Heating Grants Newcastle: BUS, Warm Homes and ECO4

Grants in Newcastle come from national schemes rather than a city-only fund. Which one fits depends on whether you own or rent, your income and how efficient your home is.

Half of Newcastle households rent, and 27.3% rent from a social landlord. Social homes are usually upgraded through the landlord's own programme, so most of the schemes below are for owners and private tenants.

Newcastle at a glance

How homes are heated: 74.8% of Newcastle households heat with mains gas only and 10.1% with electricity only. 2.3% (2,880 homes) are on a district or communal heat network. Oil-only heating covers 131 households, about 0.1%. Source
Renting: 22.8% of Newcastle households rented privately in 2021 and 27.3% rented from a social landlord, 19.9% of them directly from the council. Only 49.2% owned their home. Source
Energy Company Obligation: ECO4, which funds insulation and heating for lower-income homes through energy suppliers, runs until 31 December 2026 after a nine-month extension. The Great British Insulation Scheme ended on 31 March 2026. Source
Energy ratings: About 43% of homes with an EPC in Newcastle upon Tyne 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

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

£7,500 towards an air or ground source heat pump, or £2,500 for an air-to-air heat pump. It's open to owners and landlords in England with no income test. In Newcastle, the application is made for you by your MCS certified installer. Read our Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide for the full conditions.

ECO4

Energy suppliers fund insulation, heating and sometimes boiler replacements for lower-income households through ECO4. Ofgem says it runs until 31 December 2026, so there isn't much time left to apply.

The Great British Insulation Scheme, which ran alongside it, closed on 31 March 2026.

Warm Homes: Local Grant

This scheme pays for upgrades such as insulation, heat pumps, solar panels and smart controls through councils. The home must be privately owned, by you or your landlord, with an EPC rating of D to G. Household income must usually be £36,000 or less, though benefits or a qualifying postcode can also get you in.

Funding depends on whether your council has money available. Apply through the GOV.UK form, which passes your details to the council. We couldn't confirm on an official page what Newcastle City Council is offering right now, so check before you rely on it.

Watch for scams

No real scheme charges you to check if you qualify. If a cold caller wants a fee up front for a free boiler, hang up.

Newcastle homes and what they need

Tyneside flats and brick terraces

Solid brick walls and old sash windows often push these homes into EPC D or E. Internal wall insulation is the usual offer, but in a pair of flats each owner applies separately.

Interwar and postwar semis

Unfilled cavities and thin loft insulation are the cheapest wins, and the gardens make heat pumps straightforward under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

Newer estates on the city edge

Most will be EPC B or C and won't qualify for the means-tested schemes. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is still open to them.

Areas covered

Engineers who cover Newcastle work across areas including Jesmond, Heaton, Gosforth, Fenham, Byker, Benwell, Walker, Kenton, Westerhope and Denton Burn.

View Newcastle on Google Maps

Questions people in Newcastle ask

Can I get a free boiler in Newcastle?

Possibly through ECO4 if you meet the income or benefit rules and your supplier accepts the job before the scheme ends. There is no general free boiler grant.

Sources

Also nearby: Heating grants in Sunderland, Heating grants in Middlesbrough

All heating grants locations →