Statement of Intent for ECO4 v1

South Ayrshire Council ECO4 Flexible Eligibility Statement of Intent

Local Authority name: South Ayrshire Council

Publication Date: 1/5/23

Version number: V.1

Publication on web site: www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk

This statement sets out South Ayrshire Council's flexible eligibility criteria for the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme from April 2022 - 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 the 1/5/2023 to confirm that each of the households declared will adhere to at least one of the four available routes outlined below:

Route 1:SAP bands D-Ghouseholds with an income less than £31,000. This cap applies irrespective of the property size, composition, or region.

Route 2:SAP bands E-Ghouseholds that meet a combination of two of the following proxies:

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

Proxy 2) Householders receiving a Council Tax rebate (rebates based on low income only, excludes single person rebates).

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 householder supported by a LA run scheme, that has been named and described by the LA as supporting low income and vulnerable households for the purposes of NICE Guideline.

Proxy 6) 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 5 cannot be used together.

Route 3:SAP bands D-G households that have been identified by their doctor or GP as low-income and 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 band D-G households that are referred under Route 4: Bespoke Targeting. Suppliers and LAs can submit an application to BEIS where they have identified a low income and vulnerable household, who are not already eligible under the exiting routes.

Referrals

The council is currently undertaking a review of Flexible Eligibility to asses various mechanisms of ECO delivery to understand how ECO can be maximised in our region whilst misniming risk to the consumer.

In the interim, from the date of this publication, Flexible Eligibity will apply to Local Authority projects only. This will enable South Ayrshire Council to look at a mixed tenure approach to energy efficiency retrofit by supporting households in the private sector.

Declaration and evidence check confirmation

All potentially eligible households should apply through an approved ECO installer employed by the Local Authority to ensure that they can benefit from the scheme or be assessed for eligibility under any other relevant programme.

The officer below will be responsible for checking and verifying declarations and associated evidence submitted on behalf of the local authority:

Name: Chris Carroll

Job Title: Private Sector & Landlord Registration Officer

Telephone: 01292 272 020

Email:Chris.Carroll@south-ayrshire.gov.uk

CEO or dedicated responsible person mandatory signature

South Ayrshire Council will administer the scheme according to BEIS' ECO4 Order and will identify eligible households via Ofgem's application process. The CEO of the Council will oversee the process of identifying eligible households under ECO4 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 BEIS guidance.

Signature:

Name: Mike Newall

Job Title: Depute Chief Executive and Director of Housing, Operations and Development

Date of signature: 18 May 2023

For any general enquires relating to this SoI, please contact Chris.Carroll@south-ayrshire.gov.uk

[1] The English Indices of Deprivation 2019 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

[2] Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (full Index update with ranks): 2019 | GOV.WALES

[3] Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)