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ECO4 and GBIS flex
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) and Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) are government energy efficiency schemes run by Ofgem.
They are both four-year schemes and run from 01 April 2022 to 31 March 2026.
The main aim of these schemes is to support low income and vulnerable households to:
- install energy saving measures
- improve the efficiency of the lowest rated homes
Participating local authorities can refer households they consider to be:
- living in fuel poverty
- on a low income
- vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home
Read our ECO4 and GBIS statement of intent
Eligibility
To be apply for the ECO4 and GBIS Flex schemes you live in Essex and be a homeowner, private tenant or landlord.
Depending on your circumstances, we may ask your landlord to contribute towards the installation cost.
Your property must have an energy efficiency rating between bands D to G and you must either:
- have a household income below £31,000
- have a diagnosed illness that gets worse in cold weather
- be identified as a vulnerable household which is not eligible under any other scheme
To gain funding, you must have a survey of the property done. This is to find suitable measures and check certain criteria. Not all properties will be eligible.
The Warm Homes Essex website has details of other funding, advice, and support available in Essex.
How to apply
All applications for the ECO4 and GBIS Flex schemes are being handled by our managing agents, Happy Energy Solutions Ltd. via their dedicated Heat Essex application portal and contact centre. Find out more on the Heat Essex website.
You can save the application form and return later if you do not have all the details available.
You can also call the Heat Essex team on 01206 326808.
If you have already applied through us
Before our ECO4 Flex/GBIS flex scheme opened on May 7 2024, it was possible to apply through us. If you have done this and have queries with your application, you can contact us.
What happens next
An advisor from Heat Essex will call you to complete an eligibility assessment over the phone. The number they will call from is 01206 326808. The eligibility assessment will include questions about your household and the residents occupying it.
If you pass the eligibility assessment, Heat Essex will share your personal with an approved contractor. You will need to give consent for Heat Essex to share this data. The contractor will then contact you to arrange for a survey on your property.
Heat Essex will tell you the name of the contractor that will contact you. You will not be “cold-called” by doorstep contractors. The contractor will contact eligible applicants directly to arrange an appointment. If you are not sure, you should contact Heat Essex.
Once the survey is complete, they will ask for additional paperwork to be able to process the application. The contractor will tell you how long it will take them to complete the work.
Information for suppliers and contractors
We have appointed Happy Energy Solutions Ltd (HESL) as our managing agent for ECO4 and GBIS Flex.
We can only consider declarations submitted to and by HESL for funding. We will not accept declaration requests made to us by suppliers and contractors.
HESL must onboard all interested suppliers before you they make any declarations. Fees will apply. For full details of the onboarding process, visit the Heat Flex website.