Written by Kate Hallewell
Rochdale Borough Council introduced a new, flexible energy policy that allows residents to apply for ECO grants. The council has published their set of rules which will allow residents the ability to receive money from these grants for heating or insulation work on their property.
This post offers information about Rochdale Borough Council‘s newest program and how it can help you.
1. What is Local Authority Flexible Energy or LA Flex?
Rochdale Borough Council‘s new scheme, LA Flex, allows councils to create and publish their own eligibility requirements for grants. This means every council has an opportunity to improve the chances of receiving a grant with its published energy efficiency policy.
If you’re looking to save money on your heating bills or want a heater home, there are grants available for these. We have the resources and information that will help you get started today.
2. What grants are available?
The types of grants available to residents living in the Rochdale 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 are a homeowner, a housing association tenant or a private renter you could benefit from this scheme. There are a few considerations when working out eligibility for grants and we’ve included the main eligibility factors below. 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.
Rochdale Borough Council
If you DON'T claim benefits, the criteria for identifying households in fuel poverty in Rochdale Borough Council are as follows:
Criteria for Rochdale Borough Council eligible households
Income and Health
Low income (e.g. in receipt of income-related benefits, see below for a full list of benefits*, or a monthly income of less than £800 after paying mortgage or rent);
- High energy costs (e.g. inadequate insulation or inefficient heating or energy bills of more than £1,400 per year if the property was heated adequately);
- A household member of any age with a disability or long-term health condition that results in Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Coronary Heart Disease, Depression, Falls, Hypertension, Stroke or Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA). See the full list of eligible illnesses and vulnerabilities.
- If the resident meets the above and wishes to have an ‘A’ rated boiler they will require a letter from their GP to confirm their illness, and the resident would also sign a self-declaration form.
Low Income
Where the Council has reasonable evidence that the total household income fits into the categories in the table
Health 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)
- Terminally ill
- Other illness exacerbated by cold (confirmed by GP)
- Vulnerability
- On the Priority Services register of partner supplier
- Core Group WHD recipient
- Victim of domestic violence
- Recent bereavement
- Moving in and out of homelessness
- Recent immigrant or asylum seeker
- Physical or sensory disability
- Solid wall insulation “in-fill” projects
| BL9 |
| M24 |
| M9 2 |
| OL10 |
| OL11 |
| OL12 |
| OL14 |
| OL15 |
| OL16 |
| OL2 |
| West Heywood |
| Norden |
| North Heywood |
| North Middleton |
| South Middleton |
| East Middleton |
| Castleton |
| Hopwood Hall |
| West Middleton |
| Bamford |
| Kingsway |
| Balderstone and Kirkholt |
| Milkstone and Deeplish |
| Spotland and Falinge |
| Healey |
| Central Rochdale |
| Smallbridge and Firgrove |
| Wardle and West Littleborough |
| Littleborough Lakeside |
| Milnrow and Newhey |
5. How much could you get?
The amount of the grant varies based on what type of property it is and whether or not there was anything before this installation done place already. Ofgem bases its calculations on how much each individual will save over their lifetime with current equipment or heating costs such as walls and number bedrooms along with grant availability factor into who receives more after an install has been completed given by installer at time needs are met.
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
When it comes to the grant for your new installation, there’s no need to worry about repayment. The installer will be happy not only to provide you with a quote upfront and explain everything in detail so that you know what all is covered which could result in something unexpected after making those improvements.
Rochdale 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.