Energy Company Obligation (ECO) Scheme
This is a government energy efficiency scheme. It aims to reduce carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty.
Homes of low income, fuel poor or vulnerable households can be made more energy efficient.
Energy suppliers taking part in the scheme must promote measures that improve the ability of such households to heat their homes.
This could include things like:
- wall insulation
- loft insulation
- solar panels
- air source heat pumps
- boiler upgrades
The ECO scheme is administered by Ofgem [external link]
More details of the scheme can be found below.
ECO is funded by the energy supply companies. It is delivered by private installer firms.
Installers must be TrustMark accredited [external link].
They must work to PAS 2035 guidelines. This is an approved quality standard for the retrofit and energy efficiency sector.
Your chosen installer will carry out a survey of your home. They will agree and install energy efficient improvements for your property.
This could include:
- loft insulation
- pitched roof insulation
- flat roof insulation
- room in roof insulation
- cavity wall insulation
- external wall insulation
- internal wall insulation
- floor insulation (solid or suspended floors)
- air source heat pumps
- ground source heat pumps
- gas boilers
- electric boilers
- biomass boilers
- heating controls
- electric storage heaters
- solar PV panels
- high performance external doors
- draught proofing
This is not the full list and other measures might be available depending on the installer.
ECO funding is only available for private owner occupiers whose property has an energy performance rating of D, E, F or G and private rented tenants whose property has an energy performance rating of E, F or G.
If you rent from a private landlord you will need the landlords permission to do any work.
You can check your home's rating online via the government's energy performance certificate register [external link]. If your property does not currently have a rating, that can be assessed by the installer as part of the application process.
If you are in receipt of one of certain means-tested benefits and live in a property with a low energy efficiency rating, then you can apply.
The qualifying benefits are as follows:
- Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit or Savings Credit)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
- Income Support
- Child Tax Credits
- Working Tax Credits
- Child Benefit (subject to an income cap)
- Universal Credit
- Housing Benefit.
If you don’t receive a qualifying benefit, you might still qualify through ECO’s flexible eligibility mechanism, known as ECO4 Flex.
The criteria for this focus on income and health and are set out in our ECO4 Flex Statement of Intent, see below.
The Council verifies the additional qualification criteria through evidence provided by the householder to the installer that they meet the specified criteria.
We provide verification of eligibility declarations to private installers working in our area.
To be assessed for ECO4 Flex, you must complete and sign a short application form provided by an installer.
The installer then submits it to the Council, along with supporting documents, such as proof of income, for determining eligibility.
You cannot send the application form directly to us. We will only accept applications from an installer.
Once we have confirmed eligibility, we will send the installer a written declaration that a household qualifies. The installer then passes this on to an energy supplier, along with whatever supporting evidence is requested by the supplier.
We charge an administration fee to the installer for each address they ask us to assess. This charge covers our checking, processing and approval procedures and is paid by the installer.
An installer should not charge you as a household.
Statement of Intent (SOI)
The SOI below only relates to and validates applications from 1 September 2025.
Previous versions:
-
Version 4A Statement of Intent for ECO4 and Great British Insulation Scheme [pdf document]
-
Version 4 Darlington Flexible Eligibility - statement of intent ECOFLEX[pdf document] - withdrawn 31 August 2023.
-
Version 3 Darlington Flexible Eligibility - statement of intent ECOFLEX[pdf document] – withdrawn 30 June 2022.
You apply by contacting an installer. We have provided details of installers below who are registered with Darlington Borough Council. These have been verified as holding the correct certifications, accreditations, and insurances.
We cannot recommend an installer or endorse the quality of their workmanship. You must do your own research to decide which installer to use.
Any agreement to install energy efficiency measures in your home will be between yourself and the installer.
Installers will be able to provide you with the range of energy efficiency improvements they specialise in. Most companies have a website where you can find out more about them and how to contact them directly. If you choose to engage with an installer, we recommend you check they are TrustMark registered [external link].
| Registered installer | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|
| 0800 Repair | ||
| AG Eco Solutions Ltd | ||
| ARPG Eco Ltd | ||
| ECO Providers Ltd | ||
| Elite Group | ||
| Emerald Green Energy Company Limited | ||
| Energy Smart Nationwide Ltd | ||
| HeatPac | ||
| Insulation and Heating Installers Ltd (IHI) | ||
| Intra Energy Limited | ||
| LMF Energy Services | ||
| Monza Installs Ltd | ||
| Retro Renewables Limited | ||
| RMS Energy Solutions Ltd | ||
| Simple Heating Services Ltd | ||
| Simplex ECO | ||
| UK Energy Savings Experts Ltd |
Ask to see the ID from anyone visiting your property. Get the company contact details before they leave so you can check on your application.
We will only accept ECO4 Flex applications from the Registered Installer companies listed above.
These companies are not contracted by us and neither do they work on our behalf.
Installers refer households to us for improvements through the ECO4 flex route. The council's only role is to check if the household is eligible. If it is, we provide a declaration to the installer and OFGEM.
Residents cannot apply to the council directly.
It is your responsibility to carry out the following checks:
1. Do you need planning permission or building regulations approval? Some types of insulation such as external wall insulation might need planning permission and building regulations approval. As a homeowner or landlord it will be your responsibility to apply for this
2. Find out if the installer is a member of a competent person scheme related to electrics or insulation work such as
-
- the MCS
- NICEIC
- Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA)
- Stroma schemes
If they are then they will be able to self-certify their work, they will not need building regulations approval from your local council
3. Make sure they are gas safe registered. By law all engineers installing gas boilers must be on the Gas Safe Register
4. Check if they provide any guarantees or warranties on the installation. Make sure you are given these and any other paperwork with the work is complete.
The energy supplier receives the details from the installer and the eligibility declaration from the council (if applicable).
The supplier will then decide if they wish to proceed with the improvements
If you have any complaints or issues you must go back to your installer.
If this does not resolve the issue you can contact Citizens Advice [external link]
Ofgem also has a complaints process [external link]. This will give you details to help raise and try to resolve your dispute.
Contact us if you need further advice.
Email: [email protected]