Ofgem published a consultation on 5 April 2023 setting out how it proposes to administer Local Authority and Supplier Flex within the Great British Insulation Scheme, the scheme formerly known as ECO+1. The regulator is set to become the administrator of that scheme1. The consultation also covers potential amendments to its current administrative approach within ECO4 Flex, so that both schemes are administered coherently1.
The consultation ran for three weeks, from 5 April 2023 to 28 April 2023, and responses were invited by email1. Ofgem's consultation page lists a closed date of 29 April 2023 and a status of "Closed (with decision)"1. The named contact for responses was Natasha Smellie1.
Ofgem's stated aim was that a decision on how Flex is administered for both schemes would be made on the basis of the feedback received1. The consultation focused on the administration that would be adopted from ECO4 Flex into the Great British Insulation Scheme1.
"This consultation focuses on how Ofgem proposes to administer Local Authority and Supplier Flex within the Great British Insulation Scheme, highlighting the administration that will be adopted from ECO4 Flex"
The Great British Insulation Scheme is distinct from ECO4, the current Energy Company Obligation scheme, and the two have separate eligibility routes; a comparison is set out in Great British Insulation Scheme vs ECO4. Ofgem's role across these schemes sits within its wider functions as the energy regulator, described in Ofgem: What the Energy Regulator Does and What It Covers.
Why it matters for households
Flex routes are the part of these schemes that let a household qualify without being on a qualifying benefit, where a local authority or a supplier refers them. How Ofgem administers Flex determines which referrals are accepted, what evidence a household or its adviser has to produce, and how quickly a referral turns into an installed measure. Aligning the Great British Insulation Scheme's Flex administration with the existing ECO4 Flex approach matters because a household that is turned down under one scheme may be assessed under the other, and inconsistent rules between the two create confusion about which route applies. The consultation itself does not change any household's eligibility; it sets out how the administrator intends to run the process. Details of who can be referred and how are covered in ECO4 Flex: Local Authority and NHS Referrals and Great British Insulation Scheme Eligibility.
What happens next
The consultation closed on 28 April 20231. Ofgem has since published a decision statement dated 12 June 2023, which sets out its final position, summarises stakeholder views and explains where it has changed its approach2. That document records that Ofgem received 16 responses from a variety of stakeholders, including Local Authorities, energy suppliers, managing agents, installers and charities2. The decision statement is the point at which the final administrative approach for Flex under both schemes is set out2.