ECO Flexible Eligibility Statement of Intent (v2)

Hammersmith & Fulham Council ECO 4 Flexible Eligibility Statement of Intent

Local authority name: Hammersmith & Fulham

Publication date: 22 March 2023

Version number: V.2

Publication on website: H&F Council website

This statement sets out Hammersmith & Fulham Council's flexible eligibility criteria for the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme from April 2022 to March 2026.

The ECO4 scheme will focus on supporting low-income and vulnerable households. The scheme will improve the least energy-efficient homes helping to meet the government's fuel poverty and net zero commitments.

The flexible approach for local authorities (LAs) to identifying fuel poor and vulnerable households who may benefit from heating and energy saving measures is referred to as "ECO4 Flex".

The council welcomes the introduction of the ECO4 Flex eligibility routes as it helps the council achieve its plans to improve the homes of those in fuel poverty or vulnerable to the cold.

The council is publishing this statement of intent (SOI), on 22 March 2023 to confirm that each of the households declared will adhere to at least 1 of the 4 available routes outlined.

Route 1: SAP bands D to G owner-occupied households and privately rented sector E to G households with an income less than £31,000. This cap applies irrespective of the property size, composition, or region.

Route 2: SAP bands E to G households for owner-occupied households and private rented sector households that meet a combination of two of the following proxies:

Proxy 1) Homes in England in Lower-layer Super Output Area 1 to 3 (LSOA) ^{[Footnote 1]} or homes in Welsh provision LSOA 1 to 3 on the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation 2019 ^{[Footnote 2]} or the Index of Multiple Deprivation for 2020, published by the Scottish Government ^{[Footnote 3]}.

Proxy 2) Householders receiving a council tax reduction (based on low income only).

Proxy 3) Householders vulnerable to living in a cold home as identified in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidance. Only one from the list can be used, excludes the proxy 'low income'.

Proxy 4) A householder receiving free school meals due to low income.

Proxy 5) A household referred to the LA for support by their energy supplier or Citizen's Advice or Citizen's Advice Scotland, because they have been identified as struggling to pay their electricity and gas bills.

Note: proxies 1 and 3 cannot be used together.

Route 3: SAP bands D to G owner-occupied households and privately rented sector E to G households that have been identified by either a person registered in the General Practitioner Register, a Scottish Health Board, a Welsh Board, an NHS Foundation Trust, or an NHS Trust as vulnerable, with an occupant whose health conditions may be impacted further by living in a cold home. These health conditions may be cardiovascular, respiratory, immunosuppressed, or limited mobility related.

This is because the council has identified a positive correlation between households who suffer from long-term health conditions and living off a low income, with living in poorly insulated homes.

Route 4: SAP bands D to G owner-occupied households and privately rented sector E to G households that are referred under Route 4: Bespoke Targeting. Suppliers and LAs can submit an application to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) where they have identified a low income and vulnerable household, who are not already eligible under the exiting routes.

Declaration and evidence check confirmation

All potentially eligible households will be generated through the identification of eligible residents by installers within the NEF supplier network to ensure that they can either benefit from the scheme or be assessed for eligibility under any other relevant programme. Hammersmith & Fulham Council will work with the NEF to ensure that residents flagged as potentially eligible can access support.

The following officers will be responsible for checking and verifying declarations and associated evidence submitted on behalf of the local authority.

Bram Kainth

Job title: Strategic Director of Environment

Organisation: Hammersmith & Fulham Council

Responsibility: Signatory for the statement of intent

Email address: Bram.Kainth@lbhf.gov.uk

Esther Harris

Job title: Fuel Poverty Lead

Organisation: Hammersmith & Fulham Council

Responsibility: Signing ECO local authority flex declarations

Email address: Esther.Harris@lbhf.gov.uk

Matt Neal

Job title: Project Development Manager

Organisation: National Energy Foundation

Responsibility: Management of ECO Flex application process and the NEF Approved Supplier Network

Email address: Matt.Neal@nef.org.uk

Governance

Any supplier or installer who seeks a council declaration on behalf of an eligible resident will first need to be registered with the NEF Approved Supplier Network.

The network ensures that councils have information about the standards, practices and accreditations of installers working in their area reducing the risk of fraud, poor quality installations and the exploitation of vulnerable residents that the council is looking to assist via ECO Flexible Eligibility.

For further information about the Network and guidance on how to register, suppliers should contact suppliernetwork@nef.org.uk

CEO or dedicated responsible person mandatory signature

Hammersmith & Fulham Council will administer the scheme according to the Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2022 (ECO4 Order) and will identify eligible households via Ofgem's application process. The chief executive officer (CEO) of the council will oversee the process of identifying eligible households under ECO Flex.

The eligibility information will be stored securely in line with the council's data protection policy, Information Commissioner's Office data sharing code, and DESNZ guidance.