EDF outlines opportunities for reformed energy efficiency schemes in upcoming Warm Homes Plan
- Simpler rules, long-term certainty and a greater focus on clean technologies in Government energy efficiency schemes would reduce household bills faster
- EDF has delivered over 130,000 ECO4 and nearly 16,000 GBIS energy efficiency installations, with ECO customers saving on average £900 a year
- To help customers access ECO and GBIS schemes faster, EDF has launched ‘ECO Direct’ managing the whole process from initial enquiry to final product installation
Ahead of Government setting out its Warm Homes Plan this autumn, EDF is recommending changes to the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) which would increase more funding to households in need and to help meet its climate goals faster and more affordably.
To reduce the administrative burden of the schemes and ensure customers are getting the best value from them, EDF is recommending four key changes to the schemes.
- Commit to a 10-year scheme with no gaps, giving industry the confidence to invest in people, technology, and supply chains.
- Ensure schemes back the installation of smart meters, heat pumps, solar panels, and battery storage — technologies that cut bills, reduce reliance on imported gas, and improve energy security.
- Modernise eligibility rules to include those in energy debt that aren’t in receipt of means-tested benefits.
- Return to “deemed scores” to calculate energy savings from home improvements. In addition to reducing the costs of the scheme, this would also reduce the administrative load on Ofgem and lower the risk of fraud.
The supplier is investing £129m into ECO and GBIS this year, while DESNZ estimates that for the majority of installs, more than half of the available funding for a customer is absorbed by overheads and administration. EDF believes that through its recommended changes, the administrative costs could be lowered, directing more funding to customers.
To protect consumers, EDF believes all retrofit activity must be underpinned by a single, enforceable quality and redress framework that promotes more accountability and better outcomes for consumers. Households need to trust that the work being done in their homes is held to high standards and that clear, independent routes to resolution are in place when things go wrong.
The energy supplier is projected to install an additional 7,500 measures this winter (October to February), with one beneficiary already being Carol and John Howell from Worthing in West Sussex who had cavity wall insulation installed. “The installers were very professional, they helped move items before they started work,” they said. “They communicated very well, were very tidy and swept up afterwards, plus dealt very well with the limited access as our home is in the corner of our road.
“Our house already feels warmer and we have the heating on less. It retains head much better now and our smart meter shows less usage already.”
Philippe Commaret, Managing Director of Customers at EDF, said: “EDF has been a long-standing delivery partner in energy efficiency and knows what works. We want to work with Government but right now these schemes are not delivering their full value. We need to simplify the process, commit to long-term delivery, and focus on clean, future-proof technologies. That’s how we get real impact for households—and meet our climate responsibilities in a way that’s fair and affordable for all.”
EDF is also asking for better data sharing between suppliers, government, and local councils. This would make it easier to identify struggling households and get them support, via ECO and GBIS, quicker.
EDF recently introduced its ‘ECO Direct’ service, giving customers an end-to-end service from first contact to installation, reducing administration for customers, speeding up the process while giving peace of mind that Which? Trusted installer EDF is helping the process run smoothly.
The supplier has delivered over 130,000 ECO4 measures and nearly 16,000 GBIS installations creating almost £30m worth of savings each year to over 42,000 households.
About EDF
EDF is driving the transition towards An Electric Britain – a secure, affordable, low-carbon future for everyone. As Britain’s biggest generator of zero carbon electricity, we are investing more than £100 million weekly in Britain’s electricity infrastructure. We supply millions of customers with electricity and help homes and businesses switch to electricity for heating, transport and industrial processes.
We operate five nuclear power stations and more than 35 onshore wind farms and three offshore wind farms. Since 2009, EDF has invested almost £9 billion in the nuclear fleet to improve reliability and extend station lifetimes. The five generating stations currently supply about 12% of the UK’s electricity demand.
EDF is building the UK's nuclear renaissance with the construction of a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C. We are a minority investor (12.5%) in and major supplier to a replica plant at Sizewell C in Suffolk. Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C will provide low carbon electricity to meet 14% of UK demand and power around 12 million homes. EDF Group companies Framatome and Arabelle Solutions have a presence in the UK and manufacture critical equipment such as reactor pressure vessels and turbines.
EDF is enabling its 5 million customers, both in business and at home, to choose electric solutions that save cash and carbon, whether it is buying an electric car, generating and storing electricity, selling energy back to the grid or installing solar panels or a heat pump. In 2025, EDF’s Customers business was ranked as one of the Sunday Times’s Best Place to Work.
It is also one of the UK’s leading developers of renewable energy through EDF power solutions UK and Ireland. We have more than 2GW of renewable generation in operation and over 10GW in construction, planning and development across a range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar and battery storage.
We are one of the largest suppliers to British business and a leading supplier of innovative energy solutions that are helping businesses become more energy independent. In addition, the company’s energy services business, Dalkia, one of the UK and Ireland’s largest technical service providers.
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