ECO+ in Wales

ECO+ in Wales is a new ECO grant starting in early spring 2023.

ECO+ (formerly named ECO4+) was first announced by the UK Government back in August 2022, and has been chopped and changed on a number of occasions. But all the way through the process it was to be aimed at those who did not qualify for ECO4.

That included no income thresholds, nor any EPC thresholds – unlike ECO4.

However, it was only going to cover Cavity Wall Insulation, Loft Insulation and Heating Controls.

So, what does ECO+ now look like?

Well, on 29/11/22 the UK Government changed almost all of the above. They have produced a 75 page “Consultation Document”. The consultation ends on 23/12/2022.

When the Government produces a Consultation Document with regards to ECO grants, normally very little ever changes. So the details below are based on the current Consultation Document. There maybe some small tweaks to the final criteria, but we don’t expect any major changes.

The start date of ECO+ is still 1/4/23. However, the Government have stated that they want it up and running before then, so maybe March?

So, what are the changes to ECO+?

The biggest change is that it is no longer going to be restricted to Cavity Wall Insulation, Loft Insulation and Heating Controls.

The following measures are available – but you can only have 1 measure installed under ECO+. There are some exceptions where Heating Controls can be added as a second measure.

How do I qualify for an ECO+ grant in Wales?

There are going to be 2 routes to qualifying for an ECO+ grant.

• The General Group.
• The “low income” Group.

The General Group qualification to an ECO+ grant.

1. You are not eligible for an ECO4 grant and
2. Your Council Tax Banding in Wales is A, B or C, (or in England A to D). You can find your Council Tax Banding on Gov.Uk, and
3. Your EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating is a D, E, F or G. You can find your EPC on the EPC Register.

3 yeses and you qualify.

These rules apply to both owner occupiers and privately rented properties.

Although there is no income threshold as such applied to ECO+, the criteria above will effectively produce one.

The “Low Income” Group qualification to an ECO+ grant.

The personal qualification criteria for the “low income” group, is exactly the same as the personal qualification for ECO4. But you might not qualify for an ECO4 grant because ECO4 is a whole house retrofit and your property doesn’t qualify (e.g. the EPC cannot be moved up 2 bands), or the grant does cover the cost etc.

ECO+ is a “single measure” grant scheme.

It is intended that ECO+ will also have it’s own LA flex scheme but I don’t think Local Authorities will rush to get that sorted.

Will the grant cover the full cost of the work carried out?

The value of the grant is being calculated using the same system that’s being used for the ECO4 grants, with some slight changes. It will therefore, depend on a number of factors.

The UK Government have stated that they expect the cheaper measures, such as Cavity Wall and Loft Insulation to be fully funded. However, they expect the more expensive measures, such as external and internal wall insulation, to require customer contributions. At this moment in time we do not know what that looks like. As soon as we do we will update this page.

How do I apply for an ECO+ grant in Wales?

You can call us on one of the telephone numbers below, and speak to an expert advisor

You can call us on 0800 8 10 10 60 or 07960 799681

or

You can complete this enquiry form

What happens next?

• We will keep your details on file and contact you as soon as we have more news.
• We will let you know if anything changes between now and the scheme starting.
• During March we will contact you to arrange a FREE survey, to check that your property is suitable for insulating.
• From 1/4/23 we will start installing (or sooner if allowed to).