London Borough of Bexley Council Flexible Energy Rules for Energy Company Obligation grants

Bexley Insulation Grants: Access ECO4 Funding with LA Flex

Written by Kate Hallewell

If you’re worried about your energy bill, the London Borough of Bexley Council may be able to help with ECO grants. Residents can apply for Bexley insulation grants and other heating measure to save money on their bills while simultaneously helping the environment!

1. What is the Bexley Insulation Grant Scheme? ECO4 LA Flex Explained

The London Borough of Bexley Council has a flexible energy policy that allows residents to apply for Energy Company Obligation (ECO) grants! Whether you need heating system repairs, upgrades or insulations, the ECO grant is available and could help save money in your pocket.

The Statement of Intention written by councillors provides detailed guidance on how residents can qualify for these funds. This post will explain which eligibility requirements are needed before applying for an ECO Grant.

2. What grants are available?

The types of grants available to residents living in the London Borough of Bexley Council area include:

Boiler grants are expected to be removed from the grant scheme in the next phase so you should apply for this grant as soon as possible.

3. Eligibility for Bexley Insulation Grants: Do You Qualify?

You will be able to benefit from the program even if you are a homeowner, living in a housing association, a tenant, and a renter! The easiest way to see if you are eligible is to use our eligibility checker here.

eco scheme eligibility rules for pensioners

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.

London Borough of Bexley Council

If you DON'T claim benefits, the criteria for identifying households in fuel poverty in London Borough of Bexley Council are as follows:

Criteria for London Borough of Bexley Council eligible households

Facing high energy costs is defined as one or more of the following:
  • A household living in a home with an Energy Performance Certificate lower than band C
  • A household living in a home with a prepayment meter
  • A household where the main heating fuel is not gas
    Living in a cold home
  • Aged over 60, and particularly those over 75
  • Children under 5 and pregnant mothers
  • Respiratory disease (COPD, asthma)
  • Cardiovascular disease (e.g. ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease)
  • Moderate to severe mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar disorder)
  • Substance misusers
  • Dementia
  • Neurobiological and related diseases (e.g. fibromyalgia, ME)
  • Cance
  • Limited mobility
  • Haemoglobinopathies (sickle cell disease, thalassaemia)
  • Severe learning disabilities
  • Autoimmune and immunodeficiency diseases (e.g. lupus, MS, diabetes, HIV)
DA1 
DA14
DA15
DA16
DA17
DA18
DA5 
DA6 
DA7 
DA8 
SE2 
SE28
SE9 

 

Crayford 
Barnehurst
Sidcup 
Blackfen & Lamorbey
Blendon & Penhill
St Mary's & St James
Longlands
Falconwood & Welling
Crook Log
West Heath
East Wickham
Belvedere
Erith 
Northumberland Heath
Thamesmead East
Slade Green & Northend
Bexleyheath

 

Eligibility does not guarantee funding. For full details see the full Statement of Intent.

4. How much could you get?

Bexley Borough Council wants to make sure that residents are able and willing to save money by using energy more efficiently. One way is for you to get a grant through ECO, which will pay part of the cost. Whether you need heating repairs or upgrades, insulations or anything else – be on the lookout. You might just find yourself with some extra cash in your pocket each month for saving on energy bills and saving the environment!

The grants are currently available as follows (subject to survey and meeting eligibility rules):

Download your EPC

These days, it’s so easy to get the installation your home needs with help from a grant. You won’t have any worries about repayment either because you’ll be dealing directly with registered installer who quotes costs upfront too! They can also answer questions on what funding may be available when conducting surveys of homes and provide advice for many different situations.

London Borough of Bexley 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.