Independent information
This is an independent information service. Scheme details, eligibility criteria, and availability are compiled from gov.uk and official scheme publications. Schemes can change and funding is subject to availability — always verify current eligibility with the scheme provider or your local authority. We are not a government body.
Routes to Free Insulation in the UK
There is no single "free insulation scheme" — there are several programmes with different eligibility criteria and funding sources. Here is a summary of the main routes, followed by detailed breakdowns of each.
| Scheme | Funded by | Key eligibility | Measures covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBIS (closed 31 March 2026) | Energy suppliers | Qualifying benefits or general group + EPC D–G | Single insulation measure (loft, cavity, etc.) |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant (England only) | Government (via local authority) | Lower-income households, EPC D–G — whole-home packages | All insulation types + heating |
| ECO Flex (ECO4 route — installation by 31 December 2026) | Energy suppliers (via council referral) | Low income / vulnerable — no benefits needed | All insulation types |
| Warm Homes Plan (the umbrella, not a scheme you apply to) | Government | No application of its own — you apply to the schemes beneath it | Insulation + heating, through those schemes |
| Home Upgrade Grant (closed March 2025) | Government | Was off-gas-grid + low income — in England the successor is the Warm Homes: Local Grant | Insulation + heating |
| Devolved schemes (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) | Scottish and Welsh Governments; in Northern Ireland the Housing Executive (Affordable Warmth) and NISEP scheme managers, overseen by the Utility Regulator | Varies by nation | All insulation types |
Warm Homes: Local Grant — the main route
The Warm Homes: Local Grant is now the primary route to funded insulation for most households in England. It sits under the Warm Homes Plan, is delivered by local authorities rather than energy suppliers, and targets low-income households in private tenure — owner-occupiers and private tenants, not social housing tenants — on a whole-house, fabric-first basis. It became the main route when the Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026. ECO4 itself did not close then: it was extended to 31 December 2026 and still funds insulation through obligated energy suppliers, though every installation has to be completed by that date.
Qualifying Benefits
You may qualify if someone in your household receives one of these. It is a closed list, and it is the council that checks it:
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Nothing else on the usual lists counts here. The Warm Home Discount is a separate scheme, not a way in to this one, and it does not reopen until October 2026. Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit do not qualify you for this grant either.
Benefits are not the only way in. You may also qualify for the Warm Homes: Local Grant on a gross household income of £36,000 a year or less, or on a postcode in the two most deprived income deciles. Your property must also have an EPC rating of D, E, F, or G. The scheme aims to bring properties up to at least a band C where practically possible.
England only. The Warm Homes: Local Grant does not run in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland — those nations have their own schemes, covered further down this page. In England the delivery window runs to 31 March 2028, and you start at gov.uk: apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant. That national service passes your details to your council, and it is the council that surveys the property, decides and pays for the work. Some councils have paused or stopped taking applications because their allocation is spent, so meeting the criteria is not the same as getting a grant.
Coverage
What the schemes cover
- Cavity wall: Funded by both routes
- Loft: Funded by both routes
- Solid wall: Internal or external, where suitable
- Underfloor: Where appropriate for the property
- Room-in-roof: Insulation for converted loft rooms
Note: The specific measures installed depend on your property's needs as identified by a professional assessment. The aim is the combination of improvements that most cost-effectively raises your EPC rating.
On cost: under the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England an owner-occupier is not asked to contribute. ECO4 is not a grant scheme — the supplier decides how much of the cost it will meet, so you may be asked to pay towards the work. Ofgem's own advice there is to shop around.
LA Flex — no benefits needed
Local Authority Flexible Eligibility (LA Flex) is one of the most overlooked routes to free insulation. It allows local councils to refer households who do not receive qualifying benefits but are on lower incomes or are vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home.
Who can be referred?
Criteria vary by council, but according to gov.uk guidance, they typically include:
- Household income below a set threshold (often around £31,000)
- Property with an EPC rating of D, E, F, or G
- Occupants who are vulnerable to cold — elderly, disabled, long-term health conditions, families with young children
- Households identified as being in or at risk of fuel poverty
- Those receiving council tax reduction
How to apply
Contact your local council's energy or housing team. They will assess your circumstances and, if eligible, issue a declaration letter that allows an approved installer to proceed with funded work on your property. LA Flex runs on ECO4 funding, so the installation itself has to be completed by 31 December 2026 — the window to start is shorter than that date suggests.
This is worth checking even if you do not think you qualify. Flex is optional for councils, so the first thing to find out is whether yours has published a Statement of Intent — if it has not, there is no Flex route where you live. Where a council does take part, the criteria are often considerably broader than the standard benefits list.
Other schemes
Government strategy
Warm Homes Plan
According to gov.uk, the Warm Homes Plan is the government's broader strategy to support home energy efficiency improvements. It builds on and expands the scope of existing schemes, with the aim of reaching more households and offering a wider range of measures including both insulation and low-carbon heating.
