{"id":260,"date":"2026-04-21T15:57:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T14:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sadiqur.xyz\/glazing\/index.php\/eco4-scheme-double-glazing\/"},"modified":"2026-04-21T15:57:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T14:57:10","slug":"eco4-scheme-double-glazing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/sadiqur.xyz\/glazing\/index.php\/eco4-scheme-double-glazing\/","title":{"rendered":"ECO4 Scheme Double Glazing \u2014 Can You Get Free Windows? (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"wp-block-group has-text-color has-background\" style=\"color:#ffffff;background-color:#2d6a4f;padding-top:80px;padding-right:20px;padding-bottom:48px;padding-left:20px\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-9265ce00 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div style=\"text-align:center;font-size:14px;color:#cde7d8;letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase;font-weight:600;margin-bottom:12px;\">ECO4 SCHEME<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color\" style=\"color:#ffffff;font-size:clamp(2rem,5vw,3rem)\">ECO4 scheme double glazing \u2014 can you get free windows?<\/h1>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color\" style=\"color:#cde7d8;font-size:1.125rem\">The UK government-funded scheme that pays for new windows for qualifying low-income and fuel-poor households. Here&#8217;s exactly how it works in 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-group\" style=\"padding-top:48px;padding-right:20px;padding-bottom:64px;padding-left:20px\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-5a32f81f wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n<p>Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) is the UK government scheme that funds energy-efficiency upgrades for low-income and fuel-poor households. For qualifying homeowners, it can pay for double glazing, insulation, and heating upgrades \u2014 sometimes in full, sometimes with a contribution required. This guide explains who qualifies, what&#8217;s covered, and exactly how to apply.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quick eligibility check<\/h2>\n<p>You may qualify for ECO4 double-glazing funding if your household meets <strong>any one<\/strong> of these criteria:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You receive any of these benefits: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income-based JSA, Income-related ESA, Child Benefit (within income caps), Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support<\/li>\n<li>Your home has an Energy Performance Certificate rating of <strong>D, E, F or G<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>You&#8217;re in fuel poverty (spending more than 10% of income on energy)<\/li>\n<li>A member of your household has a health condition that makes them vulnerable to cold<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Full eligibility criteria at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/energy-company-obligation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gov.uk\/energy-company-obligation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What ECO4 covers<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Single glazing \u2192 double glazing<\/strong> \u2014 usually fully funded for qualifying households<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cavity wall insulation<\/strong> \u2014 usually fully funded<\/li>\n<li><strong>Loft insulation<\/strong> \u2014 usually fully funded<\/li>\n<li><strong>Heating upgrades<\/strong> \u2014 new efficient boiler or heat pump; usually part-funded with a customer contribution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Not covered: upgrading existing double glazing to triple; replacing post-2015 double glazing; cosmetic replacements; second homes.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to apply \u2014 step by step<\/h2>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check your EPC rating<\/strong> \u2014 free lookup at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/find-energy-certificate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gov.uk\/find-energy-certificate<\/a>. Your home needs a D rating or worse to qualify for most ECO4 measures<\/li>\n<li><strong>Contact an ECO4-approved installer<\/strong> directly, or apply via your energy supplier (British Gas, Octopus, E.ON all run ECO4 programmes). Installers are obliged to submit applications on your behalf<\/li>\n<li><strong>Provide evidence of qualifying status<\/strong> \u2014 a recent benefit statement, Tax Credits letter, or GP letter for vulnerability criteria<\/li>\n<li><strong>Home assessment<\/strong> \u2014 an ECO4-registered surveyor visits to confirm the work is eligible and calculate the funding<\/li>\n<li><strong>Installation<\/strong> \u2014 if approved, work is carried out and the installer claims the subsidy directly from the scheme<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common reasons applications fail<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>EPC rating is C or higher \u2014 home is already &#8220;energy efficient enough&#8221; per the scheme<\/li>\n<li>Existing double glazing less than 15 years old \u2014 replacement for cosmetic reasons isn&#8217;t funded<\/li>\n<li>Incomplete benefit documentation \u2014 keep recent award letters handy<\/li>\n<li>Property is tenanted and the landlord hasn&#8217;t applied \u2014 tenants can&#8217;t apply directly for most measures<\/li>\n<li>Second home or holiday home \u2014 only primary residences qualify<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Scotland \u2014 Home Energy Scotland loans<\/h2>\n<p>If you live in Scotland, ECO4 applies but so does the separate <a href=\"\/glazing\/index.php\/home-energy-scotland-loans-double-glazing\/\">Home Energy Scotland loan scheme<\/a>. Interest-free loans up to \u00a315,000 for energy-efficiency upgrades, available to any Scottish homeowner regardless of income (subject to credit check). Excellent option if you don&#8217;t qualify for ECO4&#8217;s means-tested funding but want to finance work at 0% interest.