Written by Kate Hallewell
The Midlothian Council has created a new flexible energy policy that allows residents to apply for Energy Company Obligation (ECO) grants. The rules will publish any upgrades or installations on your property, since they may be relevant!
1. What is Local Authority Flexible Energy or LA Flex?
Stay warm this winter with the Local Authority Flexible Energy or LA Flex program. Apply now before it’s too late and get that cozy feeling at home in your own space again by saving energy costs on bills.
The Midlothian Council just released a new set of rules that may be relevant to you. These grants and incentives will help with insulation or heating upgrades on your property, so make sure to check out the program!
2. What grants are available?
The types of grants available to residents living in the Midlothian 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.
Midlothian Council
If you DON'T claim benefits, the criteria for identifying households in fuel poverty in Midlothian Council are as follows:
Criteria for Midlothian Council eligible households
Fuel Poverty
- The house has an EPC with an E, F, or G energy efficiency rating
- The primary heating source for the home is not mains natural gas
- The home is large – with four or more bedrooms
- The main wall type of the property is an uninsulated solid wall or cavity wall
- The home is a park home or mobile home
- Through disability, health, or other condition the home is occupied for long periods or needs to be heated to abnormally high temperatures.
- The resident family has small children below school age (under the age of 5).
Living in Vulnerable Conditions
- Cardiovascular condition (incl. coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension,
transient ischemic attack) - Respiratory condition (incl. COPD, asthma)
- Neurological or neurobiological condition (incl. dementia, Parkinson’s disease, MS, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, ME)
- Musculoskeletal conditions (incl. arthritis, limited mobility, recently attended hospital due to a fall)
- Blood conditions (incl. Sickle cell disease, thalassemia)
- Cancer
- Moderate to severe mental illness (incl. schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression, were receiving regular treatment)
- Severe learning disabilities
- Autoimmune or immunodeficiency diseases (incl. lupus, diabetes, HIV)
- Terminal illness
- Other illnesses exacerbated by cold (confirmed by GP)
| EH10 |
| EH16 |
| EH17 |
| EH18 |
| EH19 |
| EH20 |
| EH21 |
| EH22 |
| EH23 |
| EH24 |
| EH25 |
| EH26 |
| EH37 |
| EH38 |
| EH46 |
| Midlothian West |
| Dalkeith |
| Midlothian East |
| Bonnyrigg |
| Midlothian South |
| Penicuik |
5. How much could you get?
The amount you get from the grant depends on a range of factors. One important factor is how well your property does during winter, and whether it has any old or existing heating already installed. Other considerations are made based on information like what type of wall material was used in construction for insulation purposes and how many bedrooms you have. All this data helps calculate an installer with funding values so they can provide helpful services!
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 funding is paid directly to the Registered Installers. The installer will quote the installation costs in advance and explain them to you before proceeding. The free no-obligation survey determines what funding is available, so there’s no need to worry about paying anything upfront!
Midlothian 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.