Our Methodology
Eco Home Check publishes research on UK energy grants, home efficiency costs, and certified installers. This page explains precisely how we conduct that research, how we calculate figures, how we score installer partners, and how we keep everything current.
How We Research Grants
Every grant article begins with primary source research. We do not rely on secondary reports or press releases as our starting point.
- Sources: GOV.UK scheme guidance, Ofgem scheme documentation, official DESNZ publications, Energy Saving Trust briefings
- Verification: Eligibility criteria checked line-by-line against the most recent official scheme documentation
- Grant amounts verified against current Ofgem or DESNZ published figures — never estimated
- Scheme status (open, closed, paused) checked at time of publication and updated within 48 hours of any official announcement
- Update cadence: Grant pages reviewed monthly; corrected immediately on any scheme change
How We Calculate Costs
We publish cost ranges, not single figures, because installation costs vary by property type, location, and specification.
- Data sources: Installer trade bodies (HIES, NAPIT), Energy Saving Trust published benchmarks, BEIS/DESNZ heat pump cost studies, industry surveys
- Ranges triangulated from at least three independent sources before publication
- Regional variation: Where cost data varies significantly by region, we publish separate ranges for higher-cost areas (London/South East) and typical UK-wide figures
- All cost figures are inclusive of VAT at the applicable rate (5% on energy-saving products) unless stated otherwise
- Quarterly review cycle on all cost pages; updated immediately if a significant industry-wide shift occurs (e.g., supply chain changes affecting panel prices)
How We Score Installer Partners
We only list installer partners who pass all five checks below. Failing any single check results in exclusion.
MCS certification
Every installer partner must hold a current MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) certificate for the relevant technology. We verify this directly against the live MCS Register before listing.
UK company register check
We verify that each partner is an active UK-registered business with no active insolvency proceedings, using the UK business register.
Trustpilot review score
We review each partner's Trustpilot profile, looking at overall score, review volume, recency of reviews, and owner responses to complaints.
Customer complaint check
We screen for patterns of unresolved complaints, Trading Standards flags, or membership suspension from industry bodies.
Exclusion criteria
Any installer with lapsed MCS certification, an active CCJ, an Ofgem enforcement action, or a Trading Standards warning is excluded regardless of other scores.
How We Order Recommendations
Installer and product recommendations are ordered by relevance to the user’s eligibility profile — never by commercial relationship.
- No paid placement — affiliate commissions do not affect ordering or inclusion
- Ordering factors: grant eligibility match, geographic coverage, installer review score, product compatibility with the user's property type
- Where two partners score equally, the one with greater geographic coverage in the user's area is listed first
- Affiliate disclosure is shown clearly on any page where commission links appear
How We Update Content
- Cost pages: Quarterly review cycle — typically January, April, July, and October
- Grant pages: Monthly review, plus immediate update on any official scheme change announcement
- Installer partner list: Reviewed on a rolling basis; MCS certification status checked quarterly
- All pages display a visible 'Last reviewed' date so readers know how current the information is
- Scheme changes: When GOV.UK or Ofgem publish changes, we update affected pages within 48 hours
Our Editorial Team
Our content is researched, drafted, and reviewed by Eco Home Check’s editorial team, with all factual claims verified against primary government and industry sources before publication. We do not use individual bylines as our editorial process is collaborative and source-verification driven. The organisation, not any individual, is responsible for accuracy.
Corrections Policy
We take accuracy seriously. If you spot an error — whether a wrong grant amount, an outdated eligibility criterion, or a factual inaccuracy — please report it to us.
- Report corrections to corrections@ecohomecheck.co.uk
- We review every reported error, typically within one business day
- Confirmed errors are corrected within 48 hours
- Corrected pages receive an updated 'Last reviewed' date
- Material corrections are noted in a brief correction note on the affected page
To report an error, email corrections@ecohomecheck.co.uk.