Check if you qualify for the ECO4 scheme in 2025/26. Free boiler replacement, insulation and heat pump grants for low-income and fuel-poor households.
Tick any qualifying benefits you receive and enter your property details.
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) is the UK's flagship domestic retrofit programme, requiring the largest gas and electricity suppliers to fund energy-efficiency improvements in low-income and fuel-poor homes. Launched in April 2022 and running to March 2026 (with successor schemes anticipated), ECO4 has a total obligation value exceeding £4 billion.
Unlike earlier ECO phases, ECO4 is explicitly a "whole-house retrofit" scheme — not single-measure. Installers must assess properties holistically and install measures in a logical sequence to achieve the best long-term EPC improvement. This means insulation is typically installed before a new boiler or heat pump, ensuring the new heating system is correctly sized for the improved fabric.
The scheme is delivered by energy suppliers through their networks of ECO4-registered contractors. There is no direct government application; you engage via your energy supplier, Simple Energy Advice, or an ECO4-registered installation company.
| Qualifying Benefit | Income Threshold | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Universal Credit | No threshold | Must be receiving payment |
| Pension Credit | No threshold | Guarantee Credit or Savings Credit |
| Income Support | No threshold | Must be current claimant |
| Housing Benefit | No threshold | Local Housing Allowance included |
| Child Tax Credit | No threshold | Current award only |
| Working Tax Credit | Household income < £36,000 | Income verified by HMRC |
| Child Benefit | Net household income < £31,000 | Income threshold reviewed annually |
| Income-related ESA | No threshold | ESA must be income-related variant |
| Income-based JSA | No threshold | JSA must be income-based variant |
Properties in EPC bands D–G are eligible. For the LA Flex route, local authorities can refer households identified as fuel-poor even if they do not receive listed benefits, subject to an assessment of vulnerability and income.
ECO4 (Energy Company Obligation, fourth phase) is a UK government scheme requiring large energy suppliers to fund energy-efficiency improvements in low-income and fuel-poor homes. Running from April 2022 to March 2026, ECO4 targets properties with low EPC ratings (D, E, F, or G) and provides free or heavily subsidised insulation, boiler replacements, heat pumps, solar panels, and other measures. It is the UK's largest domestic retrofit programme.
Eligibility is based on either receiving qualifying means-tested benefits OR the household income route. Qualifying benefits include Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit with household income under £36,000, Pension Credit, income-related ESA, income-based JSA, Income Support, and Child Benefit where household income is under a specified threshold. The property must also have an EPC rating of D, E, F, or G, and specific measures must be deemed cost-effective by assessors.
ECO4 funds a wide range of measures including: cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, solid wall insulation (internal or external), underfloor insulation, roof insulation, gas boiler replacement (like-for-like or upgrade), first-time central heating, air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, solar PV panels, storage heaters, draught-proofing, and smart heating controls. The package of measures offered depends on what is most cost-effective for your property type.
There is no single central application portal for ECO4. The process involves: (1) Checking eligibility via Simple Energy Advice (simpleenergyadvice.org.uk) or your energy supplier. (2) Contacting your energy supplier or an ECO4-registered installer. (3) A home assessment is carried out to identify qualifying measures. (4) Works are arranged and installed at no cost to you. You can also be referred through your local authority, housing association, or GP surgery in some areas.
For eligible households, ECO4 measures are fully funded at no direct cost to the occupier. The costs are borne by large energy suppliers as a legal obligation, which is recovered through energy bills across all customers. Some households in the 'LA Flex' route may receive partial funding rather than full funding if they do not qualify fully on benefits but are identified as fuel-poor by their local authority.
Under ECO4, gas boiler replacements are typically like-for-like Worcester Bosch, Baxi, Vaillant, or Ideal Logic boilers installed to MCS or Gas Safe standards. ECO4 also funds first-time central heating systems for properties without existing gas or electric heating. From late 2023, ECO4 has been increasingly directed toward heat pumps rather than gas boilers, particularly in homes assessed as suitable for low-carbon heating and where whole-house fabric improvements are feasible.
The original ECO4 scheme ran to March 2026. The government announced in 2024 that ECO4 would be extended and succeeded by new energy efficiency obligations as part of the Heat and Buildings Strategy. ECO+ (a sub-strand focusing on loft and cavity insulation for fuel-poor homes just above the income threshold) ran alongside ECO4. Watch gov.uk/guidance/energy-company-obligation for the most current extension announcements.
Private landlords can apply for ECO4 for their rented properties if the tenants meet the qualifying benefit criteria, or through the LA Flex route if the local authority identifies the household as fuel-poor. Landlords in the private rented sector are increasingly required to meet minimum EPC standards, making ECO4 a key route to compliance. Social landlords (housing associations and local authority housing) may access separate Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund funding.
The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS, formerly ECO+) is a complementary programme running alongside ECO4. It is less means-tested — targeting homes in council tax bands A–D with an EPC rating of D or below, regardless of benefits. GBIS focuses primarily on single-measure insulation improvements (loft, cavity wall) and is administered via the same energy supplier obligation route as ECO4. Eligibility is broader, making it accessible to households that do not qualify for full ECO4.
Households receiving Child Benefit qualify for ECO4 if their net household income is below the relevant threshold. For 2025/26, the threshold is £31,000 net annual income (this figure is subject to annual review). If you receive Child Benefit but earn above the threshold, you would not qualify via this route, though you may still be eligible via other qualifying benefits or the LA Flex route.
From initial assessment to completed installation, the ECO4 process typically takes 6–16 weeks, though this varies significantly by measure type, installer capacity, and regional demand. Loft and cavity wall insulation can often be completed within 4–8 weeks. Solid wall insulation, heat pump installations, and whole-house retrofit packages typically take 10–20 weeks. Some areas have experienced longer waits due to high demand.
Yes. Properties with oil, LPG, or solid fuel heating are among the priority targets for ECO4 because they are most fuel-poor and hardest to decarbonise cost-effectively. For these properties, ECO4 may fund replacement of old oil boilers, conversion to heat pumps, or fabric improvements (insulation) to reduce heating demand regardless of fuel type. Off-gas-grid properties may also qualify for the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG2), which runs concurrently with ECO4.