Heating Grants Oxford: Warm Homes and Heat Pumps

The grant picture changed in 2026. The Great British Insulation Scheme has closed and ECO4 is winding down, which leaves two main routes for Oxford households: a local grant aimed at lower incomes and a national heat pump grant open to everyone.

Oxford at a glance

Private renting: 32.2% of Oxford households rented from a private landlord or letting agency (or other private arrangement) in 2021. Another 20.9% rented from the council or a housing association. Source
Local grant: Oxfordshire County Council runs the Warm Homes: Local Grant with Welcome the Warmth, for homes rated EPC D to G where household income is £36,000 or less or someone gets a qualifying means-tested benefit. Demand is high and new applicants join a waiting list. Source
Supplier schemes: Oxford City Council says the Great British Insulation Scheme ended on 31 March 2026 and ECO4 closes on 31 December 2026. It points residents to Better Housing Better Health for advice on current grants. Source
Energy ratings: About 42% of homes with an EPC in Oxford 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 in Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire County Council runs this with its delivery partner, Welcome the Warmth. You need a home rated EPC D, E, F or G, plus household income of £36,000 or less before housing costs, or a qualifying benefit such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit.

It funds energy efficiency upgrades for owners and private tenants. Demand has been high and new applicants are added to a waiting list until more funding arrives. Register anyway; the council contacts people in turn.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

This pays £7,500 off an air or ground source heat pump and £2,500 off an air-to-air system. It has no income test. Your MCS certified installer claims it and deducts it from the bill. Our Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide covers the conditions.

ECO4 and GBIS

Oxford City Council confirms the Great British Insulation Scheme ended on 31 March 2026. ECO4 closes on 31 December 2026, and most suppliers have little funding left. For advice on what is still open, the council points residents to Better Housing Better Health.

Oxford homes and what they need

Victorian terraces in Jericho and East Oxford

Oxford's solid-brick terraces commonly land in the D or E band on their certificates. If yours is in a conservation area, insulation and heat pump plans may need extra permissions, so expect the survey to take that into account.

Interwar semis in Headington, Cowley and Marston

Unfilled cavity walls and thin loft insulation are common here and are usually the first measures a grant survey recommends.

Flats and converted houses

Tenants can apply for the local grant, but the landlord must agree to the works. Landlords get the first property fully funded, with a contribution for further homes.

Areas covered

Engineers who cover Oxford work across areas including Headington, Cowley, Jericho, Summertown, Marston, Iffley, Botley, Kidlington, Littlemore and Wolvercote.

View Oxford on Google Maps

Questions people in Oxford ask

Is there a free boiler grant in Oxford?

Not in the way there used to be. Replacement gas boilers were mainly funded through ECO4, which is closing. Be wary of anyone cold-calling with a free boiler offer, and never pay a fee to check eligibility.

Do I need an up-to-date EPC?

The local grant is based on your EPC band, so look yours up on the GOV.UK register first. If the certificate is old and the home has changed, the delivery partner may reassess it as part of the survey.

Sources

Also nearby: Heating grants in Reading, Heating grants in Swindon, Heating grants in Milton Keynes

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