ECO4 Closes 31 December 2026 · Warm Homes Plan from 2027 | 7,000+ Installations
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Earn £100 Per ReferralBy Peter Davies, ECO4 Analyst
Reviewed
Local guide for Newry homeowners · Kinecx Energy (formerly firmus energy) network
NI-specific guides: Support to stay in your own home (nidirect) · NIHE energy-efficiency grants
Start with official NI routes
We signpost Affordable Warmth — ECO4 does not run in NI.
Apply (NIHE)
NI Energy Advice Service
0800 111 4455Freephone · nienergyadvice@nihe.gov.uk · applications since September 2023
NIHE energy-efficiency grantsWe signpost official NI routes only. ECO4 does not run in Northern Ireland. We are not NIHE, DfC or your council.
BT30–BT35
Postcode coverage
Kinecx Energy (formerly firmus energy)
Gas Distribution Network
Affordable Warmth
NIHE / DfC route
£0
Cost to qualifying households
Affordable Warmth in Newry is for private homes with gross household income under £23,000. Apply through the NI Energy Advice Service (NIHE); your council can help with local fuel-poverty support.
Per nidirect's support to stay in your own home page, the Department for Communities sets a gross household income ceiling:
Boiler replacement under Affordable Warmth has additional priority rules on top of the income and tenure tests:
Bottom line —If your address is in BT30–BT35, you own or privately rent your home, and your gross household income is under £23,000, call the NI Energy Advice Service on 0800 111 4455 to check Affordable Warmth. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (0800 111 4455) can signpost local fuel-poverty help.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMDDC) is one of Northern Ireland's most rural local government districts, with a housing stock that splits cleanly between the urban centres (Newry city, Downpatrick, Newcastle, Warrenpoint, Kilkeel, Ballynahinch) and the wide Mourne and Carlingford hinterland. NIHE has confirmed £13.7m of Affordable Warmth and Boiler Replacement spend in NMDDC to date, with planned 2024/25 public-sector housing spend of £29.52m and stock-improvement spend of £2.41m (NIHE NMDDC HIP 2024 Update). The urban stock of Newry city (BT34, BT35) — Drumalane, Daisy Hill, Ballyholland, Cloughreagh, and the inner-city terraces around the Newry Canal — is a mix of Victorian and Edwardian red-brick terraces, post-war Newry & Mourne DC council semis, and 1960s low-rise blocks. Downpatrick (BT30) and Newcastle (BT33) add small-town Victorian and inter-war stock. The Mournes hinterland — Kilkeel, Annalong, Rostrevor, Hilltown, Castlewellan, Forkhill, Crossmaglen — is dominated by 1930s-1980s rural cottages and bungalows, much of it off the firmus Energy mains network and running on oil-fired central heating (the dominant rural fuel in NMDDC). This off-grid pattern is significant: the Affordable Warmth Scheme funds oil-boiler replacement on the same terms as gas-boiler replacement, so NMDDC's rural households can access the scheme even where firmus Energy's South-North pipeline has not extended. The combination — Newry city's terraced inner-belt, the small-town Down stock, and the off-grid Mournes hinterland — makes NMDDC one of Northern Ireland's highest-volume Affordable Warmth catchments per dwelling.
Total dwellings
77,800
as of 2024-04
Private sector
—
owner-occupied + rented
Social housing
—
registered providers
Bottom line —Newry's stock mix sits squarely inside NIHE's Affordable Warmth catchment — your Technical Officer survey will confirm the right boiler-and-insulation package for your specific property.
Kinecx Energy (formerly firmus energy) is the Gas Distribution Network operator for the Ten Towns natural gas network in Northern Ireland along Kinecx Energy's South–North pipeline, including Newry, Warrenpoint, Bessbrook and Banbridge (Newry, Mourne and Down — BT30–BT35) — that includes every BT30–BT35 postcode. Nearby Strabane (BT82) is on the separate Evolve network. Both are regulated by the Utility Regulator in Northern Ireland, not Ofgem.
If you are thinking about switching from oil or electric heating to gas, check whether gas is available at your address with the network operator. Ask NIEAS how a connection would fit with any Affordable Warmth package. We do not quote connection prices — get them from Kinecx Energy (formerly firmus energy).
Kinecx Energy (formerly firmus energy) network informationBottom line —Check gas availability at your address with Kinecx Energy (formerly firmus energy) before planning a fuel switch. Affordable Warmth packages are decided by NIHE after assessment — ask NIEAS on 0800 111 4455.
