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 — ECO4 and the
Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) — have stopped
taking new applications. 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.

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 is no longer open to new
applications: its funding is delivered through a limited number of approved
installers and has already been fully allocated, so there is no route to make
a new application. Its obligation period runs to
31 December 2026 only so installers can finish works that
were already approved. 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.

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.