Heating Grants Southampton: Warm Homes & BUS

Southampton is part of the Warm Homes: Local Grant consortium led by Portsmouth City Council. Alongside that, the council funds Southampton Healthy Homes, run by the Environment Centre, to help residents find and apply for funding, which makes it the easiest place to start.

Southampton at a glance

Electric heating: 21.0% of Southampton households (21,438) heated with electricity only in 2021, and 66.2% with mains gas only. Heat networks served 1.5% and oil-only heating just 64 homes. Source
Renting: 29.2% of households rented privately and 21.9% socially, including 14.6% from Southampton City Council. Source
Local grant: Southampton is a member of the Portsmouth-led Warm Homes: Local Grant consortium. Source
Energy advice: Southampton Healthy Homes, funded by Southampton City Council and run by the Environment Centre, helps residents find grants for heating and insulation and gives advice on condensation and mould. Source
Energy ratings: About 47% of homes with an EPC in Southampton 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

Start with Southampton Healthy Homes

Advisers can help you find money for heating improvements, insulation and draught-proofing, and help with bill discounts or problems with your energy supplier. If you're unsure which scheme fits, they can point you to the right one.

Warm Homes: Local Grant

Aimed at lower-income households in privately owned homes rated EPC D to G. Across the consortium, a household income of £36,000 or less, or a means-tested benefit, is the usual test. It can pay for insulation, heat pumps, solar panels and ventilation, but not gas boilers.

Council and housing association tenants aren't eligible; their landlords fund upgrades separately.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

£7,500 off an air or ground source heat pump, or £2,500 off air-to-air, with no income test. With more than 21,000 homes in the city on electric-only heating, many households could gain from switching. Your MCS installer claims it.

ECO4

Supplier-funded ECO4 work must be completed by 31 December 2026. GBIS, the insulation-only scheme, finished in March 2026.

Southampton homes and what they need

Interwar and postwar semis

Cavity and loft insulation plus a heat pump is a typical package for an EPC D semi.

Victorian and Edwardian terraces

Private landlords of shared houses can apply, with tenant consent; a contribution is usually expected beyond the first property.

City-centre and waterfront flats

Electric-heated flats with poor EPC ratings may qualify for heating upgrades, subject to the freeholder's agreement.

Areas covered

Engineers who cover Southampton work across areas including Shirley, Portswood, Bitterne, Woolston, Highfield, Bassett, Sholing, Swaythling, Hedge End and Totton.

View Southampton on Google Maps

Questions people in Southampton ask

Can council tenants apply?

Not for the Local Grant. Ask Southampton City Council about its own programmes for council homes.

Should I pay a company to check eligibility?

No. Real schemes don't charge for this. Contact Southampton Healthy Homes instead.

Is there anything for people on electric heating who can't afford a heat pump?

The Local Grant can fund low-carbon heating as well as insulation for eligible households. Southampton Healthy Homes can also help with energy bills and tariff advice.

Sources

Also nearby: Heating grants in Portsmouth, Heating grants in Bournemouth, Heating grants in Reading

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