Affordable Warmth is the Northern Ireland equivalent of ECO4 — but the eligibility, funding and delivery are completely different. It is administered by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) on behalf of the Department for Communities (DfC), funded from the NI Executive's block grant. ECO4 (the UK-wide energy-supplier obligation regulated by Ofgem) does NOT operate in Northern Ireland at all. Newry, Mourne and Down households apply through NIHE direct or via NIEAS on 0800 111 4455 — NMDDC does not publish a dedicated council-level Affordable Warmth phone. The scheme has been extended to March 2028 and will be replaced by the Warm Healthy Homes Fund (WHHF) from April 2027. For the large rural off-grid catchment in the Mournes, the Scheme funds oil-boiler replacement (not just gas) — useful given much of NMDDC outside Newry town centre is off the firmus Energy mains network.
Affordable Warmth (NI)Bottom line —Affordable Warmth via NIHE is the route for Newry — ECO4 doesn't operate in Northern Ireland at all.
Property
1970s detached rural bungalow, three-bed, render-over-block construction, off the gas main with no firmus Energy connection in the village
Existing system
1990s oil-fired boiler in an outside utility room, feeding a vented hot-water cylinder and a basic radiator circuit with no TRVs; tank in the rear yard; no programmable controls; EPC band F; existing oil boiler 18 years old
Measure installed
Old oil boiler decommissioned and removed; new condensing oil-fired boiler installed in the same utility room with a new flue; new oil tank fitted; programmable controls and TRVs fitted across all radiators. Approved NIHE contractor installation following Affordable Warmth referral via NIEAS.
Outcome
EPC modelled uplift from band F to band D; first-winter oil demand reduced by roughly a third; homeowner paid £0 on a Boiler Replacement grant under the Affordable Warmth Scheme (qualified via age 65+ with a 15+ year old boiler and household income under £23,000; NIHE Technical Officer confirmed oil-replacement was correct given the off-grid location).
Time on site
One day on site for the new oil boiler and tank, plus a half-day return visit for the controls and TRV commissioning.
Illustrative — based on typical BT30–BT35 installs, not a single named customer.
Bottom line —Illustrative only — outcomes vary by home, measures funded and how you use your heating. NIHE decides the package after assessment; do not start work without written approval.
Department for Communities published limits: grant up to £7,500 (up to £10,000 where solid wall insulation is involved). NIHE decides the package after assessment — not a guarantee of the maximum.
Most Newry addresses are already on the gas main — nothing extra to pay.
Bottom line —If NIHE approves grant aid in writing, scheme-funded work is at no cost to you within the published grant limits. We do not quote typical install costs or bill savings for Newry homes.
Step 1
Call 0800 111 4455 or email nienergyadvice@nihe.gov.uk. An energy officer checks whether you look eligible and explains next steps. Since September 2023 applications go to NIHE through this service.
Step 2
If you appear eligible, NIHE arranges a property check and decides which measures it can fund. Do not start or book any work until NIHE confirms grant aid in writing.
Step 3
Work is carried out under the scheme's arrangements. NIHE will tell you how contractors are appointed.
Prefer to contact Newry, Mourne and Down District Council directly?
Delivery overseen by NIHE under Department for Communities. Timelines vary — ask NIEAS about current waiting times when you apply.
Bottom line —Timelines vary with demand, measures needed and funding — ask NIEAS on 0800 111 4455 when you apply. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (0800 111 4455) can help with local fuel-poverty support but does not replace the NIHE application route.
No. ECO4 is the UK-wide energy-supplier obligation regulated by Ofgem and it does NOT extend to Northern Ireland. Newry, the rest of NMDDC, and all NI households run under the Affordable Warmth Scheme, administered by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) on behalf of the Department for Communities (DfC) and funded from the NI Executive's block grant rather than from GB energy-supplier levies. The eligibility, application process, grant cap and delivery model are all different from ECO4.
Yes — and this is the most important Newry-area point. The Affordable Warmth Scheme funds OIL-fired boiler replacement on exactly the same terms as gas-boiler replacement. Much of NMDDC outside Newry town centre, Newcastle, Downpatrick and Warrenpoint is off the firmus Energy mains gas network — particularly the Mournes hinterland (Kilkeel, Annalong, Rostrevor, Hilltown, Castlewellan, Forkhill, Crossmaglen). For an off-grid rural household, the new boiler is normally a condensing oil-fired boiler with a fresh tank and controls. You meet the same eligibility (private-sector tenure, £23,000 income, plus the boiler-specific test: children under 16, DLA/PIP, or 65+ with a 15+ year-old existing boiler) and receive the same up to £7,500 grant cap.
