Heating Grants Exeter: Warm Homes and BUS

Exeter's homes are better rated than many cities, with 49.2% at EPC C or above. But that leaves around half at D or below, and privately rented homes and older terraces fare worse. Those are the homes most grants target.

Exeter at a glance

How homes are heated: 76.4% of Exeter households heat with mains gas only and 11.5% (6,029) with electricity only. 579 homes (1.1%) are on a district or communal heat network, 1,157 (2.2%) had no central heating, and 135 (0.3%) used oil only. Source
Renting: 24.9% of Exeter households rented privately in 2021 and 16.6% rented from the council or a housing association. Source
Energy ratings: 49.2% of Exeter homes with an EPC lodged up to March 2022 were rated C or above. The figure was 41.5% for privately rented homes, 18.6% for homes built before 1930 and 97.4% for new builds. Source
Devon retrofit grants: Devon County Council's Home Upgrade Grant programme, which included Exeter, helped 176 off-gas, low-income households between April 2023 and March 2025, fitting 59 air source heat pumps. Devon councils are now running the Warm Homes: Local Grant for privately owned homes rated EPC D or below. Source
Median energy score: About 41% of homes with an EPC in Exeter 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

Warm Homes: Local Grant

Devon's district councils are running the Warm Homes: Local Grant with Devon County Council. The home must be privately owned, by you or your landlord, and rated EPC D or below. Household income must usually be £36,000 a year or less, though some benefits and postcodes change that.

It can fund insulation, heat pumps, smart controls and solar panels. Apply through GOV.UK. Funding is limited and allocated first come, first served, so apply early and check whether Exeter places are still available.

Landlords can apply too. One property is fully funded and contributions are needed for any more.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

There's no income test for this one. It pays £7,500 towards an air or ground source heat pump and £2,500 towards an air-to-air system, and your MCS certified installer applies. Our Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide covers the full rules for Exeter homeowners.

ECO4

Energy suppliers fund insulation and heating for lower-income households through ECO4 until 31 December 2026.

What Devon has already done

Under the previous Home Upgrade Grant, Devon County Council and its partner councils, including Exeter, helped 176 off-gas, low-income households between 2023 and 2025. The work included 59 air source heat pumps.

Exeter homes and what they need

Interwar and post-war semis

Good candidates for cavity and loft insulation under the local grant, and for heat pumps under either scheme.

Victorian and Georgian terraces

Only 18.6% of Exeter's pre-1930 homes rated C or above, so many fall inside the local grant's range. Listed buildings need consent for some measures.

New-build estates on the edge of the city

Almost all new homes are rated C or above, so they won't qualify for the local grant. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme still applies if you have a gas boiler.

Areas covered

Engineers who cover Exeter work across areas including Heavitree, St Thomas, St Leonard's, Pennsylvania, Alphington, Whipton, Pinhoe, Exwick, Topsham and Cranbrook.

View Exeter on Google Maps

Questions people in Exeter ask

Is there an Exeter City Council energy grant?

The council has run smaller local schemes in the past. Check the council's website for anything currently open, and never pay a cold caller to apply.

Do I need an EPC to apply for the Exeter grant?

Yes. Look up your certificate on GOV.UK. If it has expired, landlords must arrange a new one, and owners can book an assessor.

Can tenants apply?

Private tenants can, with their landlord's agreement. Council and housing association homes are improved through separate programmes.

Sources

Also nearby: Heating grants in Plymouth, Heating grants in Bristol, Heating grants in Bournemouth

All heating grants locations →