ECO5: what is confirmed about the scheme after ECO4

Sources: Ofgem, Energy Company Obligation. Checked 19 October 2026.

What is confirmed, and what is not

Why people say "ECO5"

The Energy Company Obligation has run in numbered rounds, and ECO4 is the fourth. It is natural to assume the next round will be called ECO5, and many installer blogs and news articles use the name. But a name in an article is not a scheme. Until Ofgem or GOV.UK publish rules, dates and eligibility, there is nothing to apply for and nothing anyone can promise you.

Why waiting can cost you

If you might qualify for ECO4 now, waiting for a successor is a gamble on three unknowns: whether there will be one, when it will start and who it will cover. ECO4's rules are known. You might qualify if someone in the home gets one of eight qualifying benefits (including Universal Credit and Pension Credit), or your council refers you through ECO4 Flex, and the home meets the EPC rule. The checker on this page shows your likely route, and our ECO4 eligibility page sets out every rule. If you qualify, apply for ECO4 before it ends.

Timing matters

Ofgem frames ECO4's dates around when measures are installed, and every ECO4 job needs an assessment and a contract before installation. Starting in October or November gives a supplier far more room than starting in late December. See is ECO4 still available for the dated position.

Watch out for "ECO5" offers

As with every scheme change, expect calls and adverts that use the new name before it exists. GOV.UK says installers or agents might contact you directly and that, if you are unsure, you should check with your council or the energy supplier they claim to represent. Do not pay to "pre-register" for ECO5. No official scheme exists to register for.

The ECO rounds so far

The Energy Company Obligation has run in rounds, each with its own rules set in legislation and administered by Ofgem. ECO4 is the current round. Ofgem says it applies to measures installed from 1 April 2022 and runs until 31 December 2026, after a nine-month extension, and that the ECO4 Order came into force in July 2022. A separate scheme, the Great British Insulation Scheme, ran alongside it and ended on 31 March 2026. Any new round would need its own legal basis and published rules before anyone could apply.

What to do now instead of waiting

1. Check your household against ECO4's published rules with the checker on this page.
2. If you look eligible, contact an obligated supplier or your council now; Ofgem says you can use any obligated supplier.
3. If you are not eligible, note why (benefit, income, EPC rating). Those are the questions any future scheme is likely to ask too.
4. Come back to this page: we will record any official announcement with its date and source.

Questions to ask anyone talking about ECO5

• Which official page announces it? Ask for the Ofgem or GOV.UK link.
• Who runs it, and from what date?
• What are the eligibility rules, in writing?
• Why are you asking me to sign up before the rules are published?

If the answers are vague, treat the offer as marketing, not a scheme.

How we will update this page

We check Ofgem's Energy Company Obligation pages and GOV.UK each time we update the site, and the date at the top of this page shows the last check. If a successor is confirmed, this page will say what it is called, who runs it, who qualifies and from when, with links to the official pages.

Questions