Is your home leaking heat — and money?
Around a third of the heat in an uninsulated home escapes through the walls, and another quarter through the roof. If your house feels cold no matter how high you turn the heating up, poor insulation is usually the reason — and it's also why your energy bills are higher than they need to be.
The good news: you may not have to pay for the fix. Under the ECO4 scheme, eligible UK households can get cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and solid wall insulation installed free of charge. Here's how it works in 2026 — and why time is running short.
Fairway Energy is an independent eligibility-enquiry service. We are not the government, an official grant administrator, or an installer.
What is ECO4?
ECO4 (the Energy Company Obligation) requires Britain's largest energy suppliers to fund energy-efficiency upgrades in the homes that need them most. If your household qualifies, the work is fully funded — there is nothing to repay and no hidden charges for the survey, application or installation.
Insulation is one of the most commonly funded measures because it's quick to install and cuts heat loss immediately. Insulation jobs typically take one to two days.
What insulation can ECO4 cover?
- Cavity wall insulation — insulating material injected into the gap between your home's inner and outer walls. Best for homes built roughly between the 1920s and 1990s with unfilled cavities.
- Loft insulation — rolls or boards of insulation laid in the loft, usually topped up to around 270mm. One of the cheapest and most effective upgrades there is.
- Solid wall insulation — internal or external insulation for older homes (often pre-1920s) with solid brick walls and no cavity to fill. More involved, but these homes lose the most heat through their walls.
An assessor surveys your property first and recommends the measures that suit it — you don't get to pick from a menu, but the survey makes sure the right work gets done.
Who may qualify?
You may qualify if all of the following apply:
- You own your home or rent privately (ECO4 covers England, Scotland and Wales)
- Your home has an EPC rating of D, E, F or G
- Someone in your household receives a qualifying benefit — such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or Housing Benefit
Note: Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit are no longer qualifying benefits — tax credits ended on 5 April 2025.
Don't claim benefits? You may still qualify through ECO4 Flex (LA Flex), where your local council can refer households on low incomes or with health conditions made worse by the cold.
What about the Great British Insulation Scheme?
The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) — which used to offer free insulation without a benefits requirement — closed to new applications on 31 March 2026. If you were counting on that route, ECO4 or ECO4 Flex are now the live options for funded insulation.
Act before the scheme winds down
ECO4 has been extended to 31 December 2026, but it is winding down — suppliers are closing their books as they meet their obligations, and installer capacity shrinks toward the deadline. Work must be finished before the scheme ends, so waiting until autumn could mean missing out entirely. If you think you may qualify, checking now costs nothing.
Realistic expectations
- A survey comes first. Every property is assessed before anything is agreed — the grant funds what your home actually needs.
- It's a whole-house approach. Installers often combine insulation with other measures (like heating controls) to hit the scheme's efficiency targets.
- Private renters need landlord permission. Your landlord must agree to the work — most do, since it improves their property for free.
- Grants are subject to eligibility and property assessment. Not every home or household will qualify.
Check if you may qualify — free, no obligation
Our free 2-minute eligibility check tells you whether ECO4 insulation funding could apply to your home.
👉 Start your free eligibility check
📱 Or WhatsApp us: +44 7367 065216
Subject to eligibility and property assessment. Fairway Energy is an independent lead-generation/eligibility-enquiry service — not the government, an official grant administrator, or an installer.