If you have been searching for a grant to insulate your home or replace an old boiler, the landscape changed in 2026. Two of the schemes that dominated the last few years — the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS), which closed on 31 March 2026, and ECO4, which ends on 31 December 2026 — are winding down. But government funding for home energy improvements has not disappeared: it has moved into the Warm Homes Plan, a set of schemes that are open now. This page explains, in plain terms, which grants you can still apply for in 2026, who qualifies, and where to start.

Find funding you qualify for

See the home and energy grants open right now and check your eligibility.

Home energy grants that are open now

There are three main routes for households, plus separate schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Which one fits you depends on what you want to do (replace a heating system, or insulate), whether you own or rent, and your income.

1. Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) — low-carbon heating

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives you a grant towards replacing a fossil-fuel boiler with a heat pump or biomass boiler. It is open to homeowners and small businesses in England and Wales. The current grant amounts are:

  • £7,500 off an air source heat pump
  • £7,500 off a ground source heat pump
  • £5,000 off a biomass boiler
  • £2,500 off an air-to-air heat pump (residential properties only)

An enhanced rate of £9,000 is available for air source or ground source heat pumps in eligible properties that are off the gas grid, until 31 March 2027. The scheme is installer-led: an MCS-certified installer applies for the grant on your behalf and takes it off your bill, so you never handle the money. Read our full Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide for eligibility and how to apply.

2. Warm Homes: Local Grant — insulation and heating for lower incomes

The Warm Homes: Local Grant pays for free energy-saving improvements — insulation, an air source heat pump, solar panels or smart heating controls — if you are a homeowner in England on a lower income living in a less energy-efficient home. As a general guide you may qualify if your household income is £36,000 a year or less, or you receive certain benefits, or you live in a targeted postcode, and your property has an EPC rating of D, E, F or G. It is delivered by your local council, and you do not pay for the work. Applications are made online and your council usually contacts you within 10 working days. See our full Warm Homes: Local Grant guide.

3. Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund — for social tenants

If you rent from a council or housing association, you cannot apply yourself, but your landlord may be able to. The Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund gives funding to social landlords in England to install insulation and low-carbon heating in their properties. If your social home is cold or poorly insulated, ask your landlord whether they are taking part.

What happened to ECO4 and GBIS?

Both schemes are winding down. ECO4 runs until 31 December 2026. It is not a grant scheme: energy suppliers decide what they fund, and Consumer Rights can no longer help with ECO4 applications. The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) closed to new applications on 31 March 2026. If you started looking because of ECO4, our ECO4 – what to do now page explains where that support has moved.

Other help with energy costs

Grants for physical improvements are not the only support available. Depending on your circumstances you may also be able to get:

  • Warm Home Discount — a £150 one-off discount on your winter electricity bill if you are on a low income or certain benefits.
  • Winter Fuel Payment — a payment to help older people with heating costs in winter.
  • Wider energy bill support — supplier hardship grants, the Priority Services Register and help if you are struggling to pay.
  • Free Home Battery Scheme — not a government grant, but a programme that installs a smart home battery at no cost for eligible homeowners and private tenants, with up to £500 a year towards electricity bills, subject to scheme terms.

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme and the Warm Homes schemes above are for England (BUS also covers Wales). The devolved nations run their own funding:

  • Scotland — Home Energy Scotland offers grants and interest-free loans for insulation and heating.
  • Wales — the Welsh Government’s Nest scheme provides free energy-efficiency improvements to eligible households (in addition to BUS).
  • Northern Ireland — support is available through the NI Housing Executive schemes.

How to avoid grant scams

Cold callers, texts and social-media adverts often promise “government grants” that do not exist, or pose as installers to harvest your details. Protect yourself:

  • Genuine schemes above are applied for through GOV.UK, your local council, or an MCS-certified installer — never through an unsolicited call or text.
  • No legitimate scheme asks you to pay an up-front “registration” or “survey” fee to access a grant.
  • Check an installer is genuinely certified on the MCS or TrustMark registers before signing anything.

If you think you have been targeted, see our guide to scams and mis-selling.

Sources

Last reviewed: September 2026. Grant rules and amounts change — always confirm the current position on the official GOV.UK and Ofgem pages linked above before applying.