Several public bodies set the rules for home energy-efficiency work and oversee the schemes that fund it. None of them installs anything or deals with you day to day, but they decide who is allowed to, how quality is enforced and where you can turn if something goes wrong. Knowing which body does what helps you understand where your grant funding comes from and who stands behind it.
Who does what
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) – the government department responsible for energy policy, including the design of schemes such as the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4).
- Ofgem – the energy regulator, which administers ECO on the government’s behalf: it sets the detailed rules for suppliers and checks that measures are delivered and meet the standards.
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) – responsible for Energy Performance Certificates and the government-approved schemes that assessors must belong to.
- Local authorities – which can widen eligibility for some schemes locally, for example through ECO4 ‘LA Flex’.
Why it matters to you
Because these are public bodies, the schemes they run come with published rules and enforceable protections rather than informal promises. ECO4 is a legal obligation on larger energy suppliers, monitored by Ofgem, and government policy runs the scheme to the end of 2026 — though timescales and eligibility change, so it is always worth checking the current position with Ofgem or on GOV.UK.
No information website, including this one, is a government body or can approve grants; that authority sits with the organisations above. Use them as your reference point when you want to confirm a scheme is genuine. For related guidance see our energy and water section and our overview of grants.