Energy Grants and Schemes: What Exists, and Where to Apply
Find grants and payments that may help with heating or energy costs. Each entry shows where it applies, what it offers and the official place to check eligibility or apply.
Scheme register data status
Current- Content period:
- Current scheme rules
- Last successful retrieval:
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Current schemes
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
OpenEngland and Wales
A grant towards replacing a fossil fuel heating system — oil, gas, electric or LPG — with a heat pump or, in limited cases, a biomass boiler. You must own the property, which can be a business, a second home or one you rent out to tenants. Having already had government funding to make the property more energy efficient, such as insulation, does NOT disqualify you. The installer must commission and install within 120 days of applying. You cannot get a grant for most new build properties, for social housing, or for a property that has already had government funding for a heat pump or biomass boiler. A biomass boiler qualifies only where the property is off the gas grid, in a rural location, and the boiler has an emissions certificate.
Paid as a grant
£7,500
Grant levels: £7,500 towards an air source heat pump, £7,500 towards a ground source heat pump (including water source and shared ground loops), £5,000 towards a biomass boiler, and £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump. Until March 2027 an additional £1,500 is available towards an air source or ground source heat pump where the property is heated by oil or LPG and has no mains gas connection. One grant per property.
How to apply: Choose an MCS-certified installer, who applies on your behalf and takes the grant off the quoted price.
Run by: Ofgem
Check eligibility on GOV.UKChecked against GOV.UK on 4 November 2026.
Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)
OpenGreat Britain
Insulation and heating improvements funded by larger energy suppliers, aimed at low-income and vulnerable households in the least efficient homes. The energy efficiency rating needed differs by tenure: D to G if you own your home, E to G if you rent privately or from a social landlord. A local authority or a supplier can also refer a household under flexible eligibility rules that vary by area.
Work installed, not money paid
No fixed value: the benefit is the measure installed, which depends on the property.
How to apply: Contact your energy supplier, or your local council for a flexible eligibility referral.
Run by: Larger energy suppliers, under Ofgem administration
Check eligibility on GOV.UKChecked against GOV.UK on 29 October 2026.
Warm Homes: Local Grant
OpenEngland
Free energy saving improvements to a home in England, arranged and paid for by the local council. To be eligible the property must be in England, must be privately owned — either by the household or by its landlord, so private renters are included and social housing is not — and must have an Energy Performance Certificate of D, E, F or G. GOV.UK says you can find out the EPC when you apply if you do not know it. Household income must usually be £36,000 a year or less, and a household above that may still be eligible if it is in certain postcode areas or if someone in it receives certain benefits. Whether anything is available also depends on the local council having funding.
Work installed, not money paid
No fixed amount: the benefit is the work itself. If you are eligible and your council has funding, they arrange a home survey and may then suggest improvements such as wall, loft and underfloor insulation, an air source heat pump, smart controls or solar panels. GOV.UK says the council organises and pays for whatever work it has agreed with you and that "you will not need to pay for it" — but also that if you have a landlord, the landlord may need to pay for some of the improvements.
How to apply: Through GOV.UK's "Check your eligibility and apply" service, which is a single online questionnaire covering the whole of England rather than a form per council. Your local council will usually contact you within 10 working days to get more information and arrange a home survey. There is a helpline for people who need help using the online service: 0800 098 7950, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm except bank holidays, and Saturday 9am to 12pm.
Run by: Local councils in England, funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Check eligibility on GOV.UKChecked against GOV.UK on 4 November 2026.
Winter Fuel Payment
OpenEngland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Most eligible people are paid automatically. Postal claims for winter 2026 to 2027 opened on 21 September 2026; phone claims open on 19 October 2026. The claim deadline is 31 March 2027, and most payments are made in November or December 2026.
A payment towards winter heating costs for people born on or before 27 June 1960 who usually live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Most eligible people are paid automatically and get a letter in October or November. Entitlement is assessed on circumstances during the qualifying week of 21 to 27 September 2026. People in hospital or prison for the whole of that week, and some care home residents receiving certain benefits, are not eligible.
Paid as a grant
Between £100 and £300 for winter 2026 to 2027, depending on date of birth and whether anyone you live with is also eligible. Living alone, or with no one else eligible: £200 if born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960, £300 if born before 28 September 1946. If your total income is over £35,000 HMRC takes the payment back through your tax code or Self Assessment; a partner's income does not count towards that threshold. Paid into a bank account rather than credited to an energy bill.
How to apply: Most people do not need to claim. You need to claim if you do not get one of the listed pensions or benefits and either have not received the Winter Fuel Payment before, or have deferred your State Pension since your last payment. Claim by post from 21 September 2026 or by phone from 19 October 2026. The deadline is 31 March 2027.
Run by: Department for Work and Pensions
Applications open: 21 September 2026
Check eligibility on GOV.UKChecked against GOV.UK on 18 October 2026.
Pension Age Winter Heating Payment
Not open yetScotland
Most eligible people will be paid automatically. Applications for winter 2025 to 2026 are closed; mygov.scot says it will update the application page when applications open for winter 2026 to 2027. Payments start from November 2026 and continue through winter.
