Home Heating grants
Heating grants
Most UK heating grants pay for heat pumps and insulation, not new gas boilers. Which one you can get depends on where you live, if you own your home, and your household income.
There is real money for heating upgrades in the UK, but it isn’t one scheme. Some grants are open to every homeowner, some only to households on low incomes or certain benefits, and each nation runs its own. Most pay for heat pumps, insulation and controls. Very few pay for a new gas boiler.
Use this page to work out which heating grants you can apply for, then talk to an installer who can claim the right one.
Which heating grant fits you?
- You own your home in England or Wales and want a heat pump: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. No income test.
- You live in England, your household income is about £36,000 or less and your EPC is D to G: the Warm Homes: Local Grant.
- You get certain benefits: ECO4, until 31 December 2026.
- You live in Scotland: the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan, or Warmer Homes Scotland.
- You live in Wales: Nest, as well as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
- You live in Northern Ireland: see Northern Ireland.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes £7,500 off an air source or ground source heat pump in England and Wales. Homes off the gas grid that replace oil or LPG heating get £9,000 for applications made from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027. Air-to-air heat pumps get £2,500. There is no income test, and second homes and rented-out homes count.
You can’t apply yourself. An MCS certified installer applies for a voucher, Ofgem emails you to confirm, and the grant must come off your quote upfront. The old boiler has to be removed completely. By the end of August 2026, 93,364 grants had been paid.
The median air source job cost £12,908 before the grant in April to June 2026. Our Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide covers eligibility and the reasons claims fail, and the heat pump cost guide shows what you should expect to pay after the grant.
Warm Homes: Local Grant (England)
This grant is run through councils in England. If you qualify and your council has funding, the council arranges a survey and pays for the agreed work, so you don’t pay. Work can include wall, loft and underfloor insulation, air source heat pumps, smart controls and solar panels.
To qualify:
- the home must be in England and privately owned, by you or a landlord
- it must have an EPC rating of D, E, F or G
- household income is usually £36,000 a year or less, though some postcodes and some benefits qualify above that
You apply online through GOV.UK, or by calling the helpline on 0800 098 7950. Your council usually contacts you within 10 working days. If you rent, your landlord may need to pay towards some improvements.
ECO4
The Energy Company Obligation makes large energy suppliers fund insulation and heating upgrades for households in fuel poverty. ECO4 can cover loft or cavity wall insulation, boiler repairs or replacement and other heating upgrades. Ofgem says it runs until 31 December 2026, after a nine-month extension.
If you own your home, you may qualify if you get Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Child Benefit or Housing Benefit, and the home is rated D to G. Private renters need an E to G rating and the landlord’s permission. Contact your council or an energy supplier to apply. With the end date close, apply soon if you think you qualify.
The Great British Insulation Scheme, which funded single insulation measures, ended on 31 March 2026.
Scotland
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme doesn’t cover Scotland. Instead, the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan offers up to £7,500 grant towards a heat pump, with an optional interest-free loan of up to £7,500. Insulation has its own grants, such as £7,500 for solid wall insulation and £1,500 for loft, cavity or underfloor insulation. Rural and island homes get an extra £1,500 on both the heating and efficiency grants.
Unlike the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, you apply yourself and you must not start work before you have a written offer. Households on lower incomes may qualify for Warmer Homes Scotland, which has a self-assessment tool. Call Home Energy Scotland free on 0808 808 2282.
Wales
Homes in Wales can use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The Welsh Government’s Nest scheme also offers free energy advice and, for eligible households, free improvements that may include a heat pump, insulation or solar panels. If you have no heating or hot water, Nest may repair or replace a boiler or storage heaters. Call 0808 808 2244 to check.
Northern Ireland
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme doesn’t apply in Northern Ireland, and GOV.UK lists the Northern Ireland Boiler Replacement Scheme as closed. Check nidirect for the energy saving grants open in your area before you commit to a quote.
How to spot a grant scam
- A cold call or door-knock offering a free boiler. GOV.UK advises checking with your council or the supplier the caller says they represent before you agree.
- Being asked to pay a fee to “secure” a grant. Genuine schemes don’t charge you to apply.
