Help with energy efficiency, heating and renewable energy in homes

Various support schemes are available to eligible households, to support domestic energy efficiency, heating and power generation. These include:

• The Energy Company Obligation (ECO). 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 to deliver measures such as insulation, certain types of heating, and solar panels.
• The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS). 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). The scheme provides funding for energy efficiency upgrades and low-carbon heating in low-income households in off-gas properties in England.
• The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). This provides upfront grants of up to £7,500 to help with the cost of installing renewable heating systems in domestic properties and small non-domestic properties in England and Wales.
• The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). This 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. Installations must be located in Great Britain.
• 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 the previous scheme, these loans are not backed by the government and are instead backed by private investors. The loans (attached to a property rather than an individual) are paid back over time with interest, through energy bills. The Green Deal is not available in Northern Ireland.
• Schemes funded and run by the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This briefing covers each of the schemes in further detail, including in which parts of the UK they are available, how to  rectify problems, and links to sources for further information.