Closing
ECO4 in Wales: what its end means for North Wales homes
ECO4 funded energy improvements in some lower-income homes across Great Britain, Wales included, and much of the advertising for no-cost solar used its name. It ends on 31 December 2026, and nothing like it follows. In Wales, the route that continues is Nest.
In brief
ECO4 ends on 31 December 2026. The extension is only for energy suppliers to finish existing work, and the government has said there will be no successor supplier obligation. In Wales, low-income support continues through the Welsh Government's Warm Homes Nest scheme, which can include solar for eligible households.
Checked at source on 3 November 2026 · An independent guide from SEO-DONS LTD, not the Welsh Government, Nest or a council
What it was
A supplier scheme, not a Welsh one
The Energy Company Obligation places a legal duty on larger energy suppliers to fund energy efficiency improvements in eligible homes, and Ofgem administers it. ECO4 is its fourth phase. It applied across Great Britain, so Welsh households could benefit, but it was never a Welsh Government scheme and it wasn't delivered through Nest.
Suppliers met their targets by funding installers and other delivery partners, which is why households usually heard about ECO4 from an installer or marketing company. Its partner scheme, the Great British Insulation Scheme, ended on 31 March 2026.
The connection to Nest is slight: the Nest annual report notes a handful of referrals, about 2% of the total, to an ECO pilot run with Cardiff Council.
Why it ends
The extension and the decision
ECO4 was extended by nine months to 31 December 2026. The government's response to its consultation says the extra time is solely to let suppliers complete existing obligations, not to take on new households. It announced in the November 2025 Budget that there would be no successor supplier obligation, and the Warm Homes Plan, published in January 2026, moves low-income support to publicly funded schemes.
The House of Commons Library reports that suppliers have stopped advertising or accepting ECO4 applications, though the scheme is still officially open until its end date.
What continues
ECO4 compared with Nest
| ECO4 | Warm Homes Nest | |
|---|---|---|
| Funded by | Energy suppliers | The Welsh Government |
| Run by | Suppliers and installers, Ofgem oversight | The Nest team and its Wales-based installers |
| Can include solar | In some packages | Yes, packages can include rooftop solar |
| Where | Great Britain | Wales |
| Status | Ends 31 December 2026, no successor | Open |
Offers you still see
Why ECO4 offers need care now
A scheme in its final months attracts misleading offers. The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld complaints against advertisers that presented ECO4 offers as if run by GOV.UK, with crown imagery, finding they implied government endorsement. Since April 2025 falsely claiming approval by a public body has been banned outright under consumer law.
In Wales there's an extra twist: offers sometimes blur ECO4 with "Welsh Government" funding. ECO4 isn't Welsh Government funding; Nest is. If an offer uses either name, find the scheme yourself and contact it directly. See spotting fake offers.
Work already agreed
If you're mid-way through ECO4 work
If you've had an ECO4 assessment and were promised work, ask the installer in writing which supplier is funding it and whether it will be completed before 31 December 2026, then confirm with the supplier directly. If the work can't be finished in time, ask what happens to anything you signed. You shouldn't end up paying for work you were told would be funded; if that's suggested, get advice from Citizens Advice before agreeing to anything.
Instead of ECO4
The routes that are open in North Wales
Warm Homes Nest for eligible low-income owners and private tenants. How it works.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme for heat pumps, not means-tested. Details.
The Warm Homes Loan Scheme for owner-occupiers. Details.
0% VAT and export payments for everyone. Details.
ECO4 questions
Can I still get ECO4 solar in Wales?
ECO4 officially runs to 31 December 2026, but the extension is only for suppliers to finish existing work, and the House of Commons Library reports that suppliers have stopped advertising or accepting ECO4 applications.
What replaces ECO4 in Wales?
No supplier obligation replaces it. In Wales, low-income home energy support continues through the Welsh Government’s Warm Homes Nest scheme.
Is ECO4 run by the Welsh Government?
No. ECO4 is an obligation on larger energy suppliers across Great Britain, administered by Ofgem. Nest is the Welsh Government scheme.
Someone has offered me ECO4 solar. What should I do?
Ask which energy supplier is funding it and check with that supplier directly. Ask in writing whether the work can be finished before 31 December 2026. Never pay a fee to secure funding.
Scam warning
Calls about "your ECO4 grant"
As the end date approaches, expect calls and messages claiming you’ve been approved for ECO4 work, or that funding will be lost unless you sign now. ECO4 is funded by suppliers, and a genuine contact can name the supplier and the installer, and will put everything in writing. No genuine scheme asks for a fee or bank details to secure funding.
If you’re unsure, end the call and check with the energy supplier named, using contact details from its own website or your bill.
Looking ahead
After 31 December 2026
From January 2027, there will be no supplier-funded scheme for low-income homes in Great Britain. In Wales, the route that continues is Nest, which is funded by the Welsh Government and isn’t tied to the ECO4 timetable.
Anyone describing a "new ECO5" or a replacement supplier scheme should be asked where it is published. When we checked, the government had said there would be no successor obligation.
Checked against
- Energy Company Obligation (ECO) (Ofgem), read 2 November 2026
- Extending the ECO4 end date: government response (GOV.UK), read 2 November 2026
- briefing CBP-9585 on home energy support (PDF) (House of Commons Library), read 2 November 2026
- The Warm Homes Plan (January 2026) (GOV.UK), read 3 November 2026
- Warm Homes Nest scheme annual report 2024 to 2025 (Welsh Government), read 3 November 2026
- ruling on ECO4U Ltd (ECO4 adverts styled as government), December 2024 (ASA), read 2 November 2026
- DMCC Act 2024, Schedule 20 (banned practices) (legislation.gov.uk), read 2 November 2026
Not sure which scheme, if any, fits your home?
Tell us which council area you're in and what you're looking into. Your message reaches SEO-DONS LTD, the publisher of this guide, and we answer by email. We're not a scheme and can't approve anything, but we can point you to the right one.
What happens next
- Your message reaches SEO-DONS LTD, which publishes this guide.
- We reply by email with the scheme page that fits, if there is one.
- Any application is between you and that scheme.