Sources: Ofgem, Energy Company Obligation; Ofgem, homeowners and tenants. Checked 30 October 2026.
The Energy Company Obligation in rounds
The Energy Company Obligation has run in numbered rounds, each set in its own legislation and administered by Ofgem. ECO4 is the current round. Ofgem says ECO4 applies to measures installed from 1 April 2022 and will run until 31 December 2026, following a nine-month extension, and that the ECO4 Order came into force in July 2022. The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS), a separate sister scheme, ended on 31 March 2026.
Who does what
| Who | Role in ECO4 |
|---|---|
| Government | Sets the scheme's rules in legislation (the ECO4 Order) |
| Ofgem | Administers the scheme and publishes guidance for suppliers, councils and households |
| Obligated energy suppliers | Fund energy-saving measures and decide which measures to fund and how much |
| Councils (ECO4 Flex) | Publish a Statement of Intent and declare eligible households who are not on a qualifying benefit |
| Installers | Carry out the assessment and the work; must be TrustMark registered |
| Households | Qualify through a benefit or a Flex route, plus an EPC test; may be asked to contribute |
This site is none of these. We explain the rules and reply by email to people who use our checker.
Who ECO4 is for
ECO4 is targeted at low-income and fuel-poor households. In private housing, GOV.UK says you might be eligible if someone gets one of eight benefits (including Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Child Benefit); owner-occupied homes need an EPC rating of D to G and privately rented homes E to G, with the owner's permission. Households not on a benefit can be referred by a participating council through ECO4 LA Flex, for example on income under £31,000. Social housing rated E to G may get help with insulation or first-time heating. The full rules are on our ECO4 eligibility page.
What ECO4 covers
GOV.UK gives examples of the help available: insulation work, for example to your loft or cavity walls, and replacing or repairing your boiler or other upgrades to your heating. Ofgem says the specific measures that would benefit a home are determined by a retrofit assessment. That is why no one can promise you a particular measure, or a particular value, before your home has been assessed. See the ECO4 retrofit assessment for what happens on the day.
Not a grant: how the money works
People often call it the "ECO4 grant", but Ofgem says ECO is not a grant scheme. Suppliers decide which measures to fund and how much, and in some cases you may be asked to contribute to the cost. ECO4 funding cannot be blended with other government grants for the same measures. Our guide is ECO4 really free covers contributions in detail.
On bills, HM Treasury's Budget 2026 document (28 October 2026) says the government took £150 of costs off household energy bills in April 2026 by scrapping the Energy Company Obligation levy. Ofgem's end date for ECO4, 31 December 2026, has not changed, and Budget 2026 does not name a successor scheme.
Sources: HM Treasury, Budget 2026 document; Ofgem, homeowners and tenants. Checked 30 October 2026.
Where ECO4 applies
ECO is a Great Britain scheme, so it applies in England, Scotland and Wales with the same core rules. Ofgem points people in Scotland to Home Energy Scotland and in Wales to Nest for advice. We have a dedicated page for ECO4 in Scotland.
How you apply
There is no single government form. GOV.UK says to contact your local council to see if it takes part, or contact an energy supplier directly, and Ofgem says you can contact any obligated supplier, not just your own. Step-by-step help is in how to apply for ECO4.
After 31 December 2026
As of 30 October 2026, no successor to ECO4 has been confirmed on an official page, and with the ECO levy already removed from bills, a like-for-like replacement should not be assumed. We track the question in ECO5: what is confirmed and keep the dated position on is ECO4 still available.
What happens next if you use the checker on this page: your likely route shows as you answer, and we reply by email. There is no obligation and no fee.
ECO4 questions
What is the ECO4 scheme?
ECO4 is the fourth round of the Energy Company Obligation, which Ofgem describes as a government energy efficiency scheme in Great Britain. Energy suppliers fund energy-saving work in the homes of low-income and fuel-poor households.
Who runs ECO4?
Ofgem administers the scheme on behalf of the government. Obligated energy suppliers fund and arrange the work, councils can refer households through ECO4 Flex, and TrustMark-registered installers carry it out.
When did ECO4 start and end?
Ofgem says ECO4 applies to measures installed from 1 April 2022 and runs until 31 December 2026, following a nine-month extension. The ECO4 Order came into force in July 2022.
What does ECO4 cover?
GOV.UK gives examples such as insulation (for example loft or cavity walls) and replacing or repairing a boiler or other heating upgrades. The measures for a home are set by a retrofit assessment.
Is ECO4 paid for by energy bills?
The government says it took £150 of costs off household bills in April 2026 by scrapping the Energy Company Obligation levy. Ofgem's ECO4 end date of 31 December 2026 is unchanged.