Boiler grants and replacement help in the UK
There is no universal UK government grant that pays for a new boiler for everyone. However, specific energy-efficiency schemes may fund boiler or heating-system replacement. What you can get depends on where you live, household income or qualifying benefits, your home’s EPC or energy-efficiency rating, the existing heating system, whether it is broken or inefficient, and the scheme’s rules. A provider or installer must assess the property before confirming any funded work.
What boiler replacement help is currently available?
Start with the route for your nation and circumstances. None of these routes guarantees a replacement boiler simply because you meet an income or benefit condition.
| Route and coverage | Who it is mainly for | Heating help and limits |
|---|---|---|
| ECO4 — Great Britain | Qualifying households in less efficient homes; tenure and property rules apply. | Heating measures can be included in an assessed retrofit package. Supplier agreement is needed; no automatic boiler award. Ends 31 December 2026. |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant — England | Low-income households in owner-occupied or privately rented EPC D–G homes. Income is usually £36,000 or less, with benefit and postcode alternatives. | Council survey may recommend low-carbon heating, insulation or other improvements. Funding and agreed works matter; this is not a gas or oil boiler replacement route. |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme — England and Wales | Owners of qualifying properties, including landlords, moving to eligible low-carbon heating. | Contributes towards eligible heat pumps or biomass, subject to technology and property rules. It does not fund ordinary gas or oil boilers and may not cover the full bill. |
| Warmer Homes Scotland — Scotland | Eligible homeowners and private tenants struggling to heat a home with poor energy performance. | Assessed heating and insulation improvements; most costs are usually met. Private rental restrictions and possible contributions apply. |
| Nest — Wales | Eligible lower-income households in inefficient owner-occupied or privately rented homes. | Low-carbon improvements; boiler or storage-heater repair/replacement may be available where there is no heating or hot water. Assessment decides. |
| Affordable Warmth — Northern Ireland | Qualifying owners and private renters on low incomes. | Prioritised energy improvements can include heating, with extra boiler criteria. Confirm current funding and approved works with NI Energy Advice. |
| Council or local energy support — local coverage | Households meeting a locally funded programme’s rules. | Ask about heating repair or crisis help. Availability varies; local welfare help is not a national emergency boiler entitlement. |
Can ECO4 pay for a new boiler?
Sometimes. ECO4 is a Great Britain energy-efficiency obligation covering England, Scotland and Wales, rather than a simple “free boiler scheme”. It does not cover Northern Ireland. Ofgem’s current delivery guidance confirms the end date is 31 December 2026. The extension gives suppliers time to complete existing obligations; it is not a new funding round.
A retrofit assessment determines which measures fit the home, its energy rating, tenure and existing heating. Insulation, controls or another heating measure may be proposed instead of boiler replacement. Suppliers decide which projects to fund and what contribution, if any, to request.
For boiler details, Ofgem’s consumer FAQs distinguish inefficient non-condensing systems from efficient boilers that have failed. Replacement of an efficient broken system is capped and requires it to be beyond economical repair. A household’s eligibility does not guarantee installation.
Can you really get a free boiler?
Some eligible households may receive qualifying work without paying the full installation cost. “Free boiler” is mainly search and advertising terminology, not the name of one government programme.
After assessment, an offer may cover all approved costs, cover only part, propose different heating measures or provide no funded work. Ask for the exact funded package and any contribution in writing before agreeing.
Are there boiler grants for pensioners?
Some pensioners can qualify, but reaching State Pension age alone creates no entitlement. Under ECO household rules, Pension Guarantee Credit and Pension Savings Credit are relevant benefits; the home and proposed measures must also qualify.
National schemes use different tests. Scotland has a Warmer Homes Scotland route for a household member aged 75 or over with no working heating, alongside its other home and residency conditions. Nest in Wales also considers Pension Credit or low income. Check the scheme for your nation rather than assuming all pensioners qualify.
Can you get a boiler grant on Universal Credit?
Universal Credit can establish a potential household eligibility route under ECO, but it is not an automatic entitlement to boiler replacement. The property rating, tenure, existing heating and the provider’s offer still determine the work.
It is also a relevant benefit for Warmer Homes Scotland and Nest, each with separate property conditions. In England, check the Warm Homes: Local Grant benefit route for low-carbon upgrades; it does not turn a Universal Credit award into a gas-boiler grant.
What if your boiler is broken?
Ask a qualified heating professional about safe repair and check any warranty or cover. If you rent, report the breakdown to your landlord promptly; grant applications do not remove repair responsibilities.
For possible funded work, ask an ECO provider about the broken-heating rules in Great Britain, Home Energy Scotland about assessed heating help, Nest about loss of heating or hot water in Wales, or NI Energy Advice about Affordable Warmth. None guarantees an emergency installation or an immediate appointment.
If the breakdown leaves you in financial crisis, contact your council about urgent local welfare or energy support separately. England’s Crisis and Resilience Fund is local crisis support, not a guaranteed boiler replacement programme. For a separate need involving essential appliances, see white goods grants and appliance support.
Gas, oil, solid fuel and low-carbon heating
There is no universal gas installation grant or free oil boiler replacement programme. Existing fuel and the proposed replacement affect which route is possible. Some assessed national heating programmes can include conventional heating, but that is a scheme decision rather than a general offer to upgrade fossil-fuel boilers.
