Grants and Schemes News: page 21
- September 2022
Mini-Budget announces £1bn ECO expansion from April 2023
The Chancellor's Plan for Growth adds £1bn to the Energy Company Obligation over three years from April 2023, targeted at vulnerable households in the least efficient homes.
Warmer Homes Scotland contract due to expire
The Scottish Government's national fuel poverty scheme, Warmer Homes Scotland, was due to end in September 2022, with ministers proposing a new seven year successor scheme to replace it.
- August 2022
ECO 4 becomes a reality but delivery is at 25 percent of traditional capacity
The Installation Assurance Authority says ECO 4 legislation has been laid after delays, but industry delivery is running at only 25 percent of traditional capacity as installers consider layoffs.
Government decides not to double ECO scheme
The Government decided not to double the Energy Company Obligation, an industry-developed proposal, as analysis showed poorly insulated homes facing gas bills almost £1,000 higher than band C homes.
Warmer Homes Scotland criteria revised
Scottish ministers revised the eligibility criteria for Warmer Homes Scotland in August 2022, widening access to the national fuel poverty scheme, particularly for households aged 60 to 75.
- July 2022
Government confirms delivery details of £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme
BEIS has confirmed that the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme will be paid in six monthly instalments from October 2022, setting out how each payment method will receive the discount.
Help to Heat collection page first published
The government's Help to Heat collection page, which gathers its household energy grant schemes in one place, was first published on GOV.UK on 29 July 2022.
Online energy efficiency service launched as part of Help to Heat
The government has launched an online service to help homeowners make informed choices on the energy efficiency of their homes, announced alongside final details of the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme installer guidance published
Ofgem has published version 1.0 of its installer guidance for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, setting out eligibility rules, grant values and the voucher process for MCS certified installers in England and Wales.
Welsh Government extends Fuel Support Scheme to more than 400,000 households with £90m investment
The Welsh Government is investing £90m in its Fuel Support Scheme, extending a £200 payment to more than 400,000 low-income households in Wales from autumn 2022.
Energy Bills and the Price CapScotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Grand Committee considers the Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2022
The House of Lords Grand Committee approved the draft Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2022 on 12 July 2022, extending and expanding the ECO4 scheme in Great Britain until March 2026.
Energy-saving materials VAT rate cut to 0% in Great Britain
VAT on energy-saving materials installed in residential buildings in Great Britain is now 0%, HM Revenue and Customs guidance states, with the relief running until 31 March 2027.
WMCA launches two major retrofit schemes in the West Midlands
The West Midlands Combined Authority has launched two retrofit schemes, one covering 600 social homes and another opening in Elmdon and Foleshill, as a Birmingham couple report £1,000 annual fuel savings.
Warm Home Discount (England and Wales) Regulations 2022 come into force
The Warm Home Discount (England and Wales) Regulations 2022 were made on 6 July 2022 and came into force the following day, continuing the scheme in England and Wales until 31 March 2026.
Ofgem published ECO4 New Measures and Products draft guidance
Ofgem has published draft guidance for comment on how it will administer the new measures and products routes under ECO4, with responses due by 18 July 2022.
Consortium secures £7.5M from Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund
A West Midlands consortium has secured £7.5M from the government's Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to retrofit 600 social homes with low carbon heating and solar panels.
ECO scheme entered its fourth phase ECO4
The Energy Company Obligation entered its fourth phase, ECO4, in July 2022, obliging energy companies to fund insulation and heating upgrades in lower income homes until 31 March 2026.
ECO4 legislation comes into place and SWIGA publishes funding feature
SWIGA has published a feature listing grant funding streams for solid wall insulation after ECO4 legislation came into force, setting out eligibility and timescales for schemes running to 2027.
ECO4 Order comes into force
The ECO4 Order came into force in July 2022, opening the fourth phase of the Energy Company Obligation to measures installed from 1 April 2022 under a scheme administered by Ofgem.
ECO4 policy guidance published
The government published policy guidance for the Energy Company Obligation 2022 to 2026 in July 2022, setting out how suppliers, manufacturers and installers can apply for innovation and alternative measure routes.
First instalment of Cost of Living Payment paid in July 2022
The first instalment of a GBP 650 Cost of Living Payment reached around 8 million low-income households in July 2022, with a second instalment due in November 2022.
Sustainable Warmth Competition programme launches in Elmdon and Foleshill
Two retrofit schemes have launched in the West Midlands, including a £2.86m Sustainable Warmth Competition programme in Elmdon, Solihull, and Foleshill, Coventry, alongside £7.5m for social housing.
- June 2022
Government confirms extension and expansion of Warm Home Discount scheme in Scotland to 2026
The UK government has confirmed it will extend and expand the Warm Home Discount in Scotland to March 2026, raising the rebate to £150 and lowering supplier participation thresholds.
West Midlands households lined up for free retrofit under Sustainable Warmth funding
More than 300 homes in Foleshill, Coventry and Elmdon, Solihull will receive free insulation, heating systems and solar panels under Sustainable Warmth funding, with work due to start in September.
Scottish Government publishes response to LIWHA consultation
The Scottish Government has confirmed Low Income Winter Heating Assistance will replace Cold Weather Payments in Scotland from winter 2022-23, paying £50 a year without a cold weather trigger.
ECO3 Interim Delivery ended
The three-month ECO3 Interim Delivery window, which let energy suppliers install measures under older ECO3 rules and scoring, closed on 30 June 2022 ahead of the ECO4 scheme.
Government announces end of £1,500 electric car grant
The Government has ended the £1,500 grant for new electric car purchases, removing purchase support at a time when electric households are reported to save £1,180 a year on running costs.
- May 2022
Ofgem announces administration of Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Ofgem has taken over administration of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which opened to applications on 23 May 2022 and offers grants towards heat pumps and biomass boilers in England and Wales.
EBSS doubled to £400 and made non-repayable
The Chancellor doubled the Energy Bills Support Scheme to £400 on 26 May 2022 and made it a non-repayable grant, replacing the original £200 discount that households would have repaid.
Government announced £400 grant for domestic electricity customers
The government confirmed on 26 May 2022 that domestic electricity customers would receive £400 of support with their energy bills, paid as a grant rather than a repayable reduction.