ECO3 Grant Scheme
Historical information about the ECO3 scheme which ended in 2022 and has been replaced by ECO4
Important: ECO3 Grant Scheme Has Ended
The ECO3 scheme officially ended in March 2022 and is no longer available for new applications
ECO3 is No Longer Available
The ECO3 grant scheme ended in March 2022 and has been superseded by the improved ECO4 scheme. If you're searching for ECO3 grants, you'll be pleased to know that ECO4 offers:
- Better funding opportunities with a whole-house approach
- Wider eligibility criteria for more UK homeowners
- More comprehensive measures including renewable energy
- Simplified application process with faster approvals
Ready for ECO4 Grants?
Get better benefits with the current ECO4 scheme
Why ECO4 is Better Than ECO3
ECO3 Has Ended
The ECO3 grant scheme officially ended in March 2022 and is no longer accepting new applications
Replaced by ECO4
ECO4 is the improved successor offering better benefits, wider eligibility, and a whole-house approach
Better Funding Available
ECO4 provides more comprehensive funding with improved measures and support for UK homeowners
ECO3 Working Structure & What It Meant To You
This page is maintained for historical reference. The information below describes what ECO3 offered when it was active from 2018-2022.
For current funding opportunities, please see the ECO4 scheme.
ECO3 widened the criteria for First Time Central Heating
Good news really, you'd stand more of a chance of qualifying. ECO3 stated that FTCH could be installed into any property and it would be uncapped.
Social Housing properties however still had to have an EPC rating of E, F or G. It was noted that some concern was expressed about electric heated properties being installed with gas heating as it was felt that basically modern day electric heaters are not that much more carbon intensive than gas heaters.
15% of the ECO3 fund was set aside for rural measures
This was very good news for those living in rural areas which quite often are off the mains gas network. It was felt by many who gave a response to the ECO3 consultation that people living in rural areas should not be discriminated with regard to funding because of where they live.
Income thresholds for all householders in receipt of Universal Credit or Tax Credits were removed
This meant that you would always be eligible for funding when in receipt of these benefits regardless of household income, so no means testing was required.
ECO3 continued allowing funding for solid wall insulation
In the past it was felt that people living in houses with solid walls had missed out on ECO funded insulation measures because of high costs and lack of options & technologies.
However, you could still get ECO funding but the numbers were very limited (17,000 homes per annum), so there was urgency in getting your property surveyed. There was also funding available for other technologies for solid walled properties which met the same or greater lifetime bill savings.
Please note: Funding levels for solid wall insulation to properties heated by mains gas was quite low. For example: to install external wall insulation to a 3 bed semi-detached house would cost in the region of £12,000+, of which you could expect to receive approximately 25% funding. The level of solid wall insulation funding was however much better for properties heated off the mains gas network.
ECO3 continued funding oil boiler replacements throughout the full phase of funding
This was good news, as it was initially proposed that oil boiler replacements be stopped. The UK Government made this decision because phasing out oil boiler replacements could impact off mains gas network low income and vulnerable households.
The preference for oil boiler upgrades under ECO3 was to move to LPG tank heating or even an Air Source Heat Pump if there was no possibility of a mains gas connection being made.
ECO3 was only available to people classed as in "fuel poverty"
Fuel poverty basically meant any household struggling to heat their home. The qualifying criteria was widened to include more benefits.
Very simply put, if you were not in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits then you would NOT be eligible for ECO funding of any kind apart from through local authority schemes such as LA Flex. This was probably the biggest difference in ECO funding especially when you consider that ECO3 ran until 2022.
Through our extensive network of accredited installers HouseWrapped was able to help you receive funding via the LA Flex method if you were not in receipt of a qualifying state benefit.
ECO3 increased funding for certain heating system upgrades when delivered alongside insulation measures
Basically this meant that you would receive more ECO funding to upgrade your current heating system when a secondary insulation measure was also installed. You would still receive some funding for a heating system upgrade on its own but the amount you would have to potentially contribute would be much higher. By installing an insulation measure alongside your boiler upgrade you would greatly reduce your contribution or even remove it altogether.
The main insulation measure which was not included was loft insulation. This proposal was intended to encourage householders to achieve much better carbon efficiency which would in turn reduce energy costs.
ECO3 widened qualifying benefits for fuel poverty to include disability & MOD benefits
This was a really good step forward as it greatly widened the amount of householders who qualified for ECO funding. These new qualifying benefits included DLA, Care Allowance, PIP, Constant Attendance Allowance, Armed Forces Independence Payment, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit & Severe Disablement Allowance. So, if in the past you had missed out on any insulation measures you would now qualify.
ECO3 continued to only be available to Social Housing properties with an EPC band of E, F or G
So, although the UK Government decided to keep the qualifying criteria the same they however allowed Social Housing properties with an EPC rating of D to receive new innovative measures to be installed under ECO. This was possibly because a few energy saving related organisations stated that a person living in social housing should not be excluded from the ECO fund. They also stated that there were probably more people classed as in fuel poverty who lived in social housing.
ECO3 vs ECO4: What's Changed?
See how the ECO4 scheme improves upon what ECO3 offered
ECO3 (Ended 2022)
What the previous scheme offered
Key Features:
- Widened criteria for First Time Central Heating
- 15% of fund reserved for rural measures
- Removed income thresholds for Universal Credit recipients
- Continued solid wall insulation funding
- Oil boiler replacement program
- Fuel poverty focus with expanded qualifying benefits
- Enhanced heating upgrades with insulation measures
- Extended disability and MOD benefits eligibility
❌ No longer accepting applications
ECO4 (Current)
The improved current scheme
Enhanced Benefits:
- Whole-house approach for comprehensive upgrades
- Renewable energy measures (Solar PV, Heat Pumps)
- Wider eligibility including low-income households
- Better funding levels and support
- Simplified application process
- Focus on carbon reduction and energy savings
✅ Currently accepting applications
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