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wales \u2014 Nest scheme<\/h2>\n<p>Welsh households on qualifying benefits can apply for free energy-efficiency upgrades via the <a href=\"\/glazing\/index.php\/nest-scheme-wales-double-glazing\/\">Nest scheme<\/a> (run by Welsh Government). Covers insulation, boilers, and some glazing.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if you don&#8217;t qualify for ECO4<\/h2>\n<p>Not everyone qualifies, but you can still save significantly by getting 4 competitive quotes rather than accepting one national-chain quote. The typical \u00a32,000-\u00a34,000 spread between cheapest and most expensive quote for identical spec means comparison alone delivers a similar saving to some ECO4 contributions.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>Do I have to apply through Findfitter?<\/summary>\n<p>No. ECO4 is a government scheme \u2014 you apply through any ECO4-approved installer directly, or via your energy supplier. Findfitter&#8217;s quote-matching service is separate and doesn&#8217;t route ECO4 applications. If you qualify for ECO4, apply via the gov.uk route first; if you don&#8217;t qualify, use <a href=\"\/glazing\/index.php\/quote\/\">Findfitter<\/a> to get competitive quotes paying yourself.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>How long does ECO4 approval take?<\/summary>\n<p>Typically 4-8 weeks from initial application to installation. The home assessment is usually within 2-3 weeks; approval another 2-3 weeks; installation scheduled 2-4 weeks after approval. Busy periods (October-January) can extend the timeline.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>Can I combine ECO4 with Home Energy Scotland loans?<\/summary>\n<p>Not for the same measure. But you can use ECO4 for one (say, insulation) and a HES loan for another (say, windows) \u2014 as long as each application is separate. Home Energy Scotland can advise on combinations.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>When does ECO4 end?<\/summary>\n<p>ECO4 runs to March 2026, with a replacement scheme (ECO5) under government consultation. If you qualify now, apply now \u2014 transitions to a replacement typically introduce 2-4 month delays.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>What if I own the home but rent it out?<\/summary>\n<p>Landlords of properties with EPC rating D-G are eligible for ECO4 on the property itself, not for their own home. They must commit to maintaining the property as a rental for a minimum period. Applications go via the standard ECO4 installer route \u2014 tenants can encourage landlords to apply but cannot apply themselves.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/energy-company-obligation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GOV.UK \u2014 Energy Company Obligation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ofgem.gov.uk\/environmental-and-social-schemes\/energy-company-obligation-eco\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ofgem \u2014 ECO scheme detail<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/find-energy-certificate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GOV.UK \u2014 find your EPC certificate<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Internal: <a href=\"\/glazing\/index.php\/uk-grants-double-glazing-2026\/\">All UK grants compared<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ECO4 SCHEME ECO4 scheme double glazing \u2014 can you get free windows? The UK government-funded scheme that pays for new windows for qualifying low-income and fuel-poor households. Here&#8217;s exactly how it works in 2026. Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) is the UK government scheme that funds energy-efficiency upgrades for low-income and fuel-poor households. For qualifying homeowners, &#8230; <a title=\"ECO4 Scheme Double Glazing \u2014 Can You Get Free Windows? (2026)\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"http:\/\/sadiqur.xyz\/glazing\/index.php\/eco4-scheme-double-glazing\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about ECO4 Scheme Double Glazing \u2014 Can You Get Free Windows? (2026)\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-260","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sadiqur.xyz\/glazing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sadiqur.xyz\/glazing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sadiqur.xyz\/glazing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sadiqur.xyz\/glazing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sadiqur.xyz\/glazing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=260"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/sadiqur.xyz\/glazing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/260\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sadiqur.xyz\/glazing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}