Energy Grant Checker UK 2026: Which Grants Can You Combine?

Which energy grants can you claim in the UK in 2026?

The home energy grant system changed a lot in 2026. The Great British Insulation Scheme closed in March, ECO4 is in its final months, and the Warm Homes Plan published in January 2026 is replacing supplier-funded schemes with direct government funding delivered mostly through local councils. The result is a patchwork where the right answer depends on the country, whether the home is owned or rented, the EPC rating, income and benefits.

The table below sets out the main schemes. The checker above applies the same rules to a household’s answers and lists the results in order of priority.

Can you get more than one energy grant at the same time?

In most cases, yes. The general rule across the schemes is that each job can only be paid for once. A household can have loft insulation funded by one scheme, a heat pump part-funded by another and a bill credit on top, as long as no single measure is claimed twice.

Some points matter in practice:

• ECO4 and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme cannot both fund the same heating measure.
• The Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme can both be relevant to one household, but a heat pump can only be paid for by one of them.
• The Warm Home Discount and Cold Weather Payment are bill and bank payments. They do not use up any grant and do not affect each other.
• The 0% VAT rate on installations can be used alongside every other scheme, because it only reduces the amount left to pay.
• Each scheme should be told about any other funding on the same job. Double-claiming is the most common reason funding is withdrawn.

ECO4: who qualifies and why time is short

ECO4 is the fourth phase of the Energy Company Obligation, which makes the large energy suppliers pay for home upgrades for lower income and vulnerable households. It can cover insulation and heating upgrades at no cost to the householder. The scheme was extended by nine months and is now due to close on 31 December 2026, and work has to be finished by then.

There are two main routes in. The first is receiving a means-tested benefit in a home with an EPC rating of D to G (E to G for private rented homes). The second is council flexible eligibility, sometimes called LA Flex, where the local authority signs off households that do not claim benefits. Many councils use an income limit of £31,000 for this route, and some also accept certain health conditions, including cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, limited mobility and a weakened immune system. The rules differ by council, so the local authority’s published statement of intent is the place to check.

The main limitation is funding. Most suppliers have used up or nearly used up their ECO4 money, and councils have said they do not expect significant new funding before the scheme ends. ECO4 is worth applying for if a household qualifies, but it should not be relied on as the only source of funding.

Warm Homes: Local Grant: who qualifies and how to apply

The Warm Homes: Local Grant is the main free scheme for lower income households in England, and it is the one taking over from ECO4. It is delivered by local councils, and GOV.UK says it can pay for upgrades such as wall, loft and underfloor insulation, air source heat pumps, smart controls and solar panels, chosen after a home survey. The household does not pay for the agreed work.

To qualify, the home must be in England, privately owned (by the occupier or a landlord), and have an EPC rating of D, E, F or G. A home without an EPC can still apply. Household income must usually be £36,000 a year or less, counting every adult in the home, or the household must receive a qualifying means-tested benefit. GOV.UK also states that some people qualify because of the postcode area they live in, which can include households slightly over the income limit.

The scheme is open until March 2028, but councils work on a first come, first served basis, so earlier is better. The council usually gets in touch within 10 working days of the application to collect details and arrange the survey. For rented homes the tenant’s income counts, the landlord must agree to the work and funding is generally limited to one property per landlord. Households that were previously turned down for ECO4 can apply again, because the criteria are not identical.

The WarmGuide guide to energy grants for UK homes and the Warm Homes Plan explained cover the wider picture.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme: £7,500, and £9,000 for oil and LPG homes

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is the heat pump grant for England and Wales. It has no income test and is open to homeowners and small landlords who are replacing a fossil fuel or direct electric heating system. The standard grant is £7,500 towards an air source, ground source or water source heat pump. Air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries qualify for £2,500, and biomass boilers for £5,000.

From 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027, eligible oil and LPG homes can claim £9,000 for an air source or ground source heat pump. The rise is time-limited, and reports from the heating industry say that anyone already holding a voucher at the £7,500 rate would need to cancel and reapply to get the higher figure. That is worth checking with the installer before the voucher is used.

