Home Heating grants Bournemouth
Heating grants in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
What funding is open to BCP households, who qualifies and where to get free advice.
BCP is part of the Warm Homes: Local Grant consortium led by Dorset Council. Healthy Homes Dorset, funded by both councils and Public Health Dorset, is the local advice service.
With more than a third of households owning outright and many homes larger than average, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme suits a lot of BCP homeowners even without an income-tested grant.
Bournemouth at a glance
- Owned outright
- 34.4% of BCP households owned their home outright in 2021, and 25.4% rented privately. Source
- How homes are heated
- 77.2% of BCP households heat with mains gas only and 11.6% with electricity only. 248 homes use oil only and 637 use tank or bottled gas only. Source
- Local grant
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is a member of the Dorset-led Warm Homes: Local Grant consortium, which received £4,441,457. Source
- Energy advice
- Healthy Homes Dorset is funded by BCP Council, Dorset Council and Public Health Dorset, and offers free energy advice and some free insulation. Source
- Energy ratings
- About 45% of homes with an EPC in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are rated band D or below (median score 70, band C), against 47% across England. Based on certificates lodged in the 10 years to March 2025. Source
Healthy Homes Dorset
Free energy advice and some free installs, including loft and cavity wall insulation, for eligible households. Start here.
Warm Homes: Local Grant
For lower-income households in privately owned homes rated EPC D to G. It can fund insulation and low-carbon heating, not gas boilers.
Eligibility is usually based on a household income of £36,000 or less, a means-tested benefit, or living in a qualifying area. Owners and private tenants can apply, with the landlord's agreement; council and housing association tenants can't. Check current details with Healthy Homes Dorset or BCP Council.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
£7,500 off a heat pump, £2,500 off air-to-air, and an extra £1,500 for homes leaving oil or LPG until March 2027. No income test.
BCP had 248 oil-only homes and 637 on tank or bottled gas in 2021, mostly on the rural edges, so the off-gas top-up applies to a few hundred households. Your MCS installer claims the grant.
ECO4 and closed schemes
ECO4, funded by energy suppliers, can still fund work completed by 31 December 2026. The Great British Insulation Scheme ended in March 2026, so treat any offer under that name with suspicion.
Never pay a fee to check eligibility for a grant. Genuine schemes don't charge for it.
Bournemouth homes and what they need
Interwar and post-war semis and detached houses
Detached homes may qualify for a heat pump grant and insulation.
Flats in converted villas and purpose-built blocks
Flats need freeholder consent for external work.
Bungalows across the suburbs and Christchurch
Bungalows benefit from loft insulation, often a quick win.
Areas covered
Engineers who cover Bournemouth work across areas including Boscombe, Southbourne, Westbourne, Winton, Charminster, Kinson, Moordown, Pokesdown, Christchurch and Poole.
Questions people in Bournemouth ask
Does the Local Grant pay for a new gas boiler?
No. It covers insulation and low-carbon heating. ECO4 has funded some boiler replacements for low-income households, but only until the end of 2026.
Where should I start if I'm unsure?
Contact Healthy Homes Dorset. It's free, and it can point you to whichever scheme fits.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Warm Homes: Local Grant successful local authorities
- BCP Council: Healthy Homes Dorset
- GOV.UK: Boiler Upgrade Scheme, what you can get
- GOV.UK: Extending the ECO4 end date, government response
Also nearby: Heating grants in Southampton, Heating grants in Portsmouth, Heating grants in Exeter