LA Flex: free loft insulation without benefits

What LA Flex is for

The standard ECO4 route relies on benefits, and plenty of households who struggle with heating bills do not claim any. Flexible eligibility exists to catch them. Ofgem’s guidance for councils (version 3.0, published 27 March 2026) says it allows local authorities to identify and refer consumers “who own or privately rent their home and are considered fuel poor or vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home.”

The mechanics matter. Your council does not install anything and does not pay for anything. It checks your circumstances and issues a declaration confirming you are eligible. Suppliers, installers or managing agents use that declaration to take the job forward, decide which measures the home is suitable for, and fund them through ECO4.

The four routes

Route 1: household income. Households with a gross annual income of less than £31,000 are eligible. It is the combined income of every adult aged 18 or over who lives in the home permanently, and Ofgem is explicit that lodgers and relatives count. The threshold is the same regardless of the size of the home, how many people live there or where it is. That makes it simple, but harsh on larger households just over the line.

Route 2: proxy targeting. A household meeting at least two of seven proxies qualifies. The proxies are: living in a deprived Lower Layer Super Output Area; receiving a low-income council tax reduction; vulnerability because of certain health conditions; eligibility for free school meals; support from an existing council scheme; a referral from Citizens Advice or an energy supplier; or identification through energy supplier debt data. Some pairings are not allowed: the deprived-area proxy cannot be combined with the health proxy, and supplier debt data cannot be combined with the council scheme or referral proxies.

Route 3: medical referral. For people whose health condition is made worse by living in a cold home, evidenced through the process the guidance sets out.

Route 4: bespoke targeting. An ECO4-only route that lets a council propose its own evidence-based way of finding eligible households, approved in advance.

The home still has to qualify

LA Flex changes who can apply, not which homes can be treated. The ECO4 rules on the property still apply: EPC band D, E, F or G for owner-occupiers; E, F or G for private rented homes, with the landlord’s permission. Ofgem also tells councils to explain that a SAP or RdSAP assessment will be carried out in your home, and that the result can affect eligibility. If your EPC is old, the new assessment may put the home in a different band.

How to use LA Flex

1. Check your council takes part. Councils that participate publish an LA Flex statement of intent, usually on their housing or energy pages. Search your council’s website for “ECO4 flexible eligibility” or “statement of intent”.
2. Work out your route. Most households use Route 1 on income. If you are over £31,000, look at the proxies and the medical route before assuming you are out.
3. Apply through the council or an installer working with it. Some councils run their own application form; others work with named installers or managing agents. Either way, the council must be the one to issue the declaration.
4. Assessment and survey. An assessor rates the home and decides which measures fit. The loft, if it has 100mm or less of insulation, is likely to be near the top of the list.
5. Install before the end date. Ofgem’s guidance says LA Flex installations for ECO4 must be completed by 31 December 2026.

When LA Flex is not the answer

If your council does not take part, if your income is over the cap and no proxy fits, or if ECO4 runs out of time, look at England’s Warm Homes: Local Grant (income usually £36,000 or less, EPC D-G, to 31 March 2028) or your nation’s scheme. Government loft insulation schemes compared lays them all out, and the cost guide covers paying yourself.