The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) requires large energy companies to help improve the energy efficiency of domestic homes by discounting the cost of improvement works. This applies to certain households who are struggling to pay their energy bills and are defined as being in fuel poverty. The Government has now given Local Authorities the ability to identify vulnerable households in their areas which could benefit from these improvements. The new scheme is called ECO Flexible Eligibility.
Suffolk’s Councils have jointly published criteria, in a Statement of Intent, enabling them to identify households that would benefit from such improvements under ECO flex. Improvements are often fully funded where the household meets particular criteria and is at risk of fuel poverty.
Suffolk’s councils welcome enquiries from energy companies and installers who would like to work with us under the ECO4 scheme.
Click here to access Great British Insulation Scheme and ECO4 Flex Statement of Intent template V7.0
The draft version of the ECO4 Flex Administrative guidance was published at the end of June, and can be viewed here. Ofgem are anticipating publishing the final guidance by the autumn; however, this is tentative and may change. Our Statement of Intent is based on the draft guidance and may therefore change in the future.
Suffolk ECO Flex Declaration Charges
Due to the volume of ECO declarations and the administrative pressure this is placing on the ECO team, it has become necessary to charge for the administration required for producing ECO declarations, in line with other local authorities across the country.
As of April 1st, 2024, we will be implementing a new fee structure for the processing of ECO4 declarations. The revenue generated from these fees will be utilized to employ additional staff members, thus enabling us to furnish a more efficient and expedited service. Please note that any outstanding cases submitted prior to this date will be subject to these charges.
The fees assessed will be commensurate with the average time expended on each application:
- A simple check, devoid of financial complexities (such as health eligibility, route three), will be charged at £65, based on up to 1 hour of processing time.
- For non-complex checking, a fee of £130 will apply, reflecting up to 2 hours of processing time.
- Complex checks and instances of incomplete information will incur a charge of £260, reflecting up to 4 hours of processing time. Any additional hours beyond this allocation will be chargeable at a rate of £65 per hour, subject to the discretion of the manager.
Applications submitted before the 1st of April 2024, but not yet commenced will be subject to the above fees. Applications submitted before the 1st of April 2024 and already commenced will be completed without charge. All applications submitted on or after the 1st of April 2024 will be subject to the charges detailed above.
Regrettably, if you are unwilling agree to the processing fee, we will be unable to furnish you with ECO declarations.
Any enquiries should be sent to:
Warm Homes Team
Tel: 0345 603 7686
Previous versions of Suffolk’s Statement of Intent that have been superseeded can be viewed below:
Version 1 – 31.03.2017 until 7.06.2017
Version 2 – 8.06.2017 until 31.12.2017
Version 3 – 01.01.2018 until 02.04.2018
Version 4 – 03.04.2018 until 31.03.2019