Landlords! Check what grants are available for your rental properties
If you live in the UK and you are a landlord, your tenants and rental properties could be eligible for energy-efficiency grants available under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme.
For landlords, this could mean grants to install insulation or upgrade the heating of their rental properties. Grants are available for properties that have tenants on benefits and where the property and/or tenants meet their local council rules for eligibility. To find out more about other grants available for landlords, read our blog post!
What grants are available for landlords?
There are many grants on offer for landlords, including grants for insulation and heating. Grants are available to private landlords with properties that have an EPC rating of A, B, C, D or E.
The main grants available are:
- Cavity wall insulation
- Electric storage heaters (where the existing heating is electric room heaters or where there is no heating at the property)
- First time central heating (the property must not have had central heating previously)
- Loft insulation (usually only available where the existing heating is electric and where there is 100mm or less of existing loft insulation)
- Internal wall insulation (only viable on properties with solid walls where the existing heating is electric)
- Room in roof insulation (usually only available where the existing heating is electric)
Who can apply for grants?
1. Rented properties where tenants have claimed certain benefits within the last 18 months will be eligible for these grants. Qualifying benefits include:
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Child Tax Credits
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Income Support
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits
- Pension Guarantee Credit
- Personal Independence Payment
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Universal Credits
- War Pensions Mobility Supplement
- Working Tax Credits
2. Rented properties with tenants that claim Child Benefit are also eligible for the scheme but additional income – requirements have to be met. The additional income rules for Child Benefit applications are as follows:
| Number of Children | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4+ |
| Single claimant income | ≤ £18,500 | ≤ £23,500 | ≤ £27,500 | ≤ £32,000 |
| Member of a couple combined income | ≤ £25,500 | ≤ £30,000 | ≤ £34,500 | ≤ £39,000 |
There’s more information regarding eligibility through the Child Benefit route at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/eco3-child-benefit-self-declaration
It is worth noting that the additional income rules are only relevant if Child Benefit is the only benefit that is received. If your tenants receive any of the benefits listed in 1, they don’t have to meet the income rules. The Child Benefit declaration needs to be completed by the tenants when the application is submitted.
3. Rented properties where tenants meet the local council local authority flexible energy rules are eligible for the scheme. These rules vary by local authority and each local authority will have a statement of intent that details their individual rules. We can check whether your tenant and your property is eligible when you contact us.
4. Rented properties in certain areas where the local council has made funding available. Usually these will be areas within 0-20% of the Indices of multiple deprivation (IMD). In these areas, there are no requirements about income or benefits. You can fill in an enquiry form on our website at https://www.ecoproviders.co.uk/contact-us.
Make sure to include the property address and we will check what grants are available.
Where can I find information on how to apply for a grant as a landlord?
Start by visiting our website at https://www.ecoproviders.co.uk/landlords.
Our grants section has information on what grants are available, who can apply and how to go about it. Once you have filled in the short form, we’ll check what grants your rental property could get. In addition to having access to Energy Company Obligation funding, we offer a fully managed service so we can take you all the way from application to installation (sometimes within a week!).
The process is:
- Landlord or tenant completes the short application form
- Installer carries out property research, including checking the property energy performance certificate to see what measures will be viable at the property
- Installer calls applicant within 24-48 hours to give an initial indication of eligibility
- If eligible, a free survey will be booked (usually within a week)
- The installer processes the application and gathers relevant paperwork
- The installation is booked, the landlord has their property upgraded and tenants have their energy bills reduced.
How do I know if my application has been approved or not?
You’ll get an initial assessment within 48 hours and the installer will let you know what grants your property could be entitled to. If unsuccessful, reasons for the rejection will be provided.
If eligible, the installer will book a free survey and gather relevant paperwork to complete the application.
Landlords are asked to complete some paperwork to authorise work to be undertaken. In some cases, the application can be approved within a few days and the install can take place within a week.
Grants are available for landlords to reduce energy bills and make their properties more sustainable. These grants are an affordable way to get your rental properties ready for the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) without having to spend your hard-earned cash.
The scheme is administered by OFGEM (the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets). OFGEM’s role is to protect consumers and ensures that tenants and landlords are being treated fairly. Apply for grants directly on our website at https://www.ecoproviders.co.uk/landlords
We look forward to hearing from you soon!