Birmingham City Council published version 6.0 of its Statement of Intent for ECO4 Flex and Great British Insulation Scheme Flex on 1 November 20241. The document sets out the council's flexible eligibility criteria for the two schemes "from the publication of this Statement until March 2026"1. The council states it will administer ECO4 Flex under the Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2022 and GBIS Flex under the Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 20231.
The statement lists four routes by which owner-occupied and private rented sector households can be declared eligible1. Route 1 covers households with a gross annual income below £31,000, a cap the council says applies "irrespective of the property size, composition, or region"1. Route 2 requires a combination of two proxies, which are set out in the statement1. Route 3 covers households identified as vulnerable by a person on the General Practitioner Register, an NHS Foundation Trust or an NHS Trust, where an occupant's health conditions may be adversely affected by living in a cold home; the council lists these as cardiovascular, respiratory, immunosuppressed or limited mobility related1. Route 4, which the council says applies to ECO4 Flex only, covers referrals under Bespoke Targeting1.
The proxies available under Route 2 are:
| Proxy | Description |
|---|---|
| Proxy 1 | Homes in England in Lower-layer Super Output Area 1-3 (LSOA) |
| Proxy 2 | A person living at the premises is entitled to a Council Tax reduction on the grounds of low-income |
| Proxy 3 | A person living at the premises is considered vulnerable to the cold under NICE Guidance NG6: Recommendation 2, for a reason other than low income |
| Proxy 4 | A child living at the premises is eligible for free school meals, due to low income |
| Proxy 6 | A household referred to the LA for support by their energy supplier or Citizen's Advice because they have been identified as struggling to pay their electricity and/or gas bills |
The statement notes that Proxies 1 and 3 cannot be used together1. It also states that all potentially eligible households should apply through a Trustmark-registered or approved ECO or GBIS installer, and that an LA officer, not a third party working on behalf of an LA, will check and verify evidence and issue declarations1. The council names three installers with contact details: City Energy Network Ltd, Golden Globe Merchants Ltd and Next Energy Solutions Ltd1. The council's Assistant Director of Strategy and Enabling, City Housing will oversee identification of eligible households, and the council will notify Ofgem of declarations issued1. The statement is signed by Paul Langford, Strategic Director of City Housing, dated 4 November 2024, and lists Naomi Morris, Head of Strategic Enabling, as the contact for general enquiries1.
"The ECO4 scheme will focus on supporting low income and vulnerable households. The scheme will improve the least energy efficient homes"
Why it matters for households
The statement determines which Birmingham households can be declared eligible for ECO4 and GBIS funding without qualifying through the standard benefit routes. For a household in a qualifying LSOA, or receiving a Council Tax reduction on low-income grounds, or with a child on free school meals, the flexible routes open a path to insulation and heating measures that would otherwise be closed. The £31,000 income cap under Route 1 is fixed regardless of household size or region, so a larger household on a modest income may still fall within it. The statement also confirms that eligibility decisions rest with a council officer rather than an installer or third party, which affects how evidence is assessed. The measures available under the two schemes differ: ECO4 covers a broader package of heating and insulation measures, while GBIS is described in the statement as delivering "predominantly single measures targeted at a wider range of households"1. Whether a particular home qualifies for a heat pump or a boiler measure depends on the property and the installer's assessment, and the statement does not set out property-level conditions.
What happens next
The statement runs until March 20261. No further publication date beyond that period is given in the document.
Sources1 cited
- Statement of Intent ECO4, birmingham.gov.uk