

• ECO4 is delivered through obligated energy suppliers and approved installers. Beware of cold callers offering "free government grants" who pressure you to sign on the doorstep. Always check that the installer is registered with TrustMark and is approved by the obligated supplier.
• The work must improve the property as a whole, so individual measures may be tied together (you cannot usually pick and choose).
• Tenants in private rental properties can apply with the landlord's permission, and the landlord pays a contribution because they will benefit from the property improvement.

Check your EPC on Property Passport UK

Property Passport UK shows the official EPC rating for every property in England and Wales, sourced directly from the EPC Register. You can look up any address at [propertypassport.uk/epc](/epc), or search by postcode at [/search](/search) to see the rating, expiry date, recommended improvements, and the gap between current and potential efficiency.

Related guides

• EPC C rating by 2030 explained
• MEES regulations landlord guide
• Cost of going from D to C on an EPC
• Boiler Upgrade Scheme explained