Written by Kate Hallewell
Lichfield District Council has a flexible energy policy that allows residents to apply for Energy Company Obligation (ECO) grants. The council provides you with rules and guidelines so your home can be more comfortable in the winter or summer, all year round!
1. What is Local Authority Flexible Energy or LA Flex?
The local authority’s flexible energy or la flex is a way for those who are living on low income and vulnerable to cold homes but don’t receive benefits, with the help of grants offered by the council, you can get free heaters installed.
The Lichfield District Council recently published their eligibility rules for the grant scheme in a Statement of Intent. To see if your home is eligible and worth applying to, check out these energy-efficient programs now! This could be just what’s needed to make improvements around this old or drafty property come springtime when temperatures start warming up again outside!
2. What grants are available?
The types of grants available to residents living in the Lichfield District 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?
Are you renting, owning your home, or living in a housing association? The Government is providing help with insulating homes. 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.
Lichfield District Council
If you DON'T claim benefits, the criteria for identifying households in fuel poverty in Lichfield District Council are as follows:
Criteria for Lichfield District Council eligible households
Low income
- Net income was less £22,786
High Costs
- EPC rating of E, F, or G
- Household score in high energy table
Vulnerable to Cold
a) Cardiovascular disorders;
b) Respiratory conditions, such as COPD and childhood asthma;
c) Mental health condition;
d) Physical disabilities;
e) Older people (over 65);
f) Households with pre-school aged children; and
g) Pregnant women.
h) People who are terminally ill; and
i) People with suppressed immune systems (e.g. from cancer treatment or HIV)
| B74 |
| B75 |
| B78 |
| B79 |
| DE13 |
| WS13 |
| WS14 |
| WS15 |
| WS7 |
| Little Aston & Stonnall |
| Bourne Vale |
| Whittington & Streethay |
| Fazeley |
| Mease Valley |
| Alrewas & Fradley |
| Armitage with Handsacre |
| Stowe |
| Leomansley |
| Boley Park |
| Chadsmead |
| Curborough |
| Highfield |
| Longdon |
| Hammerwich with Wall |
| St John's |
| Shenstone |
| Colton & the Ridwares |
| Summerfield & All Saints |
| Boney Hay & Central |
| Chase Terrace |
| Chasetown |
5. How much could you get?
It’s important to understand the requirements for receiving government grants so that you can have a better chance at qualifying. The first step in order to reach this goal is by providing proof of your heaters and revealing how many rooms there is total in your house – which will help them determine what type of funding may be available towards heating it all up!
You may be wondering how much of the grant you receive for heating depends on your property. This answer might vary, but it will depend if there are past or existing methods to heat up a home and what type it is- one consideration in determining this amount is also whether or not any energy sources can provide potential savings from using them instead.
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 can be applied in a variety of ways, you are not required to repay this money. If you have any questions before your installation such as how much funding is available or if there will be additional costs after receiving an initial quote for cost by our installer; feel free to ask. They’ll come with a quick survey that should answer all worries.
Lichfield District 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.