There is nothing to apply to under the plan itself. The money reaches households through the schemes sitting beneath it — for insulation, chiefly the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England — so it is those schemes, and their own criteria, that decide what you may get.
Off-gas-grid
Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) — closed March 2025
The Home Upgrade Grant funded insulation and heating improvements for lower-income households off the mains gas grid — typically rural properties relying on oil, LPG, electric, or solid fuel heating. HUG2 closed to new applications in March 2025, so there is nothing to apply for.
In England, off-gas-grid households are now covered by the Warm Homes: Local Grant, which is delivered by local authorities and can fund insulation and low carbon heating together. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes, covered below.
Check with your local council if your property is not connected to mains gas — it is the council that decides and pays.
Scotland
Warmer Homes Scotland
Scottish residents may also be eligible for Warmer Homes Scotland, funded by the Scottish Government. According to the Scottish Government, it provides free insulation and heating improvements to qualifying households based on a combination of income, benefits, and property type.
Contact Home Energy Scotland (free helpline) for advice and to check eligibility.
Wales
Nest Scheme
In Wales, the Nest scheme provides free home energy improvement advice and, for eligible households, free insulation and heating improvements. According to the Welsh Government, the scheme targets households in or at risk of fuel poverty.
Contact Nest directly for a free assessment — eligibility does not always require benefits.
Northern Ireland
NISEP and the Affordable Warmth Scheme
Northern Ireland is not covered by the Warm Homes: Local Grant and has two routes of its own, both open. The Affordable Warmth Scheme may help owner-occupiers and private tenants with a total gross household income under £23,000. Apply through the Northern Ireland Energy Advice Service, run by the Housing Executive, on 0800 111 44 55 — not through your district council, which stopped administering the scheme in September 2023.
NISEP, the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme, funds insulation and heating through around two dozen separate schemes, run by eleven Scheme Managers. The 2026/27 programme year runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, or until funds are exhausted. There is no central application: you contact the Scheme Manager for the scheme you want, and some schemes already have waiting lists or are fully subscribed, so check that scheme's status before you count on it.
What to expect
Not everyone qualifies for free insulation. If your household income is above the thresholds and you do not receive qualifying benefits, you may not be eligible through any of the current schemes.
However, the eligibility criteria are genuinely broader than most people assume. ECO Flex in particular catches many households that would not qualify through the standard benefits route. It is always worth checking.
Even if you do not qualify for free installation, insulation — particularly loft and cavity wall insulation — remains one of the best investments you can make in your property. According to the Energy Saving Trust, loft insulation typically costs £300–£700 and pays for itself within a couple of years through reduced heating bills.
The first step is always the same: check your eligibility. It costs nothing to find out.
Check Your Eligibility for Free Insulation
Answer a few questions to see which insulation funding route covers your household — the Warm Homes: Local Grant if you are in England, ECO Flex, or the scheme that runs in your own nation. Takes less than two minutes.
Key eligibility factors:
- England only — not Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
- EPC band D, E, F or G
- Household income of £36,000 a year or less, a qualifying means-tested benefit, or a low-income postcode
- Owner-occupiers and private tenants with the landlord's consent (not social housing) — owner-occupiers and tenants are not expected to contribute anything, and a private landlord gets one home fully funded and pays half the cost on each additional home
- Separate caps for energy performance and low carbon heating, funding a whole-home package of measures — the caps are averaged across a council's whole project, not a sum a household can claim
- Apply on GOV.UK first and you are passed to your council, which decides — some councils have paused while their funding lasts. Greater Manchester and the West Midlands are funded through their combined authorities instead: West Midlands households still apply through the same GOV.UK service, while Greater Manchester households are sent to the GMCA retrofit portal
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 propertyApply for free insulation
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How the process works
Eligibility check
We check which of the open schemes may cover you — the Warm Homes: Local Grant (England only), ECO Flex, and the programmes that run in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Property assessment
A qualified assessor visits your property to determine which insulation measures are needed and which will have the greatest impact on your EPC rating.
Installation
Certified installers carry out the work, at no cost to you where the funding covers the measure in full. The type and duration depend on the measures recommended for your property.
Certification
You receive guarantees for all work completed. Your EPC is updated to reflect the improvements made to your property.
Related guides
Grant hub
All energy grants
Complete hub for every energy grant in the UK, including insulation, heating, and renewable energy schemes.
Read guide →Grant scheme
ECO4 Scheme
Still open, and running until 31 December 2026 — the date by which any installation must be completed. Full details on what it covers and the routes into it.
Read guide →Grant scheme
GBIS (closed)
Closed 31 March 2026. Kept as a record, with the live insulation routes mapped.
Read guide →Find out if you qualify
The eligibility criteria are broader than most people think. Check now — it takes less than two minutes and costs nothing.