Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is a stupendous initiative by the UK government to reduce the countrys carbon emissions and at the same time help the residents upgrade their gas heating boilers. There are millions of households throughout the UK that are still using old, out-dated heating boilers that produce less heat but put tremendous burden on users in the form of energy bills.

The ECO initiative is here to change all this, under this scheme people on certain government benefits can now enjoy boiler replacement entirely free and in some cases partially free. And as boiler replacement is quiet costly, the ECO scheme has gathered a lot of attention and a positive response.

Attributes of ECO

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) that took over from CESP and CERT in early 2013 requires the big six energy suppliers, to help householders become more energy efficient €“ an investment of almost £1.3bn is expected to be made by energy companies.
The ECO scheme is primarily focussed on helping low income consumers and those living in low fuel areas. The areas that are covered by the ECO grant include: period homes, blocks of flats or any brick built home without a cavity, or very small cavity.


Key components of ECO:
Affordable Warmth Obligation: The affordable warmth obligation provides heating and hot water saving measures, insulation, glazing to low-income and vulnerable households. Call us on 08000-786-085 to check whether you may be eligible for the affordable warmth obligation.
Carbon Saving Obligation:This provides funding to insulate solid-walled properties (internal and external wall insulation) and those with €˜hard-to-treat cavity walls.
Carbon Saving Communities Obligation This provides insulation and glazing measures to people living in the UKs most deprived areas.


What is the Qualifying Criteria for ECO?

You must own your property or rent it privately and have the owners permission to do the work.

You must also get one of the following benefits:

Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (and your income is £16,010 or less)
Working Tax Credit (and your income is £16,010 or less)
Income Support
income-based Jobseekers Allowance
income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Universal Credit (and you earned £1,250 or less after tax in any assessment period in the last 12 months)
Extra conditions

For certain benefits, one of the following must also apply:

You get Child Tax Credit and your childs disabled
You get Disabled Child Premium
You get Disability Premium
You get Pensioner Premium
You receive a work-related activity or support component €“ if youre claiming income-related Employment and Support Allowance
You are 60 or over €“ if youre claiming Working Tax Credit
You get a limited capability for work or work-related activity element €“ if youre claiming Universal Credit
You get Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment €“ if youre claiming Universal Credit


So there you have all the qualifying details you need to get a new boiler to beat the chills this year. Once you meet the qualifying criteria Domestic & General Heating will talk you through the whole process, starting from a free survey of your property which is carried out by our surveyors for free. Later, our engineers who are all on Gas Safe Register will begin the installation process by replacing your old boiler with a new and more efficient heating system.

What Happens if You do not meet the Qualifying Criteria?

Not everyone can be lucky enough to qualify for this scheme, for them there is still hope, as we at the Domestic & General Heating have boiler finance plans which can help you get a boiler without having to pay upfront. You can choose a monthly payment plan while enjoying a warm living due to an efficient boiler. You can get further information about our payments plan here

What are the Benefits of availing an ECO Grant?

On meeting the qualifying criteria you will have a boiler installed with new heating controls
A-rated boilers are installed under this scheme, e.g- Baxi Boilers, Vaillant Boilers and Worcester Boilers
ECO grants would help save £300 yearly
A-Rated boilers increase efficiency and decrease bills
Save £130 €“ £450 annually
Cavity wall insulation: save between £100 and £140 annually
New Loft insulation: saves £140-£180 yearly
With so much to offer, this scheme has something for everyone. We have a database of information regarding ECO eligibility criteria which you can visit on https://www.dgheating.org.uk/understanding-eco-grants/

What Type of a Boiler should you prefer?

While almost all gas heating boilers are covered in ECO grants, currently the Combination (combi) boilers are a major hit and everyones first choice. Combi boilers are easy to install and take little space and they can also be hanged on a wall which makes them an excellent choice. If you have a small family and a medium sized residence then this is the boiler you need to get.

A combi boiler is simultaneously a high-efficiency water heater and a central heating boiler, hence justifying its name (combination). No separate hot water cylinder is required, offering space saving within the property.

Benefits

Provides limitless hot water on demand.
Can be an economical option, as combi boilers only heat the water you use.
A great space-saving solution with no need for a separate cold water tank or hot water cylinder.
Installation may be quicker as there are fewer parts in a combi central heating system.


Different models of combi boilers are present on our website from where you can choose anyone and let us know. Our gas heating installers can also help you make a choice regarding which type of boiler suits you best.

We offer 1-year of aftercare on our boilers, so dont worry about the new boiler installation as we will cover you for a year and service the boiler. One thing to remember is that you need to get your boilers serviced every year to keep them in working condition.

So, if you want heating advice, installation, maintenance or repairing, Domestic & General Heating is the company to contact. We strive to make your winters warmer.

Best boiler for your house

The performance of a boiler greatly depends on the size of the house and your heating/hot water needs. The best boiler for a one-bedroom flat will not necessarily be the same as the best boiler for a three bedroom, detached house. Here is a comparison between the best boilers for small, medium and large properties.