Citizens Advice responded on 28 November 2022 to the government's ECO+ energy efficiency scheme and the expansion of the Help for Households campaign, welcoming the additional funding while arguing that advice alone will not cover the financial pressures households face1.
Gillian Cooper, Head of Energy Policy for Citizens Advice, said the funding was only part of the solution. She described people the charity is helping making "desperate choices to keep bills down", including turning the heating off despite having a health condition which means they need to keep warm1.
"An energy saving campaign has to go hand-in-hand with continued financial support for people at the sharp end of this crisis."
The charity also said people need clear, consistent advice on how to safely reduce their energy use, and that it looks forward to seeing how the government will ensure everyone has the information they need to do this1. The response did not set out the funding level of ECO+, the eligibility rules, or which measures the scheme covers; those details are not reported in the statement1. The relationship between ECO+ and the existing ECO4 obligation is likewise not set out in the response1.
Citizens Advice is one of the energy consumer bodies that advise households on energy matters. Its network helped 2.55 million people face to face, over the phone, by email and webchat in 2021-22, and recorded 40.6 million visits to its website over the same period1. The service is supported by more than 18,500 trained volunteers working at over 2,500 outlets across England and Wales1.
Why it matters for households
Energy efficiency measures reduce how much gas and electricity a home needs, which lowers exposure to wholesale price movements over time. That is the practical link between schemes such as ECO+ and a household's energy independence: a better insulated, more efficient home buys less energy in the first place. The home energy grants and schemes guide sets out how the main UK schemes work.
The Citizens Advice response makes a narrower point about timing and coverage. Efficiency funding takes time to translate into installed measures, while the financial pressure on households is immediate. The charity's position is that advice on reducing energy use, however clear, does not substitute for financial support for those already struggling. It gave no assessment of how many households ECO+ would reach or when1.
What happens next
No dated next steps are set out in the response. The statement does not give a start date for ECO+, a timetable for the expanded Help for Households campaign, or any commitment from the government on the financial support Citizens Advice is calling for1.