Written by Kate Hallewell
Fylde Borough Council has a flexible energy policy that allows residents to apply for Energy Company Obligation (ECO) grants.
Flexible policies are great because they give you the ability to make choices about how your heating or insulation is handled on your property if it matches up with what’s allowed by ECO rules and regulations. If this sounds like something of interest, then check out their set of guidelines!
1. What is Local Authority Flexible Energy or LA Flex?
2. What grants are available?
The types of grants available to residents living in the Fylde Borough Council area include:
- Boiler grants
- Cavity wall insulation grants
- External wall insulation grants
- First time central heating grants
- Internal wall insulation grants
- Loft Insulation
- Roof Insulation
- Smart thermostat grants
- Underfloor insulation grants
3. Who is eligible for grants?
Whether you’re a homeowner, housing association tenant or private renter, there’s good news! You may qualify to receive assistance under this government-funded scheme. The easiest way to see if you are eligible is to use our eligibility checker here.
Eligibility
There are 6 ways to qualify for a grant:
1. Receiving a qualifying benefit
2. Receiving Child Benefit and meeting income rules
3. Income-based eligibility (for households that earn less than £31,000 per year)
4. Vulnerable eligibility
5. Health-related eligibility
6. Bespoke targeting
This route to eligibility applies where a member of the household receives or has received a 'qualifying benefit'. If the benefit isn't a current claim (for example for households where they have gone back to work after the pandemic) providing the benefit has been claimed at some point within the last 12 months, the household will still be eligible for a grant.
Qualifying benefits include:
- Child Tax Credit
- Employment & Support Allowance (Income Based) - Income Support
- Housing Benefit
- Jobseekers Allowance (Income Based)
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Pension Credit Savings Credit
- Universal Credit
- Working Tax Credit
Note if you receive any of the following benefits you could qualify later in the scheme (or through the ECO4 Flex routes). We advise anyone claiming the following benefits to register for updates so you are the first to know when these benefits are accepted.
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer's Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- War Pensions Mobility Supplement
If you receive Child Benefit you could be eligible for the scheme but unlike the qualifying benefits above they would need to meet an additional income criteria.
The Child Benefit income criteria depends on the number of children in the household and also whether the claim is a single or joint claim.
The income limits are as follows:
Single parents
1 Child – £19,900
2 Children – £24,800
3 Children – £29,600
4+ Children – £34,500
Parents in a couple
1 Child – £27,500
2 Children – £32,300
3 Children – £37,200
4+ Children – £42,000
(figures updated to Ofgem’s Administration Consultation released on 13 June 2022)
If you are eligible through the Child Benefit route you should apply as soon as you can. The Government's Green Homes Grant excluded Child Benefit recipients so potentially this eligibility route could be removed later in the the scheme.
To be eligible through the income-based route your annual household income will need to be under £31,000. You will need to provide evidence such as bank statements and income information to confirm eligibility.
This is an ECO4 Flex route so it requires the applicants council to have published a Statement of Intent and to issue eligibility declarations.
Vulnerable people can access grants if they meet two of the following criteria (1 & 3 can’t be used together):
1. Lives in a Lower Super Output Area
2. Receives Council Tax Rebate (excluding for single person discounts)
3. Householder has a disability, mental health condition, is over 65, school children or under 16 and pregnant women.
4. Receives free school meals due to a low income
5. Supported by a Council scheme described in a Statement of Intent
6. Households referred by a Citizen’s advice as struggling to pay gas and electricity bills
7. Households in energy debt
A medical practitioner will need to complete a referral form to confirm eligibility.
This is an ECO4 Flex route so it requires the applicants council to have published a Statement of Intent and to issue eligibility declarations.
People with health conditions that are made worse by living in a cold home qualify.
These include:
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Immunosuppressed
- Mobility issues
- Respiratory conditions
A medical practitioner will need to complete a referral form to confirm eligibility.
This is an ECO4 Flex route so it requires the applicants council to have published a Statement of Intent and to issue eligibility declarations.
Installers can target specific groups of people living in fuel poverty. Installers will approach you if your property is eligible through this route.
Fylde Borough Council
If you DON'T claim benefits, the criteria for identifying households in fuel poverty in Fylde Borough Council are as follows:
Criteria for Fylde Borough Council eligible households
Fuel Poverty
o has a total household income, not in excess of £30,000 and;
o has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of band D, E, F or G.
Vulnerable to Cold
o Diagnosed cardiovascular condition
o Diagnosed respiratory conditions (in particular, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease and childhood asthma)
o Diagnosed mental health condition
o Diagnosed disability
o Aged 65 and over
o Households with young children (under 5)
o pregnant women
o Terminally ill
o Suppressed immune systems (e.g. from cancer treatment or HIV)
o Mobility issues and have attended hospital due to a fall
o people who move in and out of homelessness
o People with addictions
o Recent immigrants and refugees
| FY0 |
| FY3 |
| FY4 |
| FY6 |
| FY8 |
| PR3 |
| PR4 |
| Heyhouses |
| Staining and Weeton |
| St Leonards |
| Warton and Westby |
| Singleton and Greenhalgh |
| Elswick and Little Eccleston |
| Central |
| Fairhaven |
| Ansdell |
| Ashton |
| Kilnhouse |
| Park |
| Clifton |
| St Johns |
| Newton and Treales |
| Freckleton East |
| Freckleton West |
| Kirkham South |
| Kirkham North |
| Ribby-with-Wrea |
| Medlar-with-Wesham |
5. How much could you get?
If you need to install better insulation in your home, make sure that the Ofgem mandates heating regulations. If they see how much of an improvement this will be and if you have a low income then chances are high that they’ll approve your application. You also need to take into account what type of wall material is there as well as calculating lifetime savings from energy usage so don’t get confused about whether or not you qualify!
The grants are currently available as follows (subject to survey and meeting eligibility rules):
- Boiler grants - this could give you 25% - 75% off the RRP of installing a new boiler
- Cavity wall insulation grants - up to 100% of the installation cost
- External wall insulation grants - up to 100% of the installation cost (only available where electric is the main heating source)
- First time central heating grants - 50-100% of the installation cost (propeties must not have previously had central heating)
- Internal wall insulation grants- up to 100% of the installation cost (only available where electric is the main heating source)
- Loft Insulation - up to 100% of the installation cost (usually only available where electric is the main heating source but in some areas loft insulation is available for gas properties)
- Roof Insulation - up to 100% of the installation cost (usually only available where electric is the main heating source but in some areas roof insulation is available for gas properties where it is installed alongside a new boiler)
- Smart thermostat grants - up to 100% of the cost but only available through some installers
- Underfloor insulation grants - up to 100% of the installation cost but usually only installed alongside another measure like a boiler upgrade
The grant is paid directly to the Registered Installer and because it does not need to be repaid. Where contributions are required towards installation costs, the installer will quote for them before you proceed with anything else since they aren’t a loan! A free survey can determine what funding may be available in order for you to make your decision easier on picking out an energy-efficient home improvement project such as ours.
Fylde Borough Council flexible energy (LA Flex) rules are detailed in this Statement of Intent
A full list of all local authority flexible energy rules can be found on the gov.uk website
Apply for a grant
Check eligibility for grants
Fill in the short form to see if you are eligible for Government grants.