Help with energy efficiency, heating and renewable energy in homes

There are various support schemes available to support domestic energy efficiency, heating and power generation, which households may be able to access. These include:

• The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is a government energy efficiency scheme in England, Scotland and Wales designed to tackle fuel poverty and help reduce carbon emissions, focused on supporting low-income households. ECO is an obligation, placed on energy suppliers with over 150,000 customers to deliver measures such as insulation, first time central heating, renewable heating, solar panels, and district heating connections to domestic premises.

• The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) is a government energy efficiency scheme in England, Scotland and Wales formerly known as ECO+. It is designed to complement the ECO and boost help for those on the lowest incomes, as well as extending support to a wider range of households living in the least energy efficient homes and in the lower Council Tax bands.

• The Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) and the Local Authority Delivery (LAD) schemes provide funding for energy efficiency upgrades and low-carbon heating in low-income households in England. Funding for both schemes is available from local authorities who were successful in the 2021 Sustainable Warmth competition and supported by government funding.

• The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) provides upfront grants to help with the cost of installing renewable heating systems in domestic properties and small non-domestic properties in England and Wales.

• Smart Export Guarantee (SEG): The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) supports small scale renewable power (electricity) generation. It does not offer upfront payments but households installing renewable power technologies will be paid by their energy supplier for each unit of electricity they supply to the grid (i.e. the excess to their domestic consumption). They will not be paid for electricity they use themselves.

• Green Deal loans: Households may be able to access loans for home energy improvements (including energy efficiency measures and heating systems) through the Green Deal. Unlike a previous scheme with the same name, these loans are not backed by the government and are instead backed by private investors. The loans are paid back over time with interest, through energy bills. The loan is attached to the property (rather than the constituent), so if a homeowner sells their home, the loan will pass to the new owner.