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Cold callers warning

There have been reports of Council representatives knocking on doors and offering home energy improvements. The Council will not cold call for home improvements.

East Devon District Council asks that the above companies do not cold-call householders. No company should be claiming to be working for the Council offering home improvements. There are a number of installing companies who are contacting residents regarding the grants. The Council does not recommend or endorse any specific companies and these companies are not Council representatives.

If you are cold-called about energy efficiency improvements we would advise that you do not sign up to anything. If you are interested in grant funded energy efficiency works you should start by contacting Exeter Community Energy who offer a range of energy saving measures, offering financial support and advice on the most cost-effective options for your home.

Under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) Help to Heat local flexible eligibility, energy suppliers/installers are able to offer grants using the Council's eligibility criteria in the Statement of Intent (SOI). This allows installers to install fully funded or subsidised energy saving measures for households, which have been declared eligible under the SOI. The Council do not provide the funding or instruct companies to cold-call on their behalf; certain energy suppliers have legal obligations under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) to fund this area of work.

Energy Company Obligation

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is a government energy efficiency scheme aimed at tackling fuel poverty and reducing carbon emissions.

To target ECO funding to the most vulnerable households local authorities have flexibility to prioritise certain households in their area.

The priority groups are outlined in our current Statement of Intent. Those residents that are eligible can access fully funded or subsidised energy saving measures in their homes.

There are a number of installers delivering energy saving measures across East Devon.

All data provided is collected for the purposes of processing the declaration and is stored according to the Council's data protection policy

Energy Company Obligations Grants

The Energy Company Obligation is an requirement of energy suppliers to help households cut their energy bills and reduce carbon emissions by installing energy saving measures. Flexible Eligibility focuses on households in fuel poverty or with occupants on low incomes or who are vulnerable to the effects of cold homes.
East Devon District Council welcomes the introduction of Flexible Eligibility and intends to utilise it for the purposes of reducing fuel poverty in the district. For more details please see the Local Authority Flexible Eligibility Statement (below). 

The ECO Flex Process

A householder can make contact with an agent or installer or may have been contacted directly. A householder cannot apply for the ECO Flex scheme directly.

The agent is instructed by the householder to undertake a survey of their property. This survey assess factors such as heating, insulation, room sizes etc. and will result in a financial offer for what works the energy company can fund to raise the energy efficiency of the dwelling. It is likely that you will receive multiple measures, including insulation measures, where it is both possible and cost-effective to do so due. If the cost of works is below the financial offer from the energy company, the grant will proceed free of charge to the household. If the cost of works is greater than the offer from the energy company then there may be a financial contribution for the client to make. Ensure that you are aware of the full cost of works and if there is any requirement for a customer contribution to complete works.

With the agent or supplier, the householder completes and signs the online Householder Declaration Form to confirm eligibility against our Statement of Intent.

The agent or installer will receive authority from us to proceed with the work based on the information contained in the Householder Declaration. You are under no obligation to proceed with the works.

The agent or installer will produce a quote with a detailed summary of work and if you are happy to proceed a date for install is agreed by the householder and installer direct.

Please note that:

The council’s role in the process is just to confirm household eligibility based on the Statement of Intent and the information in the Householder Declaration

East Devon District Council does not provide the ECO funding. Funding is provided directly to the installers by the national energy providers. The contractual relationship is between the householder and the installer. Our involvement is directly limited to the publication of the Statement of Intent and to produce a declaration for eligible households.

Inclusion in the Statement of Intent does not guarantee a measure will be installed in your home by an energy supplier. Decisions by energy suppliers on whether to install a measure may depend on:

  • survey carried out by suppliers, or their agents / contractors and installation costs calculated,
  • the energy savings that can be achieved for a property,
  • whether suppliers have achieved, or are close to achieving, their targets, and
  • other commercial considerations.

ECO registered installers

A list of companies who have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with East Devon District Council, will be listed below. These companies can identify which qualifying works may be appropriate for your home and if they can be funded under the ECO scheme.

East Devon District Council does not endorse the work undertaken by these companies. We will not have seen the quality of their work, as we are not the overseeing authority. The contract is between the householder and the installer

This list is to help local residents identify companies available to undertake this type of work in the area. The list is not in any priority order:

Contractor/installer information

Online forms for ECO4 applications

There will £100 charge per application - payable by the contractor. This will be invoiced on a monthly basis.

Contractors will be required to sign up to Code of Practise.  ECO4 Flex Installer Referral for Declarations Code of Practice.

Statement of Intent for ECO4