Heating Grants Bristol: Warm Homes and Heat Pumps

Bristol has a sizeable local grant pot alongside the national heat pump grant. Here is how each works.

Over a quarter of Bristol households rent privately, so many applicants for the local grant will be tenants, who need their landlord to agree to the work.

Bristol at a glance

Renting: 26.2% of Bristol households rented privately in 2021 and 18.7% from the council or a housing association. Source
Local grant: In April 2025 Bristol City Council approved accepting £13,458,463 of Warm Homes: Local Grant funding, with partners, for energy efficiency and renewable measures in low-income private households with poor energy ratings. Source
Energy ratings: About 49% of homes with an EPC in Bristol are rated band D or below (median score 69, band C), against 47% across England. Based on certificates lodged in the 10 years to March 2025. Source

Warm Homes: Local Grant

In April 2025 Bristol City Council approved accepting £13,458,463 of Warm Homes: Local Grant funding, with its partners. It funds energy efficiency and renewable measures for low-income private households with poor energy ratings.

Nationally, the scheme is for privately owned homes rated EPC D to G with household income usually £36,000 or less. Start with the GOV.UK eligibility service.

Measures funded under the scheme can include insulation, heat pumps, solar panels and ventilation. Expect a survey of the home before anything is agreed, and allow several weeks from enquiry to installation.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

This pays £7,500 towards an air or ground source heat pump and £2,500 towards air-to-air. No income test. Your MCS certified installer applies. Our Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide explains more.

Homes on oil or LPG with no mains gas connection get an extra £1,500 until March 2027. Very few Bristol homes are in that position, but some on the rural edges of the city are.

Schemes now closed

Ofgem confirms the Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026. Never pay to check eligibility.

ECO4 is also winding down. Be cautious of cold calls offering a free boiler, and report anyone asking for a fee to your local trading standards.

Before you apply

Look up your home's EPC on the GOV.UK register. If you have had insulation or a new boiler since it was issued, the rating may be out of date. Have proof of income or benefits ready, and, if you rent, your landlord's contact details.

Bristol homes and what they need

Victorian terraces on the city's hills

Solid walls often mean EPC D or E, within range of the local grant.

Flats in converted Georgian and Victorian houses

Tenants can apply with landlord consent. Leaseholders need freeholder agreement for external work.

Interwar and post-war semis on the outskirts

Cavity and loft insulation are often the first measures funded.

Areas covered

Engineers who cover Bristol work across areas including Clifton, Bedminster, Southville, Bishopston, Redland, Easton, Fishponds, Horfield, Kingswood and Keynsham.

View Bristol on Google Maps

Questions people in Bristol ask

I rent from the council. Can I get the local grant?

No. The Warm Homes: Local Grant is for privately owned homes. Council and housing association homes are upgraded through separate social housing funds, so ask your landlord about its plans.

Is there a grant for a new gas boiler?

Not in general. Grants now focus on insulation and low carbon heating. If your boiler has failed and your income is low, ask the council's housing team about emergency help.

Sources

Also nearby: Heating grants in Swindon, Heating grants in Gloucester, Heating grants in Cardiff, Heating grants in Exeter

All heating grants locations →