Tens of thousands of Britain’s poorest energy customers could miss out on a chance to bring their bills down before winter – because the government allowed its flagship insulation scheme to run out.
On Friday, following questions from openDemocracy, the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced an 11th-hour extension to the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), which forces energy suppliers to stump up for insulation and other energy-efficiency improvements for people on low incomes. The ECO had expired hours earlier without a replacement in train.
Suppliers can continue to provide insulation upgrades under the old rules while the details of the replacement scheme are worked out. But the last-minute move appeared to catch energy companies themselves on the hop – and fuel poverty charity National Energy Action has warned that they may be reluctant to carry out the work, as the scheme is no longer backed by legislation.
