0333 444 1062People residing within Wirral Borough Council can now take advantage of free upgrades to their insulation, heating and renewable systems within their homes that will save them energy and subsequently reduce energy bills. This blog sets out the Wirral’s flexible eligibility criteria for ECO4 as well as the required criteria for the ECO4 Scheme from April 2022 – March 2026.
In order to be eligible there are certain requirements you must meet. This blog talks you through the eligibility constraints to see if you can access these grants.
What schemes are available to me?
Wirral Council residents can access a range of energy efficient services for home improvements via the ECO4 scheme. These grants are typically aimed at low income, fuel poor and vulnerable households or people who are in receipt of one of the eligible benefits who have struggling with inefficient heating within their homes. The grants available are:
- Air Source Heat Pump
- Internal Wall Insulation
- Cavity Wall Insulation
- Loft Insulation
- Room In Roof Insulation
- Electric Storage Heaters
- Dual Measures/ Stand Alone Boilers
- Gas Boilers (Natural Gas and LPG)
- Solar PV
Accessing a grant is a great opportunity no matter what type of resident you may be: owned home, landlord or rented accommodation. The ECO scheme is an energy efficiency programme backed by the UK Government. It requires all energy suppliers of a certain size to provide funding for home insulation and heating measures on some of the least energy efficient homes. The aim is to reduce fuel poverty within the UK by making homes more affordable to heat.
What properties are eligible for grants?
Grants are available for most property types within the Wirral area including houses, flats, and bungalows, but the type of property can determine which grants are available.
For example, cavity wall insulation isn’t usually available in flats unless the whole building is insulated. The property needs to have its own land registry entry to be eligible. Unfortunately, the scheme excludes social housing and council properties.
Who is eligible for these grants in Wirral?
The quickest and easiest way to be eligible for one of these generous grants is through receiving one of the following benefits:
Working Tax Credit
Pension Guarantee Credit
Housing Benefit (new eligible benefit under ECO4)
Income Support
Income Related Employment & Support Allowance
Income-Based Job Seekers Allowance
Child Tax Credits
Child Benefits (subsequent to earnings)
Universal Credit
Pension Credit Savings Credit (new eligible benefit under ECO4)
You don’t need to currently be claiming the benefit, but you must have received the benefit within the last 18 months of the installation.
What if I don’t receive benefits, can I still access these grants?
The Local Authority or LA Flex Scheme is the ideal solution for households who want to access these grants but don’t currently receive benefits. The flexible approach to identifying fuel poor and vulnerable households who may benefit from heating and energy saving measures is referred to as “ECO4 Flex”.
The Wirral Council states, “The Council welcomes the introduction of the ECO4 Flex eligibility routes as it helps the Council achieve its plans to improve the homes of those in fuel poverty or vulnerable to the cold”.
Wirral Council published their statement of intent earlier this year which outlines the four routes in which people can access these grants without being in receipt of benefits. It is stated that “each of the identified households will adhere to at least one of the four available routes” which are outlined below:
*The following information is taken from the Wirral’s ECO4 Flexible Eligibility Statement of Intent
Route 1: SAP bands D-G with a gross income based using £31,000 per annum. This cap applies irrespective of the property size, composition or region.
Route 2: SAP bands E-G households that meet a combination of two of the following proxies:
Proxy 1: Homes in England in Lower-layer Super Output Area 1-3 (LSOA) or homes in Welsh provision LSOA 1-3 on the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation 2019, or the Index of Multiple Deprivation for 2020, published by the Scottish Government.
Proxy 2: Householders receiving a Council Tax rebate (rebates based on low income only, excludes single person rebates).
Proxy 3: Householders vulnerable to living in a cold home as identified in the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidance. Only one from the list can be used, excludes the proxy ‘low income’.
Proxy 4: A householder receiving free school meals due to low-income.
Proxy 5: A householder supported by a LA run scheme, that has been named and described by the LA as supporting low income and vulnerable households for the purposes of NICE Guidelines.
Proxy 6: A household referred to the LA for support by their energy supplier or Citizen’s Advice or Citizen’s Advice Scotland, because they have been identified as struggling to pay their electricity and gas bills.
*Note proxies 1 & 3 cannot be used together.
Route 3: NHS Referrals
SAP bands D-G households that have been identified by an NHS Trust, an NHS Foundation Trust, a general medical practitioner provider, a Health Board, or a Local Health Board, with an occupant having a severe and / or long-term health condition that falls under one of the four umbrella conditions; Cardiovascular, Respiratory, immunosuppressed, or limited mobility and could be severely impacted by living in a cold home.
This is because the local authorities identify a positive correlation between households who suffer from long-term health conditions and living off a low income, with living in poorly insulated homes.
Route 4: Route LA Targeting Tools
SAP band D-G households that are referred under Route 4: Bespoke Targeting. Suppliers and LAs can submit an application to BEIS where they have identified a low income and vulnerable household, who are not already eligible under the existing routes. The Wirral Councils local authorities do not currently use route 4.
Declaration and evidence check confirmation.
Wirral Council will only accept applications from installers or lead generation companies. To submit applications, companies must first sign a Data Sharing Agreement, which can be requested through the contact details below.
Phone: 0151 691 8292
Email: housingstrategy@wirral.gov.uk
The officers below will be responsible for checking and verifying declarations and associated evidence submitted on behalf of Wirral Council:
Name: Ed Kingsley
Job Title: Principal Strategic Housing & Investment Officer
Telephone: 0151 691 8243
Email: edwardkingsley@wirral.gov.uk
We know all of this can seem a little daunting so if you are confused or unsure of whether you qualify for the ECO4 Flex routes to access the grants, please get in touch with us via email, phone or submit an enquiry form on our website and a member of the team will be happy to help.
Eco Home Insulation are fully qualified to PAS 2030 standards and gas safe registered, promising not only a high standard of work across all measures, but also compliance with British building standards.
Working under [the Government backed] Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) scheme, Eco Home Insulation aims to provide homeowners, landlords and tenants with FREE insulation & heating measures. We promote measures which help low income, vulnerable and fuel poor households across Britain. For more information on the ECO scheme visit https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes/energy-company-obligation-eco
For information on how we can help, contact us on:
Tel: 0333 444 1062
Email: info@ecohomeinsulation.co.uk
Web: www.ecohomeinsulation.co.uk