Eligibility
The LA Flex Group is a broader group of consumers that do not receive one of the qualifying benefits required in the Help to Heat Group but are still considered to be a low income household, or a household where its occupants are vulnerable to living in a cold home.
Your Local Authority is responsible for verifying your eligibility based on information submitted to them by your Installer. The Energy Agency assists several Local Authorities with administrative tasks associated with LA Flex.
- Dumfries and Galloway
- East Ayrshire
- South Ayrshire
- Scottish Borders
There are three ways in which a household can quality:
- Route 1 – Income
The Household has a combined income of less than £31,000/year.
This is the total income of all occupiers living in the property. This is calculated using the gross income figure (income before deductions such as tax and national insurance).
- Route 2 – Proxy Targeting
The Household must meet at least two of the Route 2 proxies. These can be viewed on your Local Authority’s ECO-4 Statement of Intent which is published on their website.
- Route 3 – NHS Referral
The Household has been referred by an NHS Practitioner as a person suffering from a severe or long-term ill-health condition which is adversely affected by living in a cold home. Conditions include:
- A cardiovascular condition
- A respiratory disease
- Limited mobility
- Immunosuppression
Installers
If you qualify under the LA Flex Group, the Local Authority must issue a signed Declaration to your chosen Installer which enables the Installer to draw down funding from the energy supplier.
Due to the Local Authority’s role in LA Flex, most Local Authorities have opted to be more selective over the Installers that can operate under LA Flex in their region. This is to ensure oversight of the ECO activity in the region reducing the risk of rogue traders.
The Energy Agency has assisted a number of Local Authorities in setting up an Approved Installer Scheme for LA Flex. Only Installers registered on this scheme can access LA Flex funding from their energy supplier.
Each Local Authority has a different list of Installers so please check the current lists below:
How do I access ECO-4 funding?
To access ECO-4 funding under the LA Flex Group, you must employ one of the Approved Installers noted in the links above.
However, please note that the Local Authority’s involvement in ECO-4 is limited to verifying your eligibility for funding. The scheme is Installer led and the Local Authority does not promote or manage ECO-4.