ECO4 scheme
ECO4, the Energy Company Obligation, made the big energy suppliers pay for insulation and heating in lower-income homes. It stopped taking new homes and closes for good on 31 December 2026.
- Closed
- for new homes
- 31 Dec 2026
- deadline for work already agreed
- 280,100
- homes that got help
- None
- the supplier scheme that follows it
Where ECO4 stands now
ECO4 got a nine-month extension from the government, running to 31 December 2026. That extra period covers completing jobs already agreed and fixing bad work, so new households in the UK can't get ECO4 funding. Applications for innovation and data-light measures closed on 31 March 2026.
ECO5 isn't coming. Instead, the government plans to add £1.5 billion in grants for low-income homes, as set out in its end-date response. Some 280,100 homes got about 949,800 measures through ECO4.
What to apply for instead of an ECO4 grant
The funding today goes out through each nation's separate scheme. Choose by the country your home is in:
- England: Warm Homes: Local Grant run by your council, free for homes that qualify
- England and Wales: Boiler Upgrade Scheme a £7,500 heat pump grant at any income
- Scotland: Home Energy Scotland grant and loan for any homeowner
- Wales: Warm Homes Nest a free package for homes on low incomes
- Northern Ireland: Affordable Warmth income under £23,000
Who ECO4 eligibility covered
There were two routes into ECO4 scheme eligibility. Renting needed the landlord's permission, and social housing counted. Otherwise the home had to be yours.
- Benefits: the route needed a household member receiving one of these: Universal Credit, Child Benefit, Pension Credit, income-based JSA, Housing Benefit, income-related ESA, Income Support.
- ECO4 Flex: a referral from the council, either because gross household income was below £31,000, or because a cold home made someone's long-term condition worse.
TrustMark registration was required for installers. The rules come from Ofgem's ECO guidance.
LA Flex and how councils widened the rules
Under LA Flex, later called ECO4 Flex, a council could refer a household to a supplier even if no benefit qualified them. Councils used this route for private homes in fuel poverty, or homes on a low income where cold weather posed a risk. Up to half of a supplier's ECO4 work could be delivered this way.
With ECO4 shut to new homes, councils now run this via the Warm Homes: Local Grant, which sets the income line at £36,000 and lists low-income postcodes.
Common questions about ECO4
Can I still apply for ECO4?
Not as a new household. ECO4 runs to 31 December 2026 only so suppliers can finish work already agreed and put right faulty jobs. The targets were not raised.
Is ECO4 funding still available in the UK?
Only for work already agreed. Suppliers are finishing those jobs until 31 December 2026, and no new ECO4 funding is being offered to new homes anywhere in the UK.
Is there an ECO5?
No. The government has said no supplier scheme will follow ECO4. Instead, it added £1.5 billion to grants for homes on low incomes.
Was the ECO4 grant free?
Often, but not always. Ofgem says ECO is not a grant scheme, and a household could be asked to pay part of the cost.
What was LA Flex?
LA Flex, later ECO4 Flex, let councils refer homes that did not get a qualifying benefit. Income under £31,000 or a health condition made worse by the cold could qualify.
An installer says I qualify for ECO4. What should I do?
Ask which supplier is funding the job and check with that supplier. New ECO4 jobs are not being taken on, so for a new grant apply to the scheme for where you live.
Get an installer survey quote
Too late for ECO4 and no grant fits? An accredited installer can survey the home and quote.