- A heat pump quote showing the full price, with the grant “paid back later”. Under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme the grant must come off upfront.
- An installer who can’t give an MCS number for a heat pump job that relies on the grant.
If you think someone has applied for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in your name without your consent, contact Ofgem’s counter-fraud team at [email protected].
Next steps
If you plan to use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, ask for quotes from MCS certified installers on our heat pump installation page. They confirm which grant applies and show the deduction on the quote. If you heat with oil, the £9,000 rate is a reason to get quotes before 31 March 2027. Our air source heat pump guide explains running costs compared with gas.
If you don’t qualify for a grant and your boiler needs replacing, compare prices on our boiler installation page.
What each scheme pays
| Scheme | What you can get | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England and Wales) | £7,500 off an air or ground source heat pump | Any income; you must own the home. Installer applies |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme, off-gas homes | £9,000 | Replacing oil or LPG; applications 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027 |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme, air-to-air | £2,500 | Residential buildings only; no hot water |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant (England) | Agreed work paid by your council | Income usually £36,000 or less, EPC D to G, privately owned home |
| ECO4 (Great Britain) | Free or cheaper insulation and heating upgrades | Mainly for people on certain benefits; runs until 31 December 2026 |
| Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan | Up to £7,500 grant plus up to £7,500 interest-free loan for a heat pump | Extra £1,500 for rural and island homes |
| Nest (Wales) | Free improvements, which may include a heat pump, insulation or solar panels | Free advice line 0808 808 2244 |
Sources: GOV.UK, Ofgem, Home Energy Scotland and Welsh Government pages, checked October 2026. Great British Insulation Scheme installations ended on 31 March 2026.
Heating grants guides
Heating grants by city
Show all 50 cities as a list
England
- Birmingham
- Bolton
- Bournemouth
- Bradford
- Brighton
- Bristol
- Cambridge
- Chelmsford
- Coventry
- Derby
- Doncaster
- Exeter
- Gloucester
- Huddersfield
- Hull
- Ipswich
- Leeds
- Leicester
- Liverpool
- London
- Luton
- Manchester
- Middlesbrough
- Milton Keynes
- Newcastle
- Northampton
- Norwich
- Nottingham
- Oxford
- Peterborough
- Plymouth
- Portsmouth
- Preston
- Reading
- Sheffield
- Southampton
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Sunderland
- Swindon
- Wakefield
- Warrington
- Wolverhampton
- York
Northern Ireland
Common questions
Can I get a free boiler grant?
A new gas boiler is only funded in limited cases, mainly through ECO4 for people on certain benefits, and ECO4 runs until 31 December 2026. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not pay for gas boilers at all, despite its name.
Do I have to be on benefits to get a heating grant?
No. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme has no income test. ECO4 is mainly for households on certain benefits, and the Warm Homes: Local Grant is usually for households with an income of £36,000 or less.
Is the Great British Insulation Scheme still open?
No. Installations had to be finished by 31 March 2026, when the scheme ended. Some energy suppliers may still be completing earlier applications.
Can landlords get heating grants?
Yes, in some cases. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers homes you let out. Under the Warm Homes: Local Grant the home must be privately owned, and the landlord may need to pay for some improvements.
Someone knocked on my door offering a free boiler. Is it real?
Treat it with care. GOV.UK advises checking with your council or the energy supplier the caller says they represent before you agree to anything. Don't sign on the doorstep.
What grants are there in Northern Ireland?
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not apply, and the Northern Ireland Boiler Replacement Scheme is closed. Check nidirect for energy saving grants in your area.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Boiler Upgrade Scheme, what you can get
- GOV.UK: Boiler Upgrade Scheme, check if you're eligible
- GOV.UK: Apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (Scotland and Northern Ireland notes)
- GOV.UK: Apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant
- GOV.UK: Energy Company Obligation
- Ofgem: Energy Company Obligation (ECO)
- Ofgem: Great British Insulation Scheme
- GOV.UK: Apply for the Great British Insulation Scheme
- Home Energy Scotland: grants and loans
- Welsh Government: Get help with energy efficiency in your home (Nest)
- nidirect: Energy saving grants in your area
- DESNZ: Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics, August 2026