How Many Installations Are Done Through ECO4 Scheme in 2024

installations in eco4
Oct 21, 2024 Reading time : 5 min

In the Paris Agreement of 2015, 195 parties (including the European Union) agreed on reducing global warming’s effect and climate change. The primary effort towards the cause was that each country would work towards lowering its carbon footprint. However, some countries were already acing this race to make a positive impact on the environment.

One such effort is the ECO4 scheme of the UK. Currently, as the name suggests, the scheme is running in its fourth phase. The phase began on July 27, 2022, and will be valid till March 31, 2026. Compared to the ECO3, the program has broader eligibility criteria. It tends to offer more benefits to more people from different income levels. 

Since its inception, the ECO scheme has been able to make over 3.1 million upgrades. Anyway, keep reading this article till the end to get a clearer picture of the ECO4 scheme in 2024.

Coming straight to the point, the ECO4 scheme has completed more than 100,000 projects with companies like EDF Energy and British Gas with targets of more than 62% and 47% respectively

However, slow growth reports have been observed by Octopus Energy, with progress sitting at 31.1%

Speaking of their targets, the following are some points worth noticing:

  • Home Heating Cost Reduction: As per the reports, the ECO4 efforts have met approximately 43.73% of the targets aimed. These statistics are provided as per the May 2024 target of improving energy efficiency through heating upgrades. 
  • Solid Wall Insulation: Houses are now made with better insulation so that heaters are used as low as possible. 65.77% of targets were met, which significantly helped in the improvement of household insulation. 
  • EFG Minimum Requirement: An estimated 54.40% of homes with EPC bands of E, F, and G, with the worst energy ratings, are upgraded under the ECO4 scheme.
  • ECO4 Flex: Unfortunately, despite the broader eligibility criteria that allow local authorities to invite maximum results has seen only 17% progress with a 50% cap.

These are some key observations that can be seen as the scheme keeps executed with time. 

Types of New Technology & Innovative Measures Installed Under the ECO4

To eliminate carbon and energy wastage at its max, the scheme is set to install some modern and best-in-class technological solutions. Here are a few of them:

  • Heat Pumps: Instead of traditional boilers, the plan is offering a free boiler scheme that lets people enjoy a better alternative. Interestingly, boilers account 10% share of the ECO4 installed base.
  • Solar Panels: With more solar energy consumption, the government will have to burn less fuels for energy generation, which means less carbon footprint. 
  • Insulation: The plan is working on not one, but three different types of insulation. Solid wall insulation, Roof-in-Roof insulation, and underfloor insulation. This insulation helps keep homes warm, so less energy consumption in heaters.
  • Smart Heating Controls: These include thermostatic radiator valves, smart thermostats, and other systems that help heat up your home with the minimum energy consumption possible.
  • Double or Triple Glazing: Windows are not glazed with double or triple glazing, which further helps in home insulation. This makes heat last longer and improves thermal efficiency. 

Apart from this modern hardware, there are some innovations as well that are part of this scheme. 

Increased Adoption Of Multiple Measures Per Household And Their Fuel Types

To make the scheme successful and impactful, the authorities have adopted a holistic approach. Instead of focusing on the number of houses, the scheme has decided to measure the number of measurements taken per house. This way, more and more houses will become more energy efficient. Here is the data below:

  • ECO1 (2013 to 2015): 1.22 measures per household
  • ECO2 (2015 to 2017): 1.26 measures per household
  • ECO3 (2018 to 2022): 1.45 measures per household

And speaking of the ECO4, the average has reached up to a massive number of 4.19 measures per household. Most of the measures have been carried out on houses that use gas as their primary fuel. However, gas is not the only fuel used by households. The following is the list:

  • Gas: Highly efficient gas boilers, insulation upgrades, and smart thermostats are installed for better efficiency in heating systems.
  • Electricity: Electric heating pumps, LED lighting, and solar panel installations for less energy consumption.
  • Oil: Better oil heating systems, insulation improvements, and draft proofing for less oil consumption.
  • Biomass: Households with biomass fuel get biomass boilers, stoves, and better insulation.

Household Benefits By Property Type And Regional Distribution Measures

Firstly, let’s discover how the benefits are reached to the households based on their property types.

The energy savings measures as per the ECO scheme have reached approximately 2.5 million households. Out of these properties, 72% were houses and 18% were flats.

Speaking of their regional distribution, there were a total of 89,000 measures taken all across Great Britain. Below are the statistics:

  • England: 71,600 measures (80% of the total) 
  • Wales: 10,700 installations (12% of the total)
  • Scotland: 6,700 installations (8% of the total)

So, based on these data, the ECO4 scheme has been doing good lately but can perform much better.

Final Words

In the 4th stage of the ECO scheme, there have been many questions up in the media discussing the success or failure of the scheme. Hence, this article covered all the necessary details and numbers about the scheme that you might be interested in reading.




Priya Prakash
Posted by
Priya Prakash

Internet Writer

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