According to data released by the UK government, an estimated 3.26 million households live in fuel poverty in England. Estimates suggest that 10% of excess winter deaths are due to fuel poverty, and 21.5% are attributable to cold homes.
Given the gravity of these statistics, one might expect that councils nationwide would engage in basic efforts to mitigate these avoidable tragedies. Energy Saving Genie, however, reveals that many are turning their backs on the country’s most vulnerable as we move into the colder months.
The UK Government’s Energy Company Obligation scheme, currently in its fourth phase known as ECO4, is designed to provide vital energy-saving improvements to vulnerable households.
Qualified applicants and properties can benefit from extensive home improvements, including heating upgrades, insulation, and renewable energy installations. Yet, the complexity of the scheme has posed significant challenges for applicants. For individuals receiving qualifying benefits, applying for grants across the UK is relatively straightforward. However, those without benefit claims but with health conditions or vulnerabilities must navigate a substantially more complicated route called ‘ECO4 Flex.’
However, before an applicant can access the grant via ECO4 Flex, councils must publish a Statement of Intent on their website and issue a declaration to the installer or managing agent to confirm eligibility. Unfortunately, many councils have not yet published Statements of Intent despite the scheme commencing in July 2022. Worse still, some councils have no intention of doing so.
Kate Hallewell, spokesperson for Energy Saving Genie, expressed concern: “While we understand that councils are facing challenges, it’s heart-breaking to turn away eligible applicants due to a lack of council cooperation. We need swift changes in the scheme’s rules or mandatory action to prevent councils from blocking their residents from accessing essential funding.”
For some of the councils that have released Statements of Intent, their approach has posed additional hurdles for applicants. For instance, some councils that have released Statements of Intent charge over £500 per application for issuing a declaration, making the scheme unaffordable for many residents.
As a result, terminal cancer patients, individuals with heart conditions, frail elderly citizens, and many others have been turned away. Some applicants have tragically passed away while awaiting council Statements of Intent.
So, which councils are leaving their vulnerable residents in the cold with soaring energy bills when they could benefit from the Government’s £4 billion Energy Company Obligation grant scheme?
The Nice List – these councils have released a Statement of Intent, and their residents can apply for grants through ECO4 Flex
- Adur District Council
- Amber Valley Borough Council
- Arun District Council
- Ashfield District Council
- Ashford Borough Council
- Babergh District Council
- Barking and Dagenham Council
- Barnet Council
- Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council
- Bassetlaw District Council
- Bath and North East Somerset Council
- Bexley Council
- Birmingham City Council
- Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
- Blackpool Council
- Bolsover District Council
- Bolton Borough Council
- Boston Borough Council
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
- Bracknell Forest Borough Council
- Bradford City Council
- Braintree District Council
- Breckland District Council
- Brent Council
- Bristol City Council
- Broadland District Council
- Bromley Council
- Broxbourne Borough Council
- Buckinghamshire Council
- Burnley Borough Council
- Bury Borough Council
- Calderdale Borough Council (not currently accepting applications at 10th January 2024 until they recruit an officer to manage applications)
- Cambridge City Council
- Camden Council
- Cannock Chase District Council
- Chelmsford City Council
- Cheltenham Borough Council
- Cherwell District Council
- Cheshire West and Chester Council
- Chesterfield Borough Council
- Chichester District Council
- Chorley Borough Council
- City of London Council
- Colchester Borough Council
- Cornwall Council
- Cotswold District Council
- Coventry City Council
- Crawley Borough Council
- Croydon Council
- Dacorum Borough Council
- Darlington Borough Council
- Dartford Borough Council
- Derby City Council
- Derbyshire County Council
- Derbyshire Dales District Council
- Devon County Council
- Doncaster Borough Council
- Dorset Council
- Dover District Council
- Dudley Borough Council
- Durham County Council
- Ealing Council
- East Cambridgeshire District Council
- East Devon District Council
- East Hampshire District Council
- East Lindsey District Council
- East Staffordshire Borough Council
- East Suffolk Council
- East Sussex County Council
- Eastbourne Borough Council
- Enfield Council
- Epping Forest District Council
- Erewash Borough Council
- Exeter City Council
- Fenland District Council
- Forest of Dean District Council
- Fylde Borough Council
- Gateshead Borough Council
- Gloucester City Council
- Greenwich Council
- Hackney Council
- Halton Borough Council
- Hammersmith and Fulham Council
- Haringey Council
- Harrow Council
- Hastings Borough Council
- Havering Council
- Herefordshire Council
- Hertsmere Borough Council
- High Peak Borough Council
- Hillingdon Council
- Horsham District Council
- Hounslow Council
- Huntingdonshire District Council
- Hyndburn Borough Council
- Ipswich Borough Council
- Isle of Scilly Council
- Isle of Wight Council
- Islington Council
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Kings Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council
- Kingston upon Thames
- Knowsley Borough Council
- Lambeth Council
- Lancaster City Council
- Leeds City Council
- Leicester City Council
- Lewes District Council
- Lewisham Council
- Lichfield City Council
- Lincoln City Council
- Liverpool City Council
- Luton Borough Council
- Maidstone Borough Council
- Manchester City Council
- Medway Council
- Merton Council
- Mid Devon District Council
- Mid Suffolk District Council
- Mid Sussex District Council
- New Forest District Council
- Newcastle Upon Tyne City Council
- Newcastle-Under-Lyme Borough Council
- Newham Council
- North Devon District Council
- North East Derbyshire District Council
