Grants and funding for warm homes plan funding

UK home energy funding has just been reorganised around the government's Warm Homes Plan, published in January 2026 with around £15 billion to upgrade up to five million homes by 2030. The Plan is not a single grant you apply for. It is an umbrella that funds several routes, and the right one for you depends on whether you are on benefits, what Council Tax band you are in, your home's EPC rating, and whether you own, rent or let the property. This guide explains each live scheme, who qualifies, what it pays, and how the schemes stack and overlap.

The four routes for households

For a fully funded whole-house package, the route is usually ECO4. It targets homes in EPC band D to G occupied by households on qualifying means-tested benefits, Universal Credit, Pension Credit, income-based JSA or ESA, Income Support, Housing Benefit or Tax Credits, and funds insulation, first-time central heating, heating upgrades, heat pumps and solar PV at no cost. It is fabric-first and whole-house, so eligible homes often receive several measures together. The council-delivered Warm Homes: Local Grant works similarly for lower-income owner-occupiers and private renters in England, typically gross household income under £36,000 and savings under £16,000.

If you are not on benefits, do not assume you are excluded. The Great British Insulation Scheme has a General Group open to homes in Council Tax bands A to D in England (A to E in Scotland and Wales) with an EPC of D or below, funding a single insulation measure with no benefit required. And the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards a heat pump to any homeowner in England or Wales replacing a fossil-fuel boiler, regardless of income. Between them, these four routes cover most UK homes that are cold, damp or expensive to heat.

How the schemes stack

The routes are designed to work together, not compete. A common pattern is to use ECO4 or GBIS to fund the insulation and fabric work, then the Boiler Upgrade Scheme's £7,500 for the heat pump, so the fabric-first sequence is funded across two schemes. Where a balance remains on a heat pump after the grant, the Warm Homes Plan's new low or zero-interest finance route can bridge it. For businesses and landlords, the domestic grants are largely out of reach, but solar PV, heat pumps and battery storage qualify for 100% Annual Investment Allowance under capital allowances, worth up to 25% effective tax relief in year one, and small businesses replacing a fossil-fuel system can still use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

Application timelines and what you will need

For ECO4 and GBIS you apply through an obligated energy supplier, the gov.uk eligibility checker, or a TrustMark-registered installer, and the work follows a PAS 2035 retrofit assessment, an assessor surveys the home, a coordinator plans the measures, and the completed work is lodged with TrustMark. For the Warm Homes: Local Grant you apply through your local council or the gov.uk apply page. For the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, your MCS-certified installer applies on your behalf and the grant is deducted from the invoice. In every case you will need proof of ownership or a tenancy agreement, evidence of any qualifying benefit, your EPC (or one will be produced), and access for the survey.

Deadlines that matter in 2026

Two of these schemes are closing this year. ECO4 runs to 31 December 2026 after a nine-month extension, with the final application date of 31 March 2026, and there will be no ECO5, the Warm Homes Plan replaces the supplier-obligation model from 2027. GBIS closes to new measures on 31 March 2026. If you are eligible for either, applying before the window shuts is the difference between funded and unfunded. After 2026, funding continues through the Warm Homes: Local Grant, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (funded to 2028) and the new finance route.

Common pitfalls, and how to avoid the scams

The biggest pitfall is assuming you do not qualify and never applying, the General Group route in particular is missed by households who are not on benefits but absolutely meet the Council Tax and EPC test. The second is falling for a "free solar" or "free grant" cold-caller. Legitimate schemes never demand upfront payment, and Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants are deducted at source, you never receive or hand over the money. Always work through an MCS-certified, TrustMark-registered installer and check their registration before signing anything. If a doorstep offer pressures you or asks for bank details up front, it is a scam. The scheme cards below link to the official gov.uk and Ofgem sources so you can verify everything yourself.