Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and ECO Flex

Do you need help with a broken or inefficient heating system or with insulation?

If you answered yes, you could get help through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme. This is a government energy efficiency scheme to help reduce carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty.

ECO provides grants for new boilers and home insulation measures, and is aimed at households living in fuel poverty, on low incomes, and that either face high fuel costs or are vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home.

It's a government scheme, led by the private sector, not the council, and households need to receive one or more of the following benefits to qualify:

• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance
• Income Related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Pension Guarantee Credit
• Working Tax Credit/Child Tax Credit
• Universal Credit
• Disability Living Allowance
• Attendance Allowance
• Carers Allowance
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• Child Benefit (providing household income is below £25.500 p.a)
• War Pensions Mobility Supplement
• Constant Attendance Allowance
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Personal Independence Payment

If you receive one of the above benefits, you can find out what scheme your energy provider offers (some of these are detailed below) or you can contact one of the council's approved ECO Flex scheme providers (listed at bottom of page) to see if they can help:

• Ofgem Energy Company Obligation
• NPower Eco Scheme
• E.ON Eco Scheme
• EDF Energy Company Obligation Scheme
• SSE discount on energy-efficient installations

Energy Company Obligation (ECO Flex) scheme

Even If you do not receive one of the benefits that makes you eligible for Energy Company Obligation (ECO) you may still be eligible for help under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO Flex) Scheme instead.

This scheme also aims to help residents who are living in fuel poverty, on low incomes, and that either face high fuel costs or are vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home.

Eco Flex is aimed mainly at owner occupiers who meet at least one of the following four local criteria - and that may have higher incomes than many of those that are eligible under the ECO scheme:

• Live within a Local Authority priority area and live in a cold home
• Are in receipt of Council Tax Support and live in a cold home
• Employed and/or pensionable low income household, and living in a cold home
• Are diagnosed as suffering from a certain health condition exacerbated by living in a cold home and in receipt of low income

ECO Flex Measures

The measures that are deliverable through ECO Flex are as follows:

• Cavity wall insulation
• Underfloor Insulation (to help with dual measure eligibility)
• Party wall Insulation (to help with dual measure eligibility)
• Loft insulation
• Solid wall insulation
• First time central heating to replace for example old broken electric storage heaters
• Replacement gas boilers for broken heating systems
• Heating upgrades (for example to replace a broken back boiler with a wall hung condensing combi boiler)

Please note If your household qualifies for a boiler replacement only, then a customer contribution will be required to be paid before the installation takes place.  

If your household qualifies for an approved insulation measure and a replacement boiler then both these measures could be installed free of charge. However some households may still be required to pay a contribution towards the cost.

If you need help towards these costs you could try to obtain a family loan from the Moneywise Credit Union.

If you think you would be eligible for ECO flex you can contact either of the two providers detailed below to discuss further. If you are required to make a contribution towards the costs of your boiler you can also contact the other provider for a second quote.

ECO Flex providers:

When a household agrees to install insulation and/or a replacement boiler then the agreement to do so is between the householder and the approved contractor and NOT Sunderland City Council. 

Eco Flex scheme - Sunderland City Council's Statement of Intent