Ofgem has closed the Innovation Measure (IM) and Data Light Measure (DLM) routes under the Energy Company Obligation, stating that applications "will not be accepted after 31 March 2026"1. The regulator attributes the change to an amendment to the ECO4 Order in 20261. Applications received before that date will be considered1.
The two routes sat within the scheme's New Measures and Products (NMAP) framework, which Ofgem describes as mechanisms "designed to support the delivery of innovative measures where benefits and improvements may not otherwise be captured through current partial project and full project scores"1. Three routes existed in total. The third, the Standard Alternative Methodology (SAM) route, is not listed as closed in the same terms, and Ofgem's page continues to describe it1.
The routes differed in what they offered and what they required:
| Route | What it awarded | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Innovation Measure (IM) | A 25% or 45% score uplift for measures improving on comparable ECO measures | 10% of a supplier's total obligation |
| Data Light Measure (DLM) | A new measure type and partial project scores, on less extensive cost-saving evidence than SAM | 5,000 qualifying actions per DLM type |
| Standard Alternative Methodology (SAM) | A new measure type and partial project score for technologies not recognised in SAP | Not stated on the page |
Under the IM route, applications had to name the specific products the applicant intended to promote, and a successful application led to a published description of the measure against which products could then be scored1. The DLM route required technologies certified to a standard by an organisation accredited to ISO/IEC 17065:20121. All three routes were optional to obligated suppliers, and applications could not be made concurrently to more than one route1.
Ofgem's page now states plainly:
"We are no longer accepting applications."
The same page records that the regulator is "no longer carrying out Technical Advisory Panel meetings"1. The most recent panel minutes published are from a meeting on 2 March 20261. The page still lists an assessment methodology for substantial innovation measures, for the 45% uplift, and an approved innovation measures list at version 1.17, dated January 20261.
Why it matters for households
The IM and DLM routes were the mechanism by which a technology not already recognised under the Standard Assessment Procedure could become deliverable as an ECO4 measure, and by which an improved version of an existing measure could attract a higher score. Closing them removes that entry point for products that were not already approved. For a household, the practical effect is that the range of measures an installer can offer under ECO4 is now fixed to what has already been approved, rather than open to new products arriving through these two routes. The approved innovation measures list remains published, so measures already on it are unaffected by the closure of the application window. Ofgem has not said in this material whether any measure currently in delivery depends on an IM or DLM approval, or what happens to products whose applications were in preparation but not submitted. Those points have not been reported.
What happens next
Applications submitted before 31 March 2026 will be considered1. No further IM or DLM application window has been announced. The SAM route continues to be described on Ofgem's page, and queries on NMAP matters are directed to NMAP@ofgem.gov.uk1.
Sources1 cited
- ECO4 Innovation: New Measures and Products | Ofgem, ofgem.gov.uk