Grants & Funding
We offer grants and funding opportunities through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, specifically the Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation (HHCRO) or 'Affordable Warmth' program, to help tackle fuel poverty and improve the energy efficiency of homes in Great Britain.
What is the Energy Company Obligation?
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) includes the Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation (HHCRO), also known as the 'Affordable Warmth' scheme. ECO4, a government energy efficiency initiative in Great Britain, aims to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions.
The ECO scheme requires medium and large gas and electricity suppliers, including British Gas, EDF Energy, Eon, Ovo, Scottish Power, and SSE, to assist households with energy efficiency measures like electric storage heaters, loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, solid wall insulation, and boiler replacement or repair. The scheme provides funding to help eligible people reduce heating costs by installing these energy-efficient measures. Launched in 2022, the latest version is known as ECO4.
Under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), medium and large energy suppliers in Britain fund energy efficiency measures in households. Each supplier has targets based on their market share and works with installers to implement measures like loft, floor, or wall insulation, and heating improvements.
GBIS is a broadening of the ongoing ECO4 scheme, designed to support more vulnerable households with required energy efficiency measures as early as possible.
The Great British Insulation Scheme will support these households to cut annual bills by an average of £310.
The obligation explained
The Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation (HHCRO) mandates energy suppliers to promote installing insulation and heating measures that reduce energy bills.
GBIS (ECO+) vs ECO4
What’s the difference?
Like GBIS, ECO4 is a government scheme designed to support the improvement of energy efficiency in low-income homes.
At this time, the ECO4 grant scheme is open for applications (as of February 2023.) GBIS is now live.
ECO4 is the fourth stage of the government’s Energy Company Obligation and was launched in April 2022. Those on qualifying benefits can apply to receive whole house retrofit support, funded by their energy suppliers.
Key differences between GBIS and ECO4
Eligibility
GBIS is fully committed to vulnerable households (with an EPC rating of D or below and in a lower council tax band,) who do not benefit from any current government support schemes.
ECO4 is specifically committed to low-income households receiving government benefits like those listed above.
Efficiency Improvements
GBIS is aimed at improving energy efficiency in as many houses as possible as soon as possible, concentrating its efforts on wall and loft insulation, at very little cost to the homeowner.r its services.
ECO4 is a whole-house retrofit scheme covering both installation and heating equipment.
Availability
GBIS is now live and will run until March 2026.
ECO4 launched in February 2023 and is currently open for applications.
Check your eligibility for ECO funding
To assess your household eligibility for The Great British Insulation Scheme or ECO4, speak to a member of the Residential Energy Services team today.
3. INSTALLATION WORKS
Once we have identified the measures that can be implemented, we will arrange for the installation works to be carried out with your approval and coordinate the works to maximize the convenience.
The first step in the process of unlocking ECO4 funding for your home is to check whether or not you are eligible. Learn more about the conditions for eligibility for ECO4 funding or use our online eligibility checker and let us do the hard work for you!
1. CHECK YOUR ELIGIBILITY
We will arrange a FREE survey by one of our qualified and certified surveyors, this will consist of a 10-15 minute inspection of your home’s energy efficiency measures, home survey visits are designed to be minimally intrusive.
2. FREE SURVEY BY OUR TEAM
3 SIMPLE STEPS
FAQs
Household eligibility for ECO scheme funding will be split into two groups:
Low-Income group – The first priority low-income group will retain the eligibility requirements as ECO4. Under GBIS, suppliers are required to deliver at least 20% of their annual GBIS targets to the low-income eligibility group.
General group – This group will include all homes in Council Tax bands A-D in England, A-E in Scotland and A-C in Wales with an EPC of D or below and will account for up to 80% of total GBIS spending.
The government aims to get all homes to an EPC rating of C or above by 2035.
(Private rented homes are only eligible for higher cost measures. Cavity wall insulation and loft insulation are excluded from eligible measures and homes must fall outside Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) regulations.)While cavity wall insulation and loft insulation are among the cheapest energy efficient measures, they are in fact two of the most effective measures in reducing energy bills.
Under GBIS measures, you could save around £310 a year on your energy bills.
Based on England, Scotland and Wales costings, loft insulation in a semi-detached house can save home owners £355 a year.
Cavity wall insulation in a typical semi-detached house can create savings of £395 a year.The UK government is implementing GBIS to improve energy-efficient measures in lower-income households and get more people living in energy-efficient homes as quickly as possible.
While detailed instructions on applying are still under review, we expect to see a straightforward application process via your energy suppliers in the coming weeks, all of which we will fully explain on the Residential Energy Services website.
For details on how to apply for Great British Insulation Scheme support via your energy supplier, follow Residential Energy Services for the latest updates and announcements.