Independent information
This is an independent information service. All information is sourced from GOV.UK and Ofgem publications. We are not government representatives. Always verify your eligibility through official channels or approved installers.
ECO4 runs until 31 December 2026
The fourth Energy Company Obligation is still open to new households, but the installation has to be finished by 31 December 2026 — in practice that means starting within weeks, not months. It is not a grant scheme and being eligible does not mean a supplier will take the job on. The routes are any obligated energy supplier, a TrustMark-registered installer, or your council under ECO4 Flex. GBIS, its insulation counterpart, did close on 31 March 2026.
Every UK energy grant in 2026
Government schemes with different eligibility criteria and measures. Here's how they compare.
Open until 31 December 2026
ECO4 scheme
Insulation, heating upgrades and renewable energy measures for low-income households across Great Britain, funded by energy suppliers rather than paid out as a grant. The work has to be completed by 31 December 2026.
- Eligibility:
- Qualifying benefits, or council referral under ECO4 Flex
- Covers:
- Insulation, heating systems, controls
- Where:
- England, Scotland, Wales
Live · applications close 31 December 2029
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Government grants for heat pumps and biomass boilers. No income restrictions — available to all homeowners.
- Eligibility:
- All homeowners — no income test
- Covers:
- Air source (air-to-water) £7,500, ground source £7,500, air-to-air £2,500, biomass £5,000
- Where:
- England and Wales
England only · delivery to 31 March 2028
Warm Homes Plan
The Warm Homes Plan is the government's umbrella programme; the route a household uses is the Warm Homes: Local Grant, which runs in England only. Councils arrange whole-house upgrades — solar panels, heat pumps, insulation, battery storage — and decide what each home gets.
- Eligibility:
- Income £36,000 a year or less, EPC D to G; owner-occupiers and private tenants only, not social housing
- Covers:
- Solar, heat pumps, insulation, batteries
- Where:
- England
Closed · March 2026
Great British Insulation Scheme
Free or subsidised insulation based on Council Tax band — no benefits required. It was the broadest eligibility of any scheme while it ran.
- Eligibility:
- Council Tax A–D (England) or benefits
- Covers:
- Cavity, loft, solid wall, underfloor
- Where:
- England, Scotland, Wales
Quick comparison: which grant is right for you?
| ECO4 | BUS | Warm Homes (England) | GBIS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headline value | No set amount | £7,500 | Two £16,600 cost caps (project averages) | Free or subsidised insulation |
| Income test? | Yes (benefits, or under £31k via council Flex) | No | Yes (£36k a year or less) | No (CT band route) |
| Insulation | Yes | No | Yes | Yes (primary) |
| Heat pumps | Yes | Yes (primary) | Yes | No |
| Solar panels | No | No | Yes | No |
| Geography | GB (Eng/Scot/Wales) | England & Wales | England | GB (Eng/Scot/Wales) |
| Status | Open to 31 Dec 2026 | Open — applications close 31 December 2029 | Open — delivery to 31 March 2028 | Closed Mar 2026 |
Which grant should you apply for?
Ends 31 December 2026
Eligible for ECO4?
ECO4 is still open, and the installation has to be completed by 31 December 2026. There is no central application: contact any obligated energy supplier, a TrustMark-registered installer, or your council under ECO4 Flex if you are not on a qualifying benefit. Nobody can promise you an install — suppliers work to a target, not an application list. GBIS, the insulation scheme that ran alongside it, closed in March 2026.
Read the ECO4 guide →Heat pump
Want to replace your boiler with a heat pump?
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme has no income restrictions and provides £7,500 towards a heat pump — £9,000 if the property is on oil or LPG with no mains gas connection, until March 2027. Available to all homeowners in England and Wales. What is funded for a boiler itself is a much shorter list.
Check BUS eligibility →Insulation
Need insulation?
GBIS provided free insulation on a Council Tax band route with no benefits test, and was the broadest route for insulation until it closed on 31 March 2026. In England, funded insulation now runs through the Warm Homes: Local Grant — you apply through the national service on GOV.UK and your council arranges and pays for the work. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes. ECO4 also funds insulation across England, Scotland and Wales — through any obligated energy supplier, a TrustMark-registered installer, or your council under ECO4 Flex — as long as the work is completed by 31 December 2026.
See the Warm Homes: Local Grant route in England →Whole-home retrofit
Want a complete home energy transformation?
In England, the Warm Homes: Local Grant — the household route under the Warm Homes Plan — funds comprehensive upgrades including solar, heat pumps, batteries, and insulation. The two £16,600 figures are per-home cost caps averaged across a council's whole project, not a sum you can claim, and the council decides what your home gets. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own schemes.
Check Warm Homes: Local Grant eligibility in England →Check Your Energy Grant Eligibility
Quick check across the main UK energy grant schemes. Find out which ones your property may fit — the council, supplier or installer makes the decision, not this site.
Key eligibility factors:
- Open now — the installation must be completed by 31 December 2026
- England, Scotland or Wales (not Northern Ireland)
- On a qualifying benefit, in social housing rated EPC E–G, or referred through ECO4 Flex by a council that takes part
- Eligibility is not a guarantee — suppliers decide which measures they fund
Check your property against the live MHCLG EPC register to see your current band and the schemes you may qualify for — free, in under a minute.
Check your propertyCan you combine multiple grants?
Yes — many households can benefit from more than one scheme. You cannot receive funding for the same measure twice, but different measures can be funded through different programmes.
Allowed
Common combinations
- Warm Homes: Local Grant insulation (England) + BUS heat pump
- ECO4 measures + BUS heat pump
- ECO4 Flex insulation + Warm Homes: Local Grant measures in England — ask the council first, as ECO funding cannot be blended with some council and devolved schemes
Not allowed
What you can't do
- Same insulation measure from two schemes
- Two heat pump grants on the same property
- Double-fund loft insulation via two schemes
Find out which grants may apply to your property
Share a few details about the property and Energy Pages will connect you with approved installers who can tell you which schemes the property may fit and handle any application a scheme requires.
No obligation. Energy Pages connects you with approved installers who can advise which schemes may apply to your property.
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Read guide →Insulation
Free insulation
All routes to funded insulation — Warm Homes: Local Grant (England), LA Flex, and more.
Read guide →EPC
EPC ratings
What your EPC rating means for grant eligibility and property value.
Read guide →Find the energy schemes your property fits
Thousands of UK households may be eligible for help they don't know about. Check which schemes your home may fit — they differ by nation.
Next step
Calculator
Run the eligibility wizard
Postcode + EPC + Council Tax + property type - which UK schemes you may qualify for, in 30 seconds.
Installers
Find certified installers
Most grants require a certified installer to claim on your behalf - MCS for heat pumps and solar, TrustMark for insulation, Gas Safe or OFTEC for heating. Browse the directory.