Boiler grants in 2026: what is really available
The short answer
- No general free boiler grant in 2026
- ECO4 can replace or repair a boiler for households on qualifying benefits until 31 December 2026
- The £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme is for heat pumps and biomass boilers, not gas boilers
- Warmer Homes Scotland can fund a new gas boiler for eligible households
There is no general free boiler grant. ECO4 can replace or repair a boiler for households on qualifying benefits until 31 December 2026, and Warmer Homes Scotland can fund a new gas boiler for eligible households in Scotland. The £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays for heat pumps and biomass boilers, not gas boilers.
Is there a free boiler grant?
No general one. ECO4 until 31 December 2026 and Warmer Homes Scotland are the routes to a funded gas boiler.
| Scheme | Pays for a gas boiler? | Who | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECO4 | Yes, replacement or repair | Households on qualifying benefits; owned homes rated D to G, privately rented E to G | Closes 31 December 2026 |
| Warmer Homes Scotland | Yes, including a new gas boiler | Eligible households in Scotland, through Home Energy Scotland | Open |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme | No: heat pumps and biomass boilers only | Owners in England and Wales replacing fossil fuel heating | Open |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant | No: insulation, heat pumps, smart controls and solar | Lower income households in England, homes rated D to G | Delivery to 31 March 2028 |
Read the detail
No, not as a general grant. A new gas boiler can be funded only through a scheme you qualify for: ECO4 for households on qualifying benefits until 31 December 2026, or Warmer Homes Scotland. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme and the Warm Homes: Local Grant do not pay for gas boilers.
Scheme rules from GOV.UK and Home Energy Scotland, checked 5 October 2026. A scheme can close or change early, so check with the scheme before you rely on it.
ECO4: for households on benefits
It can replace or repair a boiler for households on qualifying benefits, and closes on 31 December 2026.
Read the detail
The Energy Company Obligation can help with the cost of replacing or repairing your boiler, or other heating upgrades, as well as insulation, according to GOV.UK. Energy suppliers fund it, and it closes on 31 December 2026, so work has to be finished by then.
In private housing you need to get one of the qualifying benefits: Universal Credit, Pension Guarantee Credit, Pension Savings Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Child Benefit or Housing Benefit. An owned home must be rated D, E, F or G on its EPC; a privately rented one E, F or G, with the owner's permission.
Apply through your local council or an energy supplier taking part. The assessor looks at the whole house and puts insulation before heating, so expect loft and wall insulation first where they are missing. Our ECO4 guide covers the scheme in full.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not pay for gas boilers
£7,500 towards a heat pump and £5,000 towards a biomass boiler, nothing towards a gas boiler.
Read the detail
Despite its name, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays towards low carbon heating only: £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump, £5,000 towards a biomass boiler and £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump. Until March 2027 a home heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas connection can get an extra £1,500 towards a heat pump, £9,000 in all.
It is open to owners in England and Wales replacing fossil fuel heating, including landlords, with no income test. It does not fund hybrid systems of a gas boiler and a heat pump. A biomass boiler qualifies only off the gas grid in a rural area. See our Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide.
Warm Homes: Local Grant
Insulation, heat pumps, smart controls and solar for lower income households in England, not gas boilers.
Read the detail
In England, councils run the Warm Homes: Local Grant for lower income households. After a home survey it can pay for wall, loft and underfloor insulation, air source heat pumps, smart controls and solar panels. GOV.UK does not list gas boilers.
The home must be privately owned, in England and rated D to G, and household income must usually be £36,000 a year or less, though some postcodes and benefits qualify above that. Delivery runs to 31 March 2028. Our Warm Homes: Local Grant guide has the detail.
Scotland: Warmer Homes Scotland
It can fund central heating including a new gas boiler for eligible households, through Home Energy Scotland.
Read the detail
Warmer Homes Scotland can fund central heating, including a new gas boiler, an electric storage heater or an air source heat pump, along with insulation, for eligible households, according to Home Energy Scotland.
You must own the home or rent it from a private landlord, have lived in it as your main home for at least six months, and the home must have a poor energy rating, a floor area of 230 square metres or less and be in council tax band A to G. Someone in the household must be aged 75 or over with no working heating, have a qualifying medical condition, or get a passport benefit such as Universal Credit or Housing Benefit. In rare cases you pay part of the cost, with an interest-free loan available. Call Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282.
Wales and Northern Ireland
Their own schemes: the Warm Homes: Local Grant is for England only.
Read the detail
The Warm Homes: Local Grant is for England only; GOV.UK points households in Wales and Northern Ireland to their own schemes. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers Wales for heat pumps. Northern Ireland's Boiler Replacement Scheme is closed, according to GOV.UK.
Watch out for boiler grant scams
Check any cold call with your council or the energy supplier named.
Read the detail
Installers or agents may contact you about free boilers. GOV.UK says that if you are not sure an offer is genuine, check with