You must own your home and occupy it as your sole or main residence, or rent from a private sector landlord. Tenants in NIHE social housing or housing-association properties (e.g. Apex, Choice, Clanmil, Radius) are NOT eligible — separate NIHE / housing-association programmes cover their stock. Your total gross annual household income must be under £23,000 (significantly lower than the £31,000 used by ECO4 LA Flex in England, Scotland and Wales). For boiler replacement specifically, your household must also include either a child under 16, an adult receiving Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment, or someone aged 65 or over with an existing boiler at least 15 years old.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council does NOT publish a dedicated Affordable Warmth referral phone (unlike Belfast City Council's Building Control line). Residents apply directly via NIHE, with the freephone NI Energy Advice Service (NIEAS) on 0800 111 4455 as the public entry point. NIEAS staff carry out the initial eligibility check; if you pass, the referral is passed to NIHE. NIHE then sends a Technical Officer to survey the property — particularly important in NMDDC because they will assess whether the property is on the firmus Energy gas network or off-grid, and recommend the appropriate boiler type (gas or oil). Approved NIHE contractors carry out the install.
firmus Energy is the gas distribution network operator for Newry, Warrenpoint, Bessbrook and Banbridge — Newry sits on firmus's South-North pipeline that runs from Belfast down to the border. Phoenix Natural Gas only covers Greater Belfast; firmus covers the NI 'Ten Towns' network including Newry and most of NMDDC's urban stock. However, much of the wider NMDDC area — particularly the Mournes hinterland, the Ards Peninsula edges, and the south Armagh fringe (Crossmaglen, Forkhill, Newtownhamilton) — is OFF the gas main entirely. These rural households use oil-fired central heating, and the Affordable Warmth Scheme funds oil-boiler replacement on the same terms as gas-boiler replacement. The new flue and oil tank are included in the install.
The Department for Communities has extended the current Affordable Warmth Scheme to March 2028 (from the original March 2026 close). The Warm Healthy Homes Fund (WHHF) will launch in April 2027 and run alongside Affordable Warmth for a transition period before fully replacing it. The WHHF is expected to widen eligibility and bring NI more into line with the UK-wide post-ECO4 Warm Homes Plan agenda, though detailed eligibility is still under consultation. NIHE has cumulatively spent £13.7m on Affordable Warmth and Boiler Replacement in the NMDDC area, with planned 2024/25 NMDDC public-sector housing spend of £29.52m. If you're considering an application, the safest play is to apply now under the current Scheme rather than wait.
Neither. The Affordable Warmth Scheme in Northern Ireland runs until March 2028 and is replaced by the new Warm Healthy Homes Fund (WHHF), launching in April 2027 in a phased handover. The Department for Communities (DfC) confirmed the WHHF business case in 2025 — eligibility detail is still under consultation but the fund is expected to widen the income and property criteria from the current £23,000 cap. ECO4 (the GB-wide energy-supplier obligation closing 31 December 2026) does NOT operate in Northern Ireland. Neither does the successor "Warm Homes Plan" (sometimes searched online as "ECO5") which only extends to England, Scotland and Wales. Additional WHP funding for NI flows via Barnett Consequentials but is administered separately by NIHE on behalf of DfC, not directly by the new Warm Homes Agency. For Newry households the route remains: contact your council energy team or NIEAS (0800 111 4455) for an Affordable Warmth referral, which transitions seamlessly into the WHHF when the new scheme takes over.
Skim only what you need — full definitions stay in the page for search and AI citation.
nidirect — Support to stay in your own home (heating help)
Affordable Warmth; income under £23,000; apply via NIEAS
nidirect — Energy saving grants in your area
NI Energy Advice and Affordable Warmth overview
DfC — Changes to the Affordable Warmth Scheme (8 Sep 2023)
£23,000 income; NIEAS applications; grant limits and boiler criteria
DfC — Closure of Boiler Replacement Scheme (21 Sep 2023)
BRS closed; applications no longer accepted
DfC — Warm Healthy Homes Fund
Planned from April 2027
DfC — WHHF screening (19 May 2026)
Affordable Warmth business case to March 2028
NIHE — NI Energy Advice: energy efficiency grants
Apply to NIHE via NIEAS; no work before written approval
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council — Fuel poverty page
Keep Warm Packs; AWS signposted to NIHE / NIEAS
Kinecx Energy (formerly firmus energy) — gas network
Ten Towns network communities
Ofgem — Energy Company Obligation (ECO)
ECO is a Great Britain scheme — cited to show ECO4 does not cover NI
Page reviewed: .
Call the NI Energy Advice Service on 0800 111 4455 if you own or privately rent your home and gross household income is under £23,000. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (0800 111 4455) can signpost local fuel-poverty help. There is no ECO4 eligibility wizard for Northern Ireland on this site.
Free Boiler Upgrade UK, Turner Business Centre, Middleton M24 1RU · 07342 267215 — not an Affordable Warmth application line.
