Energy incentives and schemes

Action on Energy is a partnership of councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, that provides advice and support for improving home energy efficiency. The partnerships aims to save you money on your energy bills and reduce your carbon emissions through providing funding opportunities and retrofit-focused guidance and resources. 

You can find out more information and check eligibility requirements on the Action on Energy website.

Energy Company Obligation (ECO 4), ECO 4 Flex and Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) 

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO 4) is a government energy efficiency scheme that is administered by OFGEM and funded by large energy suppliers. 

Its aim is to help reduce carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty by improving the energy efficiency of homes occupied by low income, fuel poor and vulnerable households.

If eligible, you could qualify for any of the improvements listed below. This is not the full list, and other improvements might be available depending on the installer.  This scheme is designed to support completing multiple measures to improve the energy efficiency of your home often referred to as a ‘deep retrofit’ or ‘whole house approach’.  

Improvements

Your chosen installer(s) will carry out a survey and identify improvements suitable for your property.  

If eligible, you could qualify for any of the improvements listed below. This is not the full list and other improvements might be available depending on the installer. 

• insulation (e.g. loft, pitched roof, flat roof, room in roof, cavity wall, external wall, internal wall, floor)  
• low carbon heaters (e.g. air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, energy efficient boilers, heating controls, electric storage heaters)  
• solar PV panels  
• high performance external doors  
• window glazing  
• draught proofing 

Eligibility 

ECO funding is eligible for homes with a council tax band of A to D, and has an EPC rating of D to G for owner occupied homes and E to G for privately rented homes.

Check my Council Tax band

Check my EPC rating

If you receive one or more of the following benefits, you can apply directly through an energy supplier.

• Child benefit 
• Pension guarantee credit
• Income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)
• Income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA)
• Income support
• Housing benefit 
• Universal credit
• Tax credits (child tax credits and working tax credits)
• Pension credit saving credit

Applying

East Cambs District Council is not responsible for, nor participates directly in the main ECO 4 scheme.  You are responsible for choosing an installer and carrying out checks to ensure you are satisfied with the installation company. Your chosen installer must be TrustMark registered and be authorised by one of the participating energy companies to undertake this work.

You can find a registered installer on the TrustMark website, details of which energy companies participate can be found on the Ofgem website.

If you don't receive a qualifying benefit

Households not in receipt of one of the benefits listed may still qualify through ECO Flex. The ECO Flex eligibility criteria are detailed on our Statement of Intent.

If you think you are eligible via one of the ECO Flex routes, please contact 01353 665555 and ask to speak to our Retrofit Projects Officer to discuss making an application. If we think you qualify for ECO Flex then we can make a referral to an installer on your behalf, and they will contact you to book a survey.