---
title: Grants and funding for home energy upgrades
stability: HIGH — grant amounts, eligibility thresholds and scheme end dates change frequently and are explicitly time-limited in several cases below; always check the linked GOV.UK/Ofgem pages for current figures before relying on this
---

# UK grants and funding for home energy upgrades

This covers the main England/Wales schemes live as of the date below. Scotland and Northern Ireland run separate schemes (e.g. Home Energy Scotland) not detailed here. Amounts and closing dates change often, so check the official pages before quoting a figure.

## Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)

Covers part of the cost of replacing a fossil fuel (oil, gas, electric or LPG) heating system with a heat pump or biomass boiler, in England and Wales. As of the date below: £7,500 for an air or ground source heat pump, £2,500 for air-to-air, £5,000 for a biomass boiler (extra conditions apply, including being off the gas grid). A temporary uplift of £1,500 (£9,000 total) applies to air/ground source heat pumps replacing oil or LPG heating in off-gas-grid homes, from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027. Paid as an upfront discount off the installer's quote — homeowners don't claim it directly — and the installer must be MCS-certified and signed up to an approved consumer code (RECC or HIES). Most new-builds and social housing aren't eligible.

## ECO4 (Energy Company Obligation)

A supplier-funded scheme, overseen by Ofgem, obliging larger energy suppliers to fund efficiency measures — insulation, heating upgrades, sometimes solar PV — for eligible households, potentially worth £10,000+. Runs until 31 December 2026. Eligibility generally needs a qualifying benefit (e.g. Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Child Benefit) plus a low EPC rating (D-G), or a local-authority "LA Flex" referral for low-income/vulnerable households without a qualifying benefit. Availability has narrowed as the scheme nears its end date.

## Warm Homes: Local Grant

Delivered by local councils in England: free insulation, heat pumps, smart heating controls and solar panels for eligible households, running April 2025 to March 2028. Qualifying needs a privately owned home (owner-occupied or privately rented) in England, EPC rating D-G, and household income generally £36,000/year or less (exceptions for some postcodes/benefit recipients). Apply online via GOV.UK; the council then arranges a home survey.

## Great British Insulation Scheme

Ran from April 2023 and closed to new GOV.UK referrals on 31 March 2026. Mentioned here because members may still see it referenced online — check current GOV.UK/Ofgem pages for what, if anything, has replaced it outside ECO4 and Warm Homes: Local Grant.

## Sources

- [Apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme — GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/apply-boiler-upgrade-scheme)
- [Boiler Upgrade Scheme: Guidance for Property Owners — Ofgem](https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/guidance/boiler-upgrade-scheme-guidance-property-owners)
- [Apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant — GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/apply-warm-homes-local-grant)
- [Great British Insulation Scheme — Ofgem](https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes/great-british-insulation-scheme)
- [Energy grants and financial support — GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/energy-grants-calculator)

Facts current as of: 2026-09-20