The grant is not applied for directly. An MCS-certified installer makes the application and takes the grant off the quote, so the usual first step is to get at least two quotes with the grant shown as a separate line. A hybrid system that keeps a gas boiler alongside a heat pump does not qualify. Whether an EPC or insulation recommendations affect eligibility has varied between sources, so the installer should confirm the current rule for the property.

For households heating with oil or LPG, the heating oil and LPG guide covers how fuel price spikes affect running costs, and the heating cost calculator shows what a typical home spends.

What happened to the Great British Insulation Scheme?

The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) closed on 31 March 2026. It had delivered mainly single insulation measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation to homes in council tax bands A to D in England, or A to E in Scotland and Wales, with an EPC rating of D to G. It has no direct replacement for households who are not on low incomes or benefits. For those households the realistic routes are the Warm Homes: Local Grant if income is under the threshold, the 0% VAT relief and, once they open, the Warm Homes Plan loans.

Warm Home Discount 2026/27 and Cold Weather Payments

The Warm Home Discount is a one-off £150 credit on the electricity bill, with most eligible households paid automatically. For winter 2026/27 the qualifying date was 23 August 2026, and the government has said it will write to eligible households between 20 October and 31 December 2026. The credit is applied between November 2026 and 31 March 2027, with most customers receiving it before January. A household that expects to qualify but has no letter by 31 January 2027 should contact the Warm Home Discount helpline. The scheme is not available in Northern Ireland, and in Scotland households may need to apply through their supplier.

Cold Weather Payments are separate. Households on certain benefits receive £25 for each seven-day period when the average temperature in their area is recorded or forecast at freezing or below, between 1 November and 31 March. No application is needed. Neither payment affects the other or any home improvement grant.

0% VAT on insulation, heat pumps and solar panels

The installation of energy-saving materials, including insulation, heat pumps, solar panels and batteries, is currently zero-rated for VAT in Great Britain, with the relief scheduled to run until 31 March 2027. Because it reduces the cost of the work rather than being a grant, it applies on top of any other support. Installers should quote at 0% VAT for the whole installation, and HMRC VAT Notice 708/6 sets out the current rules.

Energy grants in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The Warm Homes: Local Grant is England only, so the other nations run their own schemes.

In Scotland, Home Energy Scotland offers grants and interest-free loans towards heat pumps and insulation, and Warmer Homes Scotland provides free measures for eligible households. Heat pump grant levels have been reported at up to £7,500 with a further interest-free loan of up to £7,500, though amounts change, so the figures should be confirmed with Home Energy Scotland. The English Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not apply in Scotland.

In Wales, the Welsh Government’s Nest scheme offers free advice to anyone and free home improvements to households on certain benefits, or on a lower income where someone has a health condition made worse by the cold. Welsh homeowners can also use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for a heat pump.

In Northern Ireland, the Affordable Warmth Scheme from the Department for Communities funds energy efficiency measures for lower income households. The Warm Home Discount and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme do not apply there.

Energy grants for private renters, landlords and social tenants

Renters have fewer options than owners, but some schemes are open to them. A private tenant who meets the income or benefit test can be the basis for a Warm Homes: Local Grant or ECO4 application, although the landlord must consent to the work. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is different: only the owner can claim it, so a tenant would need to raise it with the landlord. Landlords can access funding where a low income tenant qualifies, generally for one property each.

Council and housing association tenants cannot apply to most home-upgrade schemes themselves. The landlord applies for funding to improve its homes, so the practical step is to ask in writing whether it has applied for Warm Homes funding and when insulation or heating work is planned. Tenants in their own right can still receive the Warm Home Discount and Cold Weather Payments.

Free insulation, solar panels and heat pump grants: which scheme pays for what

For free insulation, the options are the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England, ECO4 while it lasts, and the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish schemes. There is no longer a general insulation grant for households that are over the income limits.

For a heat pump, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is the main grant in England and Wales regardless of income. A lower income household may also be offered a heat pump through the Warm Homes: Local Grant, but the same heat pump cannot be paid for twice.

For solar panels, there is no standalone national grant for most homes. The Warm Homes: Local Grant can fund solar for eligible households in England, the 0% VAT relief lowers the cost for everyone else, and government-backed loans for solar are planned under the Warm Homes Plan.

Running costs also matter when deciding what to fund. The Price of a Warm Home Index compares what it costs to heat a home across UK cities, and the cold house diagnostic helps work out why a home loses heat before deciding what to fund.

