Up-to-date information on UK energy efficiency grants and funding in 2026. ECO4, Boiler Upgrade Scheme, Great British Insulation Scheme, and local council grants.
185 articles
What the free boiler scheme actually covers in 2026 In 2026, the average household saving from a fully funded boiler replacement under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme is approximately £2,800 compared to buying the same A-rated gas boiler on the open market. The scheme is funded by the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4), a government […]
How the Great British Insulation Scheme works for landlords in 2026 The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026. It funded insulation measures only and never covered windows or glazing. It is built to improve the energy efficiency of the least efficient homes by funding insulation measures directly through energy suppliers. The Great […]
The UK government ended the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme in 2021, here is what replaced it for tax relief The Green Homes Grant closed to new applications in March 2021 (GOV.UK, Green Homes Grant closure announcement, 2021). No direct, universal “energy efficiency tax relief” scheme currently exists for homeowners in England, Scotland, or Wales […]
The Renewable Heat Incentive closed to new applicants in 2022, but over 100,000 UK households still receive quarterly payments under legacy claims. The domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) closed to new applicants on 31 March 2022. However, households that were already accredited before that date continue to receive quarterly payments for the full seven-year term […]
The Green Homes Grant closed in 2021 after distributing £314 million of its £1.5 billion budget The Green Homes Grant was a government scheme launched in July 2020. It aimed to improve the energy efficiency of up to 600,000 homes in England. The scheme closed its voucher phase in March 2021. Quick Answer The Green […]
The single most important thing to know about TrustMark accreditation in 2026 If you are planning a home energy upgrade with government funding, the installer you hire must be TrustMark registered. This is not optional. The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026. It funded insulation measures only and never covered windows or […]
PAS 2035 retrofit standard explained If you are a homeowner applying for a government grant to insulate your walls or loft, you may encounter the term “PAS 2035” and wonder what it means for your project. PAS 2035 is the process standard for whole-house retrofit in England, Wales and Scotland, it is not a product […]
The average UK home retrofit costs £15,000–£50,000, but grants cover most of that for eligible households If you own a home in the UK, the government expects it to reach Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C or above by 2050. The EPC rating measures how energy efficient your home is, from A (best) to G […]
The Future Homes Standard 2026 bans gas boilers in all new UK homes from this year If you are planning to build a new home in 2026, the rules have changed fundamentally. From this year, every new house in England (and devolved nations with aligned timelines) must be built without a gas boiler as its […]
The Warm Home Discount 2026 is a £150 rebate, not a voucher, applied automatically to your electricity bill If you are on a low income and of State Pension age, you may have heard of the Warm Home Discount (WHD) but be unsure how it actually works. The scheme provides a one-off rebate on your […]
Energy Bill Help Schemes UK 2026 What Each Scheme Actually Covers Energy bill support in 2026 is no longer a universal blanket payment. It is a patchwork of targeted schemes, each with separate eligibility rules, application processes, and funding caps. Homeowners must check their household income, property type (EPC rating), heating system, and council tax […]
The average green skills bootcamp salary starts at £28,000 – but only if you meet the eligibility criteria If you are considering a career in eco-home retrofits, heat pumps, or solar installation, the most direct route is a government-funded green skills bootcamp. These courses are built to fill the growing demand for qualified low-carbon workers, […]
What is the Sustainable Warmth Scheme and how does it work in 2026? If you are a homeowner on a low income with an inefficient heating system, you may have heard of government grants for insulation or heat pumps but struggled to find a clear, current route to funding. The Sustainable Warmth Scheme is the […]
LAD scheme households received an average of £7,800 per property for energy upgrades The Local Authority Delivery (LAD) scheme was a UK government programme that gave grants to low-income households for energy efficiency improvements. It ran from 2020 to 2023 and was administered by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). Quick Answer […]
Council retrofit schemes deliver average savings of £380 per year on heating bills compared to standard energy-efficiency upgrades funded by homeowners alone. Homeowners across the UK are increasingly looking at council-run retrofit programmes to reduce their energy bills. These schemes, funded through national obligations and administered locally, offer a more generous subsidy than standard grants […]
A Green Deal legacy loan typically adds £25–£40 a month to an energy bill, but the repayment terms and property-tagging rules are different from modern finance products. If you own a home in the UK, you might have heard of the Green Deal, a government scheme that closed to new applications in 2015. Existing loans, […]
