Use less energy in your home

Help to make energy saving improvements to your home

Gas boiler grants

Some energy companies are currently offering fully fitted boiler grants, subject to eligibility and survey, to people who really need them. If you are on certain benefits, with a lower income and inefficient boilers, they can help make sure you can keep your home warm. Contact Warm Homes Durham for more information on this scheme.

Energy Company Obligation (ECO)

Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is the government's scheme to help householders, and those on low incomes, meet the upfront costs of making energy saving improvements to their properties such as central heating, cavity wall, solid wall and loft insulation. Contact Warm Homes Durham for further information on the schemes currently available. If you have had any issues with cavity wall insulation installed through the Government ECO scheme, Ofgem - Complaints about standard of cavity wall insulation installation contains guidance information.

Renewable energy

Renewable and low-carbon technologies are good for the environment and good for your pocket too! With government financial incentives, it's never been a better time to install. The Energy Saving Trust provides more information about this.

Flexible eligibility for poor fuel households

Statement of Intent

Under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) Regulations 2019 - 2022 (ECO3) we can set our own criteria for eligibility for funding for domestic energy efficiency measures. This funding is aimed at those households most likely to be in fuel poverty. Energy companies can spend up to a maximum of 10% of their full obligation within these criteria. We must publish a 'Statement of Intent' that defines who is eligible for funding before this can happen.

We intend to implement flexible eligibility within the 2019/22 Energy Company Obligation regulations and will work with energy companies and their authorised installers to maximise the input of flexible eligibility for fuel poor households. Fitting the criteria within our 'Statement of Intent' does not guarantee that any individual household will benefit from energy saving improvements as the final decision on funding rests with energy suppliers and will depend on:

• The survey carried out by the energy company or their authorised installer and installation costs calculated (note: no funding is provided by us).
• The energy savings that can be achieved for a property.
• Whether energy suppliers have achieved their ECO targets or require further measures to meet their ECO targets (this will affect the amount of funding available through the scheme).

View the latest 'Statement of Intent' here:

• ON GAS GRID Statement of Intent (PDF) [217KB]
• OFF GAS GRID Statement of Intent (PDF) [215KB]
• Statement of Intent for ECO4 (Superseded) (PDF) [288KB]
• Statement of Intent for ECO4 (Superceded) (PDF) [235KB]
• Statement of Intent for ECO4 (updated 03 June 2024) (PDF) [158KB]