Swansea Council ECO4 flexible eligibility statement of intent

Local authority name: Swansea Council

Publication date: 20/06/23

Current version number: V.2

Superseded / withdrawn versions:
Swansea Council ECO4 Flexible Eligibility Statement of Intent v1 (withdrawn 19/06/23) (Word doc) [63KB]

Publication on website: ECO Flex

This statement sets out the City and County of Swansea Council's flexible eligibility criteria for the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme from April 2022 - March 2026.  

The ECO4 scheme will focus on supporting low income and vulnerable households. The scheme will improve the least energy efficient homes helping to meet the government's fuel poverty and net zero commitments.  

The flexible approach for local authorities (LAs) to identifying fuel poor and vulnerable households who may benefit from heating and energy saving measures is referred to as "ECO4 Flex".  

The council welcomes the introduction of the ECO4 Flex eligibility routes as it helps the council achieve its plans to improve the homes of those in fuel poverty or vulnerable to the cold.  

Swansea Council [ECO/Energy Team] manage a framework of approved ECO4 installers, allowing installers to make direct referrals into the scheme for eligibility checks and the signing of declarations (where qualifying). The team do not accept referrals from lead generators or third parties that are not accredited to undertake ECO4 works themselves. 

The council is publishing this Statement of Intent (SoI), on the 10 10 2022 to confirm that each of the households declared will adhere to at least one of the four available routes outlined below:  

Route 1: SAP bands D-G owner-occupied households and private rented sector E-G households with an income less than £31,000. This cap applies irrespective of the property size, composition, or region.

Route 2: SAP bands E-G households that meet a combination of two of the following proxies:

Proxy 1) Homes in Welsh provision LSOA 1-3 on the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation 2019¹

Proxy 2) Householders receiving a Council Tax rebate (rebates based on low income only, excludes single person rebates).

Proxy 3) Householders vulnerable to living in a cold home as identified in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidance. Only one from the list can be used, excludes the proxy 'low income'.

Proxy 4) A householder receiving free school meals due to low-income.

Proxy 5) A householder supported by a LA run scheme, that has been named and described by the LA as supporting low income and vulnerable households for the purposes of NICE Guideline (not in operation currently).

Proxy 6) A household referred to the LA for support by their energy supplier or Citizen's Advice because they have been identified as struggling to pay their electricity and gas bills.  

* Note proxies 1 and 3 cannot be used together.  

Route 3: SAP bands D-G owner-occupied households and private rented sector E-G households that have been identified by either a person registered in the General Practitioner Register, a Scottish Health Board, a Welsh Health Board, an NHS Foundation Trust, or an NHS Trust as vulnerable, with an occupant whose health conditions may be impacted further by living in a cold home. These health conditions may be cardiovascular, respiratory, immunosuppressed, or limited mobility related.

Route 4: SAP band D-G owner-occupied households and private rented sector E-G households that are referred under Route 4: Bespoke Targeting. Suppliers and LAs can submit an application to ESNZ where they have identified a low income and vulnerable household, who are not already eligible under the exiting routes (not in operation currently).

¹ English indices of deprivation 2019 (gov.uk) (opens new window)

² Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (gov.wales) (opens new window)

³ Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020 (gov.scot) (opens new window) 

Declaration and evidence check confirmation  

All potentially eligible households should apply through the City and County of Swansea or one of their approved ECO installers to ensure that they can either benefit from the scheme or be assessed for eligibility under any other relevant programme.

The officer below will be responsible for checking and verifying declarations and associated evidence submitted on behalf of the local authority:  

Name: Julia Owens
Job title: Energy and Enabling Officer
Telephone: 01792 635047
Email: julia.owens@swansea.gov.uk

CEO or dedicated responsible person mandatory signature

Swansea Council will administer the scheme according to the Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2022 (ECO4 Order) and will identify eligible households via Ofgem's application process. The CEO of the Council will oversee the process of identifying eligible households under ECO Flex.

The eligibility information will be stored securely in line with the council's data protection policy, Information Commissioner's Office Data Sharing Code, and BEIS guidance. 

Signature: Carol Morgan, Head of Housing and Public Health

For any general enquires relating to this SoI, please contact julia.owens@swansea.gov.uk.