A once-a-year payment towards winter heating costs for people of State Pension age in Scotland. It replaced the Winter Fuel Payment for Scottish households. Eligibility is assessed on your circumstances during the qualifying week, Monday 21 to Sunday 27 September 2026: you must have been born on or before 27 June 1960 and have lived in Scotland on at least the last day of that week. You are not eligible if you were in hospital receiving free treatment for the whole qualifying week and the 52 weeks before it, were in custody under a court sentence for the whole qualifying week, or need permission to enter the UK on terms that bar claiming public funds. Residential care has its own rule: you are not eligible if you were in care for the whole qualifying week, entered care before 29 June 2026 and received Pension Credit, Universal Credit, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Income Support during that week.
Paid as a grant
Between £105.55 and £316.70 for winter 2026 to 2027, in four rates: £105.55, £158.35, £211.15 and £316.70. The amount depends on your age in the qualifying week, the age of anyone you live with who is also eligible, whether you live in residential care, and whether you receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Income Support, jointly or otherwise. Living alone, or with no one else eligible: £211.15 if born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960, and £316.70 if born before 28 September 1946. Sharing a household with another eligible person changes the amount, and the two of you may be paid different rates from each other; where neither receives any of those benefits and both were born before 28 September 1946, each is paid £158.35. In residential care, having entered before 29 June 2026, the rates are £105.55 and £158.35 on the same age split. Where a couple hold a joint award of one of those benefits, one shared payment is made rather than two. mygov.scot's own table is the only complete statement of which rate applies to which combination and should be linked rather than summarised. If your own income is over £35,000 HMRC takes the payment back; that threshold applies to individual incomes, so a joint household income above it does not count. Paid into the same account as your State Pension or your Social Security Scotland benefits, showing as 'PAWHP' on the statement.
How to apply: Most people do not need to apply. You might need to apply if you have deferred your State Pension since your last winter payment, or are in a couple with a joint award of a listed benefit where the main claimant is under State Pension age. Applications for winter 2026 to 2027 are not open yet; use the official application page for the opening announcement.
Run by: Social Security Scotland
Check eligibility on mygov.scotChecked against mygov.scot on 1 October 2026.
Warm Home Discount
Not open yetEngland, Scotland and Wales
Closed at the moment. GOV.UK says it will reopen in October 2026 for winter 2026 to 2027. Nothing needs doing in the meantime: most eligible households are found automatically from benefit records.
A one-off discount on an electricity bill for households on a low income, applied by the supplier rather than paid to the household. For winter 2026 to 2027 the qualifying date is 23 August 2026, and on that date your supplier must be part of the scheme, you or your partner must receive certain means-tested benefits, and your name or your partner's must be on the electricity bill. In England and Wales the qualifying means-tested benefits are Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance and Pension Credit, and everyone who qualifies is in the automatic "core group". Scotland works differently and has two groups: a core group paid automatically, and a "broader group" who must apply to their own supplier, which may set extra criteria and decides which benefits count.
Credited to your energy bill
£150
A fixed £150 for winter 2026 to 2027, set by government for each scheme year rather than fixed for ever. It is credited against your electricity bill and is not paid to you as cash. If one supplier provides both your gas and your electricity you may be able to have it against the gas bill instead; your supplier decides that.
How to apply: Usually automatic, with a letter confirming it. In England and Wales there is nothing to apply for. In Scotland some households are paid automatically and others must apply directly to their electricity supplier. Your supplier must be part of the scheme for any of this to apply. If you were confirmed eligible for winter 2025 to 2026 and had not received the discount by 31 March 2026, contact your electricity supplier.
Run by: Participating energy suppliers, under Ofgem administration
Check eligibility on GOV.UKChecked against GOV.UK on 7 August 2026.
Before you apply
Check the nation on the card and use the official eligibility link. Eligibility can depend on benefits, income, property details and who lives in the household, so this page does not decide whether you qualify.
Schemes that have closed
These are kept here so you can confirm that a scheme has ended.
Great British Insulation Scheme
Closed 31 March 2026Great Britain
Closed to new applicants. The scheme helped households in the lower council tax bands with a poor energy efficiency rating get free or cheaper insulation, and was broader than ECO4 in that a household did not need to be on benefits to qualify for the general group. The eligibility checker has closed and installations had to be complete by 31 March 2026.
Work installed, not money paid
No fixed value: the benefit was the insulation installed. Closed to new applicants.
How to apply: Closed. Anyone with an existing application should contact the energy supplier they applied to. Complaints about insulation installed under the scheme go through Ofgem's energy company obligation complaints route.
Run by: Larger energy suppliers, under Ofgem administration
Read what GOV.UK says about the closed schemeChecked against GOV.UK on 4 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Can you tell me whether I qualify?
No. Eligibility can depend on your benefits, income, property and household. Use the official checker linked from the relevant card.
Is the Winter Fuel Payment available in Scotland?
No. Scotland has the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment instead. Both are listed above, with their coverage and official guidance.
Why is a closed scheme still listed?
So you can confirm that it has ended and avoid searching for an application that is no longer available.
How much is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme worth?
It depends on what you install and on the property. The card above shows the current grant levels and links to the official eligibility rules.
How current are these summaries?
The register is compared with the official scheme pages every day. Where an approved verification date is available, the card shows it. Each card also links to the official eligibility route, which remains the authority for an individual application.
