Heating Grants Cardiff: Nest and Heat Pump Funding

Grants in Wales work differently from England. There is no Warm Homes: Local Grant here. Instead, the Welsh Government runs Nest for lower-income households, and the UK-wide Boiler Upgrade Scheme helps anyone switching to a heat pump.

Cardiff at a glance

How homes are heated: 78.4% of Cardiff households heat with mains gas only and 10.4% with electricity only. Oil-only heating covers 209 homes (0.1%), and 456 homes (0.3%) are on a district or communal heat network. Source
Renting: 24.3% of Cardiff households rented privately in 2021 and 17.2% rented from the council or a housing association. Source
Energy ratings: 47.5% of Cardiff homes with an EPC lodged up to March 2022 were rated C or above, so just over half sat at D or below. Among homes built before 1930, only 17.1% reached C. Source
Nest scheme: Nest, the Welsh Government's scheme, funds heat pumps, insulation and solar panels for owners and private renters on means-tested benefits or low incomes whose home is rated EPC 54 (E) or lower, or 68 (D) or lower where someone has an eligible health condition. Source
Median energy score: About 42% of homes with an EPC in Cardiff are rated band D or below (median score 70, band C), against 53% across Wales. Based on certificates lodged in the 10 years to March 2025. Source

Nest

Nest offers free advice to everyone and free home improvements to those who qualify. You must own your home or rent it privately, and either get a means-tested benefit such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit, or have a household income below set thresholds. A single adult's threshold is £15,521 after housing costs; a couple with two children under 14 is £32,433.

The home must be rated EPC 54 (E) or lower, or 68 (D) or lower if someone has a qualifying health condition such as asthma, heart disease or dementia. Measures include heat pumps, insulation and solar panels. Call Nest free on 0808 808 2244.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

This pays £7,500 towards an air or ground source heat pump and £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump in England and Wales. There's no income test, and your MCS certified installer applies on your behalf. Our Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide has the details.

ECO4

The energy company obligation runs until 31 December 2026 and funds insulation and heating for low-income households through energy suppliers and their installers. The Great British Insulation Scheme closed in March 2026.

Spotting a scam

Nest and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme never charge you to apply. If a cold caller asks for a fee before a free boiler can be fitted, hang up and report it to Cardiff Council's trading standards team.

Cardiff homes and what they need

Victorian bay-fronted terraces

Only 17.1% of Cardiff homes built before 1930 rate C or above, so many terraces fall inside Nest's EPC range. Expect insulation to come before a heat pump.

Interwar and post-war semis in the northern suburbs

A strong case for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme if the cavity walls and loft are already insulated.

Modern apartments around Cardiff Bay and the centre

Newer flats are usually rated C or above, so they rarely qualify for Nest. Leaseholders need freeholder consent for any outside work.

Areas covered

Engineers who cover Cardiff work across areas including Roath, Cathays, Canton, Pontcanna, Grangetown, Splott, Llandaff, Whitchurch, Rhiwbina and Penarth.

View Cardiff on Google Maps

Questions people in Cardiff ask

Can tenants in Cardiff apply for Nest?

Private tenants can, with the landlord's agreement. Council and housing association tenants can't, because their landlords have separate funding.

Is there a Cardiff Council heating grant?

Ask the council's housing team about any local help, but most funding in Wales comes through Nest and the UK-wide schemes on this page. Check any council offer on the council's own website rather than through a cold caller.

Does Nest replace a working gas boiler?

Not usually. Nest's main measures are heat pumps, insulation and solar. Boiler repair or replacement is offered where a home has no heating or hot water.

Sources

Also nearby: Heating grants in Swansea, Heating grants in Bristol, Heating grants in Gloucester

All heating grants locations →