🏭 ECO4 · Closes 31 Dec 2026

ECO4: The Energy Company Obligation, Explained — and Ending

ECO4 is Great Britain’s largest supplier-funded energy efficiency scheme — and it closes on 31 December 2026. Government has confirmed there will be no successor supplier obligation. If you may qualify, the window to apply is now.

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Deadline: 31 December 2026 — no ECO5 successor confirmed
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Verified 27 August 2026 Official source: Department for Energy Security & Net Zero / Ofgem View source ↗

What ECO4 actually is

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) requires large energy suppliers to fund energy efficiency improvements in British homes. ECO4 — the fourth and final phase — runs to 31 December 2026 and targets low-income and vulnerable households in the least efficient properties, typically EPC bands D to G.

Unlike a grant you apply to Government for, ECO4 works through suppliers and their installer networks. Funding levels depend on your property’s starting efficiency and the improvement achieved — a whole-house approach rather than single measures in isolation.

Who qualifies for ECO4

The core route is receipt of means-tested benefits: Universal Credit, Pension Credit (Guarantee), Income-based JSA/ESA, Income Support, Child Benefit (income thresholds apply) and Housing Benefit. Your home generally needs to be EPC D–G (E–G for owner-occupiers on some routes).

Don’t receive benefits? ECO4 Flex lets participating councils widen eligibility to low-income and health-vulnerable households under locally published criteria.

What ECO4 can fund

Measures are selected to lift the whole property’s efficiency and can include loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, solid wall insulation (internal or external), underfloor insulation, room-in-roof insulation, first-time central heating, heating controls, air source heat pumps and, in defined circumstances, solar PV. The exact package depends on your property survey and the scheme’s scoring rules.

Why the deadline matters

Government’s consultation response confirmed ECO4 ends 31 December 2026 with no successor supplier obligation announced. Support is expected to shift toward the Warm Homes programme — but that operates differently, through local authorities, and is England-only for the Local Grant. Installers also wind capacity down toward scheme close, so surveys booked late in 2026 risk missing installation deadlines. If you may qualify, start the process well before autumn 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is ECO4 ending?+
Do I need to receive benefits to qualify?+
Is ECO4 really free?+
What EPC rating do I need?+
Can ECO4 fund solar panels?+
ECO4 solar panels explained

ECO4 by situation & measure

ECO4 on Universal CreditECO4 for pensionersECO4 loft insulationECO4 cavity wall insulationECO4 solid wall insulationECO4 heating & heat pumps
ECO4 measures — the full listPension Credit routeHousing Benefit route
Sources & MethodologyVerified 27 Aug 2026

Facts checked 21 August 2026. We link to official sources and show when facts were last verified. If a scheme changes, we update the page.

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