The ECO4 application timeline in 2026 is roughly 8 to 14 weeks from referral to installation start, compared to the 16 to 20 weeks common in 2023. The application process for ECO4 funding in 2026 is faster than in previous years. The key difference in 2026 is the mandatory pre-installation energy assessment and the requirement […]
What the ECO4 contractor list is and who maintains it The ECO4 contractor list is the official register of installers authorised to deliver funded energy-efficiency measures under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme, which runs until March 2026. It is not a single government-run database. Instead, each obligated energy supplier, such as British Gas, E.ON, […]
Can you get a grant to replace an oil or LPG boiler? If your home is off the gas grid and you rely on oil, LPG, or electric storage heaters, you might be wondering what financial help is available when your old boiler needs replacing. Government grants for heating systems have changed significantly in recent […]
Northern Ireland’s heat pump grant is separate from Great Britain’s scheme If you live in Northern Ireland and are looking into heat pump grants, you need to know that the rules are different from those in England, Wales, and Scotland. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) in England and Wales offers £7,500 for air source heat […]
Heat pump grants Wales 2026 What you need to know Homeowners in Wales considering replacing their fossil fuel heating system are increasingly looking at heat pumps. The main financial support available is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), which offers a fixed grant towards the cost of installation. This article explains the grant amount, eligibility rules, […]
Scotland’s 2026 solar panel grant offers up to £7,500 per household, but eligibility is tighter than many expect Scottish homeowners searching for financial help with solar panels in 2026 are likely to encounter the Home Energy Scotland (HES) grant scheme. This programme provides a fixed contribution toward solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage installations, rather […]
EPC C Target 2030 When the Requirement Starts and What It Costs If you let a property in England or Wales, you need to know about the new minimum energy efficiency standard coming into force. The government has confirmed that from 2030, all new tenancies must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C […]
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme delivered 4.5 million energy-efficiency measures by 2026 If you are looking for help with home energy improvements, you may have come across the terms ECO Plus and ECO Flex. Both are part of the government’s Energy Company Obligation scheme, which requires larger energy suppliers to help households reduce their […]
The main grants available in 2026 are the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (7,500 pounds for heat pumps), the Great British Insulation Scheme (free or subsidised insulation), ECO4 (energy efficiency measures for low-income homes), and the Home Upgrade Grant (for off-gas-grid properties). Eligibility varies by income, benefits, property type, and location.
Contact an MCS-certified heat pump installer who will apply on your behalf. You need a valid EPC for your property, and the installation must replace an existing fossil fuel heating system. The 7,500 pound voucher is deducted from the installer quote. The scheme is available in England and Wales.
Yes. The ECO4 scheme and Great British Insulation Scheme can provide free cavity wall and loft insulation if you receive qualifying benefits or live in a property in council tax bands A to D. Contact your local council or an ECO installer to check eligibility.
Government Grants for Home Energy Improvements The UK government offers several grant schemes to help homeowners improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Combined, these schemes can fund £10,000-£25,000 of improvements depending on eligibility. Over 3 million UK homes have benefited from government energy efficiency schemes since 2013. Available Grants at a Glance Scheme Maximum […]
Millions of UK homes remain poorly insulated, with draughty lofts, unlined cavity walls, and solid brick walls bleeding heat into the atmosphere year-round. The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026. It funded insulation measures only and never covered windows or glazing. The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026. It […]
Off-gas-grid homes in England face some of the highest domestic energy costs in the country. Without access to mains gas, millions of households rely on oil, LPG, electric storage heaters, or solid fuel to heat their homes, fuels that are typically more expensive per unit of energy and harder to switch away from without significant […]
Every year, millions of UK households live in cold, poorly insulated homes that cost far more to heat than they should, not because of personal choice, but because the upfront cost of energy efficiency improvements is simply out of reach. The ECO4 scheme exists specifically to change that. It is one of the most substantial […]
The relationship between your home’s energy efficiency and your local council tax bill is one that relatively few UK homeowners think to explore, yet for those in the right local authority area, it can result in a genuine reduction in one of the most unavoidable annual household costs. With energy costs still a significant concern […]
More UK households than ever stand to benefit from government energy grants in 2026, yet a significant number of eligible homeowners never claim them, simply because they do not know where to look or assume they will not qualify. The UK’s main energy efficiency programmes have distributed billions of pounds worth of support, and yet […]
