Millions of homeowmers and their families with common chronic health conditions such as arthritis and asthma could claim up to £30,000 towards upgrades to make their homes warmer, Money Mail can reveal.
But few of those who are eligible know about it because it is so poorly advertised by energy suppliers.
Money Mail trawled the websites of the six biggest energy suppliers – and although all state that they can help with home energy improvements, just one – Eon – advertises that there is special support available for those with common health conditions.
This grant scheme, known as ECO4, is provided by energy firms at the behest of the Government. If you meet the criteria you can apply simply by visiting your GP and asking for a letter confirming your health condition.
The scheme can help those with conditions such as high blood pressure, eczema or diabetes. The financial help can be used to pay for home insulation, air source heat pumps and double-glazing. Your property qualifies as long as it is one of around half of all homes that do not have Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings of ‘C’ or above.
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme was launched 12 years ago and initially targeted low-income households or those on benefits. In 2022, the scheme was expanded to include those with a medical condition, living in cold, damp and poorly-insulated homes, whose health could benefit from eco-improvements.
More than 2.5 million homes have received upgrades through ECO grants since it was introduced in 2013. The latest ECO4 is a four-year plan due to end next year, with £1 billion a year offered for eco-upgrades, according to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
The energy regulator Ofgem states doctors can participate in the ECO4 on behalf of homeowners when ‘sure their patient is suffering from severe or long-term ill health and that their health is adversely affected by living in a cold home. These health conditions may fall under one of four umbrella conditions: a cardiovascular condition, a respiratory disease, limited mobility or, immunosuppression [weak immune system]’.
It is at the sole discretion of the doctor to decide if someone might qualify, so even if you feel your condition might not be severe it is worth asking a GP for a referral. Energy companies rarely ask for further information.
This grant scheme, known as ECO4, is provided by energy firms at the behest of the Government
You must own your own home or have permission from your landlord to carry out the eco-upgrades.
The charity Allergy UK believes at least two million people live in cold homes with damp or mould problems that can trigger allergies, bringing on serious respiratory illnesses, such as asthma. It believes the eco-upgrade grants can provide huge practical benefit to such sufferers.
An estimated seven million people in the UK suffer from asthma and ten million are living with arthritis, many of whom may qualify for the grant.
Kate Hallewell, founder of energy-saving installation platform Energy Saving Genie adds: ‘A huge number of people qualify through a wide range of conditions – from mobility issues to chronic pain. GPs can refer eligible households, and it is entirely up to them to judge whether someone’s condition fits the ECO criteria. It covers children as well as adults at the address.’
HOW DO I APPLY FOR AN ECO4 GRANT?
If you fit the above criteria, make an appointment with your GP and ask them to sign a letter suggesting you could benefit from help.
To save time you can give your GP a letter template approved by the energy regulator Ofgem. This can be downloaded from websites such as the Energy Saving Genie.
This letter should then be presented to your energy supplier, which can provide financial assistance for a range of eco-improvements from a list of recommended suppliers. This includes boiler upgrades, air source heat pumps, solar panels, roof, loft and cavity wall insulation, ventilation assessments and help with double-glazing installations. Visit the energy regulator website ofgem.gov.uk for further information.
If you don’t know the EPC rating of your home, visit the Government website link at gov.uk/find-energy-certificate and tap in your postcode. A is the highest rating,and G is the lowest.
I’M CHRONICALLY ILL – AN ECO4 GRANT COULD HAVE SAVED ME THOUSANDS
Travel agent Sarah Jones, 34, of Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire, was unaware that the grants are available, despite having suffered from asthma since the age of 16. A couple of years ago after contracting pneumonia she almost died and now barely leaves the home after the long-term condition has become more severe.
In 2024, Sarah spent £11,000 on double glazing and more than £2,000 on purifiers for the three-bedroom bungalow she shares with her wife and their ten-year-old daughter. It has boosted her property to an EPC level C – the cut-off point for getting ECO4 grants.
Travel agent Sarah Jones, pictured, of Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire, was unaware that the grants are available, despite having suffered from asthma since the age of 16
Sarah says: ‘My asthma can be triggered by the smallest thing, so having the home well insulated is vital which is why the double-glazing was installed. Every penny counts so it is an expense we could well have done without.
‘Had I been made aware of the ECO4 grant earlier there is a good chance I could have claimed – and the savings gone towards other health essentials.’
Sarah adds: ‘Financial support would have been invaluable. It is a pity the grant isn’t well advertised.’
Money Mail contacted Sarah’s energy supplier Octopus Energy on her behalf and the firm admitted she might have been helped had she contacted it earlier when the property still had an EPC rating lower than a C. Octopus issued her with a free electric blanket, switched her to a cheaper fixed-tariff gas and electricity deal and provided details of solar energy panel grants she might claim in the future.
Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, chief product officer at Octopus Energy, says: ‘Changes to our homes can go a long way to keeping people warm for less money. We encourage our customers to get in touch to see what’s available.’
A spokesman for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says: ‘The energy shocks of recent years have shown the urgent need to upgrade homes in Britain… The Energy Company Obligation scheme plays a vital role in this effort by supporting low-income families and those with health conditions to live in warmer, safer homes, with funding for energy-efficient upgrades.’
- Further information on the ECO4 can be found on the Ofgem website. You can also contact Ofgem for details by email at consumeraffairs@ofgem.gov.uk or call it on 020 7901 7295
- Have you got free eco home upgrades due to a health condition or do you think you could be eligible but have not claimed? Email toby.walne@dailymail.co.uk
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