ECO4 Extension 2026: What Changed and What It Means for Your Home

The extra months were for energy suppliers and installers to finish what was already promised. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said the extension is "intended solely to allow suppliers extra time to complete existing obligations and for installers to remediate".

"Remediate" means going back to put right poor work, such as faulty external wall insulation fitted under ECO4 or the Great British Insulation Scheme.

The decision came out of the ECO4 end date extension consultation:

• August 2025: DESNZ asked whether ECO4 should run on for six to nine months
• 215 responses: of the 211 that answered the main question, 167 said yes
• 23 January 2026: the government response chose the full nine months
• 25 March 2026: the ECO4 amendment order, SI 2026/361 was made, six days before the old end date, and took effect the next day

The government said the extra time also gives the scheme an "orderly close". Many who answered the consultation wanted to avoid a sudden gap in help for low income homes and to protect installer jobs.

The further your job has got, the safer it is. A home that is already surveyed and approved has far more room than one that has not been checked yet.

If your route is your council, our guide to the LA Flex scheme explains how it works. LA Flex is part of ECO4, so it closes on the same date, and some councils have already stopped taking new Flex requests. What is open depends on where you live. You can see the picture near you for Manchester and Stockport.

Ready to get your survey booked before December?

ECO4 is still available until 31 December 2026. Ofgem's figures up to 6 October 2026 show 245,726 ECO4 projects submitted and 962,853 ECO4 measures notified.

Each energy supplier has its own target to reach by the end date. A supplier that has met its target, or is close to it, has no reason to take on new jobs. Several of the largest have already stopped. This is what each one had said publicly when we checked on 29 October 2026:

That does not close the scheme. Funding can still come from a supplier with room left in its target, or through a council Flex route, which is why one installer may say no while another can still help.

We are the installer, so we survey your home, fit the work and submit it under ECO4. Ofgem confirms you can get ECO4 help from any obligated energy supplier while staying with your current energy provider. There is no single ECO4 contact number either, so the quickest way to check your home is to ask an installer such as us.

Five steps give your job the best chance of being finished in time.

• Check your eligibility today. Our ECO4 eligibility page lists the rules in full.
• Find your proof of benefit, such as a recent award letter, so the check is not held up.
• Book your survey for the earliest slot you can manage.
• Clear the way for the surveyor, including the loft hatch, so insulation can be assessed on the same visit.
• Ask for your install date in writing once your job is approved.

Is the ECO4 scheme legit? Yes, it is set out in law and run by Ofgem, but deadlines bring out scammers. Approved homes pay nothing for the funded work, and any extras are agreed in writing first, so treat these as warning signs:

• A caller who says ECO4 has been extended into 2027, or that you can "lock in" ECO4 funding for next year
• Pressure to sign today because it is your "last chance"
• A fee to "hold your place"
• A request for your bank details over the phone
• An engineer who will not show you a Gas Safe ID card

For the full journey from first call to fitting day, read how to apply for an ECO4 grant.