Which grants to apply for first

1. Check the schemes that close or run out first: ECO4 (31 December 2026) and the Warm Homes: Local Grant, where money is first come, first served.
2. If a heat pump is the goal, ask for two or more MCS-certified quotes with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant and 0% VAT shown, and look at insulation first, because a better-insulated home needs a smaller heat pump.
3. For oil and LPG homes, aim to have the application in before 31 March 2027 to secure the £9,000 rate.
4. Look out for the Warm Home Discount letter and Cold Weather Payments, which arrive without an application.
5. Follow announcements on the Warm Homes Plan loans, which are intended for households that do not qualify for grants.

Common mistakes when applying for energy grants

The most common is starting work before funding is confirmed, because most schemes will not pay retrospectively. Others include using a heating-only installer who is not MCS-certified for a Boiler Upgrade Scheme heat pump, claiming two schemes for the same measure, forgetting that every adult’s income counts towards the household total, and assuming that an old ECO4 refusal means the Warm Homes: Local Grant will also say no. Cold calls and doorstep offers of free boilers or free solar are another warning sign. Genuine schemes are applied for through GOV.UK, the council or a named supplier, and the Ofgem website lists the registered ECO suppliers.

Energy grant checker FAQs

Can you get more than one energy grant at the same time?

Yes, in most cases. A household can often use the Warm Homes: Local Grant for insulation, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for a heat pump and bill payments such as the Warm Home Discount at the same time. The rule is that one job cannot be paid for twice, so the same heat pump or the same loft insulation cannot be funded by two schemes.

Can you combine ECO4 and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?

Not for the same heating measure. A household can use both for different jobs, for example ECO4 for insulation and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for a heat pump, but they cannot both fund the same heat pump.

Is ECO4 still open in 2026?

ECO4 is still open until 31 December 2026, but most energy suppliers have used up or nearly used up their funding, so many applications are turned away. Work has to be completed by the closing date.

What replaces ECO4 in 2027?

The Warm Homes Plan, published in January 2026, replaces supplier-funded schemes with direct government funding. For lower income households in England the main route is the Warm Homes: Local Grant, delivered by local councils and open until March 2028. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme continues to 2030, and government-backed loans are planned for people who do not qualify for grants.

Is the Great British Insulation Scheme still open?

No. The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026 and is no longer taking applications.

Who qualifies for the Warm Homes: Local Grant?

Homes in England with an EPC rating of D to G, privately owned or privately rented, where the household income is usually £36,000 a year or less or someone receives a qualifying means-tested benefit. GOV.UK also says some people qualify based on the postcode area they live in. Homes without an EPC can still apply.

How much is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant for oil and LPG homes?

£9,000 towards an air source or ground source heat pump for eligible oil and LPG homes in England and Wales, for applications from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027. The standard rate for other homes is £7,500.

Do private renters qualify for energy grants?

Private renters can qualify for the Warm Homes: Local Grant if the tenant meets the income test and the landlord agrees, and for ECO4 through benefits or council flexible eligibility. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme can only be claimed by the property owner.

Is there a grant for solar panels in the UK?

There is no standalone national solar panel grant for most homes. Solar panels can be funded through the Warm Homes: Local Grant for eligible households in England, installation is currently zero-rated for VAT, and government-backed loans for solar are planned under the Warm Homes Plan.

When will I get the Warm Home Discount?

Eligible households get a one-off £150 credit on their electricity bill, applied between November 2026 and 31 March 2027, with most receiving it before January 2027. The qualifying date was 23 August 2026, and the government is sending confirmation letters between 20 October and 31 December 2026.

Sources and when this was last checked

Scheme rules were last checked on 11 October 2026 against GOV.UK (Warm Homes: Local Grant, Warm Home Discount and its 2026 to 2027 eligibility statement), Ofgem guidance for ECO4 and the Great British Insulation Scheme closure, council scheme pages, the Energy Saving Trust Boiler Upgrade Scheme page and published installer guidance on the £9,000 oil and LPG rate. Grant levels, funding and deadlines change, sometimes with little notice, so the official scheme page should always be checked before applying. This checker is general guidance and is not financial advice or an eligibility decision.