Local Authority Flexible Eligibility (ECO4 LA Flex Funding)
ECO4 LA Flex stands for ‘Local Authority Flexible Eligibility’, this is an extension to the core ECO4 Scheme. Flexible Eligibility, often shortened to ‘LA Flex’, is a part of the government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme that helps UK households reduce their energy bills and carbon emissions.
Scheme Expansion
The Energy Company Obligation Scheme has expanded to local authorities who wish to include LA Flex and support residents to achieve affordable warmth. Councils have been given the power to widen the eligibility criteria for ECO, allowing them to tailor energy efficiency schemes to their respective area.
This allows more residents, in addition to those claiming benefits, to qualify for ECO funding. Criteria have been extended beyond just income, benefits received or type of heating to include health issues, age of occupant or area. Local authorities use LA Flex to help homeowners and private renting tenants benefit from the installation of home energy efficiency measures. (However, the Flexible Eligibility route is not applicable for social housing tenants)
This is normally achieved by subsidising the cost (up to 100%) of installing energy saving measures – such as loft or cavity wall insulation and new boilers.
Approved ECO4 LA Flex Installers
Wright Renewables are pleased to announce that we are an approved ECO4 flex installer.
This is a great opportunity for Wright Renewables to help more households and families who wouldn’t have normally qualified to benefit from the funding and measures available.
We are committed to delivering ECO4 Flex to households in the following Local Authority areas:
- Bassetlaw District Council
- Bolsover Council
- Amber Valley Borough Council
- Chesterfield Borough Council
- Derbyshire Dales District Council
- Erewash Borough Council
- High Peak Borough Council
- North East Derbyshire District Council
- South Derbyshire District Council
- Doncaster Council
- City of Lincoln Council
Do you qualify for LA Flex funding?
Each authority that is taking part in the scheme will have published a statement of intent, which lays out the additional criteria and specifies how a household can be included in the ECO scheme.
Every local authority will have its own eligibility criteria, so it is important to check the rules in your area. The exact criteria may vary depending on the Local Authority, but it will generally come down to three main areas: age, health and property type.
Please contact:
Emily Parkin
Office Manager
Tel: 01909 813456
Emily@wrightrenewables.co.uk
To see if you, your family or friends are eligible and could benefit from this offer under the ECO4 and ECO4 flex frameworks.
Examples of the 4 qualifying routes for ECO4 LA Flex
The ECO4 scheme is designed to improve the energy efficiency of the country’s most inefficient homes. As a landlord, you may be eligible for an ECO4 grant if your tenants are in receipt of qualifying benefits, deemed to be on a low income, suffer from a health condition impacted by living in a cold home or are experiencing fuel poverty.
Route 1
SAP bands D-G households with an income less than £31,000.
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 (shown in the table below)
Please Note
Proxies 1 and 5 cannot be used together.
Route 3
SAP bands D-G households that have been identified by their doctor or GP as vulnerable, with an occupant whose health conditions may be impacted further by living in a cold home. These health conditions may be cardiovascular, respiratory, immunosuppressed, or limited mobility related.
This is because the Council has identified 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
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 exiting routes.
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 for 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 Guideline. |
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. |
Legitimate ECO4 Installers
You can also contact the local authorities to confirm that Wright Renewables Ltd are a legitimate ECO4 LA Flex installer, working to deliver ECO4 initiatives to households experiencing fuel poverty.
Chesterfield & Derbyshire
For Chesterfield and Derbyshire Councils please contact Kerry Hall.
Telephone: 07870 151366
Bassetlaw
For Bassetlaw Council please contact Terry Roe.
Telephone: 01909 533533
Doncaster
For Doncaster Council please contact the Insulation Grants Team.
Insulation.Grants@doncaster.gov.uk
Telephone: 01302 737053
Lincoln
For Lincoln Council please contact Kate Bell.
Telephone: 01522 873311
Please share this information with anyone who may be able to benefit
For more information and to see if you are eligible for ECO4 Flex Funding, please contact Wright Renewables. We are approved ECO4 flex installers and committed to delivering ECO4 Flex to households.