Understanding the 'ECO' scheme and how it can help you

What is ECO?‍

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ECO stands for ‘the Energy Company Obligation’. It’s a grant scheme to help people in the UK make their homes more energy-efficient and reduce their energy bills. The scheme is funded by energy suppliers, who are required by law to contribute to it.

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‍Home upgrades with ECO‍

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You can access a range of home upgrades to insulate your home and upgrade your heating system. The size of your grant will depend on your circumstances and the assessment process, but it could be up to (or even over) £30,000.

The types of insulation covered include: wall insulation, loft insulation, underfloor insulation
And heating system upgrades covered include: upgrading your boiler, installing an air source heat pump or electric storage heater.

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‍Is there a catch?

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You may be wondering why energy companies are being forced to fund this scheme. One reason is that energy suppliers are required by law to reduce carbon emissions and promote energy efficiency. The ECO scheme is one way for them to meet these obligations.
There is no guarantee that an ECO application will progress to the installation stage, as it's for the supplier to determine how they meet their obligation. The whole journey, from contacting a supplier to installation, can take 2-6 months.
However, you may end up with energy-saving upgrades to your home at no cost to you.

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‍Understanding if you’re eligible

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Eligibility criteria for ECO is quite complicated. If Kuppa has shown ECO as one of your options, we think you are eligible, and it's worth pursuing. Here’s a summary of the criteria:
First of all, to be eligible for ECO, your home must be energy inefficient. Kuppa uses your EPC to determine whether this is the case.
You must meet certain criteria, which shows the Energy Suppliers if you are struggling with bills:

• Having a household income of under £31,000

Or, at least two of the following:

• Being in receipt of certain benefits including JSA, Child Tax Credit, Universal Credit, Housing Benefit.
• Living in an area where there are high levels of deprivation.
• Being referred to your local authority by Citizen’s Advice or your Energy Supplier.
• Living with a health condition that makes you vulnerable to the cold.

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Accessing ECO

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1. Contact a supplier and let them know you are interested. (See five companies listed at the end of this blog). You do not need to pick the supplier who you pay your energy bills to.
2. The supplier will run their own eligibility checks on you and your home.
3. They will then arrange a visit to your home where a professional will identify which measures they think should be installed in your home.
4. Energy suppliers work with third-party installers to deliver these measures. It is the energy suppliers’ choice which measures they choose to fund, the level of funding they provide and the installer they choose to work with.
5. It usually takes between 2-6 months from contacting an energy supplier to the time when upgrades are carried out.

Take your first step

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Here are the links to the biggest suppliers and the pages on their websites where you can read more information about their ECO process and get started. You can start the application process there.

• British Gas
• EDF Energy
• E. ON Next
• Octopus Energy
• OVO Energy

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If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to hit the support button on the bottom right of the screen.

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