ECO4 ends 31 December 2026 — what replaces it in Stockton-on-Tees
ECO4 has been extended once, to 31 December 2026, so suppliers can finish existing targets and fix faulty installs only. There are no new targets, no carry-over and no ECO5. The Great British Insulation Scheme closed to new applications on 31 March 2026.
In England the replacement for low-income households is the Warm Homes: Local Grant — a £500m scheme delivered by councils and their appointed installers from April 2025 to March 2028, for privately owned and privately rented homes rated EPC D to G where the council is taking part. Owner-occupiers can have insulation, heating and solar fully funded. Tenants pay nothing; a landlord gets one home fully funded, then contributes 50% from the second.
One of these three routes must apply:
- Household income of £36,000 a year or less before tax; or
- Someone in the home gets one of: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance; or
- The home is in a postcode the government lists as among the most deprived (IMD deciles 1–2).
On top of one of those routes, the home must be rated EPC D to G and you must be an owner-occupier or a private tenant (with your landlord's consent — rented homes rated F or G need a registered MEES exemption). Social housing is not eligible.
Over 97% of eligible councils in England (271) are funded to deliver it, but funding and timing vary by area, and your council will usually contact you within 10 working days of a referral.
Check the Warm Homes route for Stockton-on-Tees →You can also apply directly through the government's checker on GOV.UK.
Not eligible, or paying yourself? The Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes £7,500 off an air source or ground source heat pump for most homeowners replacing fossil-fuel heating in England and Wales, with no income test and no EPC needed since 28 April 2026 (£9,000 for an air or ground source heat pump in oil- or LPG-heated homes with no mains gas connection, until 31 March 2027). The £150 Warm Home Discount comes off your electricity bill again this winter, and if you are buying solar, 0% VAT applies until 31 March 2027 — get a solar quote from one MCS-certified installer. Need a like-for-like gas boiler? The Warm Homes: Local Grant cannot fund new gas boilers, so outside ECO4 you would pay an installer’s quote — ask your council about any emergency heating fund.
Energy Grants Available in Stockton-on-Tees
If you live in the Stockton-on-Tees council area, you could qualify for thousands of pounds in free energy improvements through government-funded schemes. With 18.2% of households in North East experiencing fuel poverty and average energy bills of £2,100/year, these grants can make a significant difference.
ECO4 Scheme in Stockton-on-Tees
The ECO4 scheme can fully fund energy improvements for eligible households in Stockton-on-Tees. This includes loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, solid wall insulation, boiler replacements, first-time central heating, solar panels, and heat pumps.
To qualify, you need to receive a qualifying benefit (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income-based JSA, Income-related ESA, Income Support or Housing Benefit — tax credits ended on 5 April 2025) and your home needs an EPC rating of D or below.
With 42% of homes in North East rated EPC E or below, many Stockton-on-Tees properties are strong candidates for ECO4 funding.
ECO4 has been extended to 31 December 2026 to wind down, not to take on new targets: work must be finished before then, and installer capacity shrinks as suppliers meet their obligations. Check your eligibility now.
Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) in Stockton-on-Tees
Until it closed on 31 March 2026, the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) covered free insulation for homes in council tax bands A-D (England) or A-E (Scotland/Wales), with no benefits required. That route is no longer open to new applicants.
In Stockton-on-Tees, approximately A-C (78% of properties) were in GBIS's qualifying council tax bands before it closed. That once put a large proportion of Stockton-on-Tees residents within GBIS's old scope — and many can still get free loft or cavity wall insulation through ECO4 or LA Flex until 31 December 2026, then through the Warm Homes: Local Grant (household income £36,000 or less, no benefits needed).
Boiler Upgrade Scheme — £7,500 Grant
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump. Unlike ECO4, this grant has no means testing — it is for homeowners replacing fossil-fuel heating, and since 28 April 2026 a valid EPC is no longer required. Your MCS-certified installer applies for the grant on your behalf.
Stockton-on-Tees Housing Profile
Understanding your area's housing stock helps identify which energy measures are most relevant:
- Terraced houses (35%): Often have party wall heat loss and benefit from loft + cavity wall insulation
- Semi-detached (30%): Higher heat loss through exposed walls — ideal for cavity or solid wall insulation
- Detached (15%): Highest potential savings from insulation (up to £590/year for loft alone)
- Flats (20%): Can qualify for individual measures; landlord consent needed for rented flats
35% of properties in North East have solid walls — these lose up to 45% of heat and can benefit from external or internal wall insulation through ECO4.
Stockton-on-Tees Council LA Flex
LA Flex is a council route into ECO4, so it closes with ECO4 on 31 December 2026. The closest route after that — and open now — is the Warm Homes: Local Grant (household income £36,000 or less, no benefits needed).
Even if you don't receive qualifying benefits, Stockton-on-Tees Council operates Local Authority Flex (LA Flex) provisions. This allows the council to refer households that are:
- In fuel poverty (spending more than 10% of income on energy)
- Living with health conditions worsened by cold homes
- On low incomes but not receiving standard qualifying benefits
- In areas identified as deprived by the council
Contact Stockton-on-Tees Council's housing or energy efficiency team to ask about LA Flex referrals.
Estimated Savings for Stockton-on-Tees Homes
- Loft insulation: saves £355-590/year
- Cavity wall insulation: saves £195-595/year
- Solid wall insulation: saves £430-640/year
- Boiler replacement: saves £300-400/year
- Solar panels: saves £800-1,100/year
- Heat pump: saves £100-300/year vs gas (more vs oil/electric)
Multiple measures combined through ECO4 can save over £1,500 per year.
Check Your Eligibility
Our free eligibility checker cross-references your details against all active schemes. Enter your Stockton-on-Tees postcode, answer a few questions, and find out which grants you qualify for in 60 seconds.