Free boiler and insulation grants in England

ECO4 in England

ECO4 places an obligation on medium and large energy suppliers to pay for heating and insulation in low-income, less efficient homes. Ofgem administers it, and installers like us survey the home and fit the work. It runs until 31 December 2026, after a nine-month extension. You can qualify in two ways:

• Benefits route. Someone in the household gets a qualifying benefit, such as Universal Credit, Pension Guarantee Credit, Housing Benefit or income-related ESA. Ofgem lists the full set on its homeowners and tenants page.
• LA Flex route. Your council declares your household eligible, for example because household income is under £31,000 or someone has a health condition made worse by living in a cold home. Each council adds its own criteria.

Your home generally needs to be in EPC band D to G. Tenants need their landlord's permission, and private-rented homes usually cannot get a boiler-only replacement under ECO4, although insulation and other measures follow different rules. A survey decides what is funded, so a new boiler is never guaranteed.

Read the ECO4 scheme guide, the LA Flex scheme guide or ECO4 with Universal Credit, or check your EPC rating first.

Great British Insulation Scheme (closed)

The Great British Insulation Scheme closed to new installations on 31 March 2026. It ran from April 2023 and, in England, was open to homes in council tax bands A to D as well as low-income households. GOV.UK confirmed there would be no extension.

If you were waiting to use it, ECO4 can still fund insulation for qualifying households until 31 December 2026, and some councils fund insulation through Warm Homes: Local Grant. Our insulation grant guide covers every insulation type.

Sources: Ofgem, Great British Insulation Scheme and GOV.UK, Extending the ECO4 end date.

Warm Homes: Local Grant

Warm Homes: Local Grant pays for energy improvements through local councils, and it is only available in England. GOV.UK says you can qualify if:

• your home is in England and privately owned, by you or by your landlord
• it has an EPC of D, E, F or G
• your household income is usually £36,000 a year or less, or you live in certain postcode areas, or someone in the household gets certain benefits

Improvements can include wall, loft and underfloor insulation, air source heat pumps, smart controls and solar panels. You also need your council to have funding available, and if you rent, your landlord may need to pay for some of the work. Apply through GOV.UK or call its helpline on 0800 098 7950. Your council will usually contact you within 10 working days to arrange a survey.

Reliant Energy Solutions Ltd does not install under Warm Homes: Local Grant. Apply through GOV.UK or your council.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

Despite the name, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not pay for gas boilers. It covers part of the cost of replacing fossil fuel heating with a heat pump or biomass boiler, and it is open in England and Wales. GOV.UK lists these grants:

• £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump
• an extra £1,500 for those heat pumps until March 2027, if the home is heated by oil or LPG and has no mains gas connection
• £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump
• £5,000 towards a biomass boiler

An MCS certified installer applies to Ofgem for you, and the grant comes off your quote. Each property can get one grant, and hybrid systems with a gas boiler do not qualify. We do not install under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. See GOV.UK, Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

Which scheme to try first

• If someone in your home gets a qualifying benefit, or your council can issue an LA Flex declaration, and your home is EPC D to G, check ECO4 before it ends on 31 December 2026.
• If your household income is £36,000 or less but you do not get benefits, ask your council whether it has Warm Homes: Local Grant funding.
• If you do not qualify for either and want a heat pump, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes £7,500 off an air source or ground source heat pump.