- North Kesteven District Council
- North Lincolnshire Council
- North Norfolk District Council
- North Northamptonshire Council
- North Somerset Council
- North Tyneside Borough Council
- Northumberland County Council
- Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council
- Oldham Borough Council
- Oxford City Council
- Pendle Borough Council
- Peterborough City Council
- Plymouth City Council
- Preston City Council
- Redbridge Council
- Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
- Ribble Valley Borough Council
- Richmond upon Thames
- Rochdale Borough Council
- Rossendale Borough Council
- Rother District Council
- Rotherham Borough Council
- Rugby Borough Council
- Rushcliffe Borough Council
- Rutland County Council
- Salford City Council
- Sefton Borough Council
- Sevenoaks District Council
- Sheffield City Council
- Shropshire Council
- Solihull Borough Council
- Somerset Council
- South Cambridgeshire District Council
- South Derbyshire District Council
- South Gloucestershire Council
- South Hams District Council
- South Holland District Council
- South Kesteven District Council
- South Norfolk District Council
- South Oxfordshire District Council
- South Ribble Borough Council
- South Staffordshire District Council
- South Tyneside Borough Council
- Southampton City Council
- Southwark Council
- St Albans City Council
- St Helens Borough Council
- Stafford Borough Council
- Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
- Stockport Borough Council
- Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
- Stroud District Council
- Suffolk County Council
- Sunderland City Council
- Sutton Council
- Swindon Borough Council
- Tameside Borough Council
- Tamworth Borough Council
- Teignbridge District Council
- Telford and Wrekin Borough Council
- Test Valley Borough Council
- Tewkesbury Borough Council
- Three Rivers District Council
- Thurrock Council
- Torbay Council
- Torridge District Council
- Tower Hamlets Council
- Trafford Borough Council
- Uttlesford District Council
- Vale of White Horse District Council
- Walsall Borough Council
- Waltham Forest Council
- Wandsworth Council
- Watford Borough Council
- Wealden District Council
- West Devon District Council
- West Lancashire District Council
- West Lindsey District Council
- West Northamptonshire Council
- West Oxfordshire District Council
- West Suffolk Council
- West Sussex County Council
- Westminster Council
- Wigan Borough Council
- Wiltshire Council
- Winchester City Council
- Wirral Borough Council
- Wolverhampton City Council
Worthing Borough Council - Wyre Borough Council
The Naughty List – these councils have NOT released a Statement of Intent, and their residents cannot apply for grants through ECO4 Flex until they do
- Barnsley Borough Council
- Basildon Borough Council
- Bedford Borough Council
- Blaby District Council
- Brentwood Borough Council
- Brighton and Hove City Council
- Bromsgrove District Council
- Broxtowe Borough Council
- Canterbury City Council
- Castle Point District Council
- Central Bedfordshire Council
- Charnwood Borough Council
- Cheshire East Council
- City of York Council
- Cumberland Council
- East Hertfordshire District Council
- East Riding of Yorkshire Council
- Eastleigh Borough Council
- Elmbridge Borough Council
- Epsom & Ewell Borough Council
- Fareham Borough Council
- Folkestone and Hythe District Council
- Gedling Borough Council
- Gosport Borough Council
- Gravesham Borough Council
- Great Yarmouth Borough Council
- Guildford Borough Council
- Harborough District Council
- Harlow District Council
- Hart District Council
- Hartlepool Borough Council
- Havant Borough Council
- Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council
- Hull City Council
- Kirklees Borough Council
- Maldon District Council
- Malvern Hills District Council
- Mansfield District Council
- Melton Borough Council
- Middlesbrough Borough Council
- Milton Keynes Council
- Mole Valley District Council
- Newark & Sherwood District Council
- North East Lincolnshire Council
- North Hertfordshire District Council
- North Warwickshire Borough Council
- North West Leicestershire District Council
- North Yorkshire Council
- Norwich City Council
- Nottingham City Council
- Oadby & Wigston Borough Council
- Portsmouth City Council
- Reading Borough Council
- Redditch Borough Council
- Reigate & Banstead Borough Council
- Rochford District Council
- Runnymede Borough Council
- Rushmoor Borough Council
- Sandwell Borough Council
- Slough Borough Council
- Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
- Spelthorne Borough Council
- Stevenage Borough Council
- Stoke-on-Trent City Council
- Stratford on Avon District Council
- Surrey Heath Borough Council
- Swale Borough Council
- Tandridge District Council
- Tendring District Council
- Thanet District Council
- Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council
- Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
- Wakefield City Council
- Warrington Borough Council
- Warwick District Council
- Waverley Borough Council
- Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
- West Berkshire Council
- Westmorland and Furness Council
- Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council
- Woking Borough Council
- Wokingham Borough Council
- Worcester City Council
- Worcestershire County Council
- Wychavon District Council
- Wyre Forest District Council
Please note that this list is a work in progress, and Energy Saving Genie encourages councils to release their Statements of Intent to move to the “Nice List.”
If it’s believed a council can be moved to the Nice List, their Statement of Intent link can be emailed to hello@energysavinggenie.co.uk, who will update the list within 48 hours.
About Energy Saving Genie
Energy Saving Genie is the leading provider of hassle-free energy-saving solutions in the UK, helping homeowners access government grants and connect with trusted installers with direct access to funding.
Our free grant checker simplifies the process of finding and applying for Government energy-efficiency grants.
Energy Saving Genie’s 30+ installer network have contracts with all of the major energy suppliers.
Press and Media Enquiries
- Dakota Digital
- Media contact: Rebecca Appleton
- Email: Rebecca@dakotadigital.co.uk
- Tel: 01623 428996
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