What is the ECO+ Scheme?

The government recently announced its new ECO+ scheme to help make UK homes more energy efficient and reduce energy bills, especially for those on the lowest income and living in the least energy efficient homes in lower tax bands.

The UK government will work with energy suppliers to begin the scheme from April 2023 until March 2026. It is due to be complementary to the current ECO scheme, ECO4, which launched in 2013 and has helped 2.4 million people make their homes more energy efficient.

Who will benefit

ECO+ is an obligation for energy suppliers in the UK to give their customers grants for insulation to reduce their energy costs. Aimed at vulnerable households, including those whose homes have a performance certificate (EPC) rating of D or lower. The proposal outlines that the council tax bands included will be A to D in England, A to E in Scotland and A to C in Wales.

Currently, 46% of homes in the UK have an EPC rating of C or above – in 2010, this was 13%, but there is still work to be done to get this figure higher.

Based on its Clean Growth Strategy, the UK Government’s target is to get all homes to EPC C or above by 2035. For rented homes, there is a date of 2030.

Insulation

This new ECO+ scheme will focus primarily on installing low-cost insulation such as cavity wall and loft insulation.

The consultation document lists the proposed energy efficiency measures that will be offered under ECO+ for those households that are eligible for it. These include

loft insulation

• pitched roof insulation
• flat roof insulation
• under floor insulation
• solid floor insulation
• park home insulation
• room-in-roof insulation
• secondary heating controls
• cavity wall insulation
• solid wall insulation (both external and internal)

If you have these new measures added to your home, you could save £310 per year on your energy bills, which will go up as energy costs rise.

Applications

You will need to apply for the scheme through your energy supplier, and the method for doing this will be announced soon. You will be told how much you are eligible for when you apply. In the meantime, there are simple measures you can take to reduce your energy costs within the home.

Visit the Energy Saving Trust for more information.