Warm Homes: Local Grant supports energy improvements and low-carbon heating; fossil-fuel heating is excluded. Its survey may recommend a heat pump for a suitable home currently heated by gas, oil, electricity or solid fuel. Do not assume the grant funds a new gas connection.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales funds qualifying low-carbon technologies instead of ordinary gas or oil replacement. Current GOV.UK grant values include £7,500 for eligible air-to-water or ground-source heat pumps, £2,500 for air-to-air heat pumps and £5,000 for eligible biomass boilers. Until March 2027, a further £1,500 is available for qualifying air-to-water or ground-source installations replacing oil or LPG where there is no mains gas connection. Biomass has additional restrictions. Check the current technologies and grant values.
If replacing solid-fuel heating, ask the relevant programme to assess a suitable low-carbon system and any removal or associated work. There is no separate universal solid-fuel conversion grant.
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
England
Check ECO4 for qualifying retrofit and heating measures, or Warm Homes: Local Grant for council-arranged low-carbon upgrades. Property owners considering eligible low-carbon heating can check the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Start with GOV.UK’s ECO guide or the official Warm Homes application service.
Scotland
ECO4 applies. Home Energy Scotland is the starting point for Warmer Homes Scotland and can advise on other national grant, loan or council routes. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme and England’s Local Grant do not apply. Private rentals cannot receive work through Warmer Homes Scotland that the landlord is already legally required to provide.
Wales
ECO4 and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme apply. Welsh Government Nest offers advice and assessed improvements. Its rules include income or means-tested benefits and home energy performance; eligible health conditions affect the energy-rating threshold.
Northern Ireland
ECO4, England’s Local Grant and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme do not apply. Start with NI Energy Advice and Affordable Warmth. Household gross income must be below £23,000 and other conditions apply, including extra tests for boiler replacement. The former separate Boiler Replacement Scheme closed to applications in 2023; do not confuse old adverts with a current offer.
How to check eligibility
- Identify whether the home is in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
- Check the official scheme pages for current availability and application arrangements.
- Check household income, qualifying benefits and any vulnerability criteria.
- Check the EPC or equivalent energy assessment, tenure, existing fuel and boiler condition. Ask the provider if you do not have an EPC.
- Use the scheme’s participating provider or approved installer. Private tenants need landlord consent; rental measures have additional restrictions.
- Get written confirmation of the work, funding, any contribution, warranties and complaint route.
- Do not begin work expecting retrospective reimbursement unless the scheme explicitly permits it.
Be careful with “free boiler grant” adverts
Commercial companies can advertise government-backed work, but government-sounding names or branding do not make a website official. Establish which real programme is involved, who funds it and whether the installer participates.
Check eligibility against official sources and verify the offer with the named council or supplier. Do not provide unnecessary financial information before establishing legitimacy. Read the contract and understand any costs before signing.
Boiler grants FAQ
Is there a government boiler grant in 2026?
There are specific heating support routes, including ECO4 in Great Britain until 31 December 2026, but no universal UK new-boiler grant.
Can I get a free boiler?
Possibly after assessment, if a scheme agrees to meet all approved costs. An advert or benefit award alone is not confirmation.
Does ECO4 pay for boilers?
Boiler work can qualify within its heating rules. Broken efficient systems face a replacement cap; supplier funding and the property assessment matter.
Can pensioners get boiler grants?
Some qualify through Pension Credit, income or national scheme conditions. State Pension age alone does not qualify everyone.
Can Universal Credit qualify you for boiler help?
It can meet a household benefit condition under ECO and some national schemes. The property and proposed heating work must also qualify.
Can I get help if my boiler has broken?
Ask the programme for your nation about repair or replacement and contact the council separately for crisis support. There is no guaranteed national emergency replacement service.
Can landlords get boiler grants?
A landlord may access qualifying property-owner routes such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. ECO support for rentals depends on occupant, property and measure rules; ownership alone is insufficient.
Can private tenants get boiler help?
Potentially, with landlord permission and scheme approval. Rental restrictions apply, and landlords remain responsible for required repairs.
Can I get a grant for an oil boiler?
There is no universal oil-boiler grant. Check assessed national heating support; the Boiler Upgrade Scheme helps replace qualifying oil heating with eligible low-carbon technology, not a new oil boiler.
Can I get a grant for a gas boiler?
Some assessed heating schemes may allow qualifying gas-boiler work. Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme do not fund ordinary gas-boiler replacement.
Can I get help replacing solid-fuel heating?
Potentially through an assessed heating or low-carbon upgrade route, depending on nation, property and scheme rules. Confirm associated removal costs before agreeing.
Is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme a boiler replacement grant?
Its name can be confusing: it supports qualifying heat pumps and biomass in England and Wales, rather than like-for-like gas or oil boilers.
Official sources
- Ofgem ECO4 delivery guidance and current end date
- Ofgem consumer and landlord FAQs
- GOV.UK ECO eligibility
- GOV.UK Warm Homes: Local Grant
- GOV.UK Warm Homes policy guidance
- GOV.UK Boiler Upgrade Scheme
- Home Energy Scotland: Warmer Homes Scotland
- Welsh Government Nest eligibility
- Welsh Government Nest heating support
- Northern Ireland Affordable Warmth
- England Crisis and Resilience Fund
Before you apply
Confirm current rules and funded work with the official scheme before applying, starting work or signing a contract.