ECO4 Approved But Your Installer Went Bust
ECO4 Guide ·
Your ECO4 Installer Went Into Administration: What Happens Now
If your ECO4 installer has gone into administration with your installation incomplete, or you can no longer get a response for a warranty issue, this is more recoverable than it feels. Equipment manufacturer warranties are generally separate from the installer's own trading status, and TrustMark's consumer protection framework exists specifically to help households whose registered installer has ceased trading.
Important: InstantGrant is an independent grant information and application-support service. We are not TrustMark, Ofgem, or any installer, and we do not resolve individual cases. This guide describes the general steps available; your specific situation depends on your installer, the measure installed, and how the work was funded.
This guide explains what actually happens when an ECO4 installer collapses, using the January 2026 Consumer Energy Solutions administration as a real example, what remains valid despite the installer's closure, the practical steps to take, and how to avoid this risk when choosing an installer going forward.
A Real Example: Consumer Energy Solutions Ltd
Consumer Energy Solutions Ltd of Swansea, one of the UK's largest installers operating under ECO4, entered administration on 9 January 2026 and ceased trading immediately. Financial analysis published after the collapse showed the group held negative equity of approximately £82.6 million against cash reserves of just £3.8 million, with auditors having already flagged material uncertainty over the company's ability to continue trading before the collapse occurred. Customers whose solar panels, heat pumps, or other measures were installed by the company found that the installer could no longer complete outstanding work, respond to faults, or resolve complaints once administration began.
What Remains Valid When an Installer Closes
Manufacturer Warranties
Equipment warranties, such as a 12-year product warranty or a 25-year performance warranty on solar panels, are issued by the manufacturer, not the installer, and generally remain valid regardless of what happens to the company that fitted the equipment. If you are unsure how to make a warranty claim without your original installer, contacting the equipment manufacturer directly, using the model or serial number from the unit itself, is the correct starting point.
Scheme Protections
The consumer protections built into ECO4 delivery, primarily through TrustMark's framework, exist specifically to cover situations where a registered installer stops trading before completing agreed work. If your ECO4 job was left unfinished, TrustMark and the relevant scheme administrator are the right first points of contact to ask about the route for completing or remediating the work, rather than assuming the funded work is simply lost.
Practical Steps to Take
Contact TrustMark directly. Report that your registered installer has entered administration and ask specifically about the process for completing or remediating an ECO4-funded installation.
Contact the equipment manufacturer. For solar panels, heat pumps, or similar equipment, use the model and serial number to check warranty status and, where relevant, transfer monitoring or account access that stopped working when the installer's systems went offline.
Check what you paid yourself. If you made any payment directly by credit card for work beyond the funded measure, Section 75 protection under the Consumer Credit Act may allow a claim against the card provider for amounts between £100 and £30,000.
Keep all documentation. Contracts, the original installer's TrustMark registration number, photographs of the incomplete work, and any correspondence all support whichever route you pursue next.
Ask about re-registering the job with a new installer. In some cases, a different TrustMark-registered installer can take over and complete the remaining work under the same ECO4 funding, though this depends on your specific measure and supplier.
Why This Is Becoming More Common as ECO4 Nears Its End
As the scheme approaches its 31 December 2026 closure date, several ECO4 installers have shown signs of financial strain, with balance sheets increasingly dependent on continued scheme participation rather than diversified revenue. An installer whose business model relies heavily on ECO4 volume faces a genuine cliff edge as the scheme winds down, which is a structural risk worth factoring in in the final months of the scheme, not just a risk specific to one company's collapse.
How to Reduce This Risk Before Choosing an Installer
Checking an installer's TrustMark registration confirms current certification, but it does not reveal financial stability, so asking directly how long the company has operated and requesting evidence of completed local jobs provides an additional layer of reassurance beyond certification status alone. Getting quotes from more than one installer also means you already have an alternative relationship in place if your first choice runs into difficulty before work begins.
Common Misconceptions
"If my installer goes bust, I've lost the grant and the work." Not necessarily. Manufacturer warranties typically remain valid, and TrustMark's consumer protection framework exists specifically to help households complete or remediate unfinished ECO4 work.
"There's nothing I can do once the company has ceased trading." There are concrete steps: contacting TrustMark, the equipment manufacturer, and potentially your card provider under Section 75 if you paid anything yourself.
"This only happens to small, obscure installers." Consumer Energy Solutions was one of the UK's largest ECO4 installers when it entered administration in January 2026, showing that scale alone does not protect against this risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if my ECO4 installer goes into administration? Report the situation to TrustMark and the relevant scheme administrator, who can advise on completing or remediating the work. Manufacturer equipment warranties typically remain valid separately from the installer's trading status.
Are my equipment warranties still valid if the installer has closed? Generally, yes. Product and performance warranties are issued by the manufacturer, not the installer, so contacting the manufacturer directly with your model and serial number is the right next step.
Can I get a different installer to finish the work under the same ECO4 funding? In some cases, yes. A different TrustMark-registered installer may be able to take over the remaining work, though this depends on your specific measure and the funding supplier involved.
Can I claim my money back if I paid the installer directly for anything? If you paid by credit card for an amount between £100 and £30,000, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act may allow a claim against your card provider.
Is this likely to happen with other ECO4 installers before the scheme closes? It is a genuine risk. Installers whose business relies heavily on ECO4 volume face financial pressure as the scheme approaches its 31 December 2026 closure, so checking an installer's stability, not just their certification, is worth doing.
How InstantGrant Can Help
If you are dealing with an unfinished ECO4 installation after your installer's collapse, understanding which of the available routes, TrustMark, the manufacturer, or your card provider, applies to your specific situation can be difficult to work out alone. InstantGrant is an independent grant information and application-support service that can help you understand your options.
We are not TrustMark, Ofgem, or any installer. We do not resolve individual cases and we do not guarantee any outcome.
Check your eligibility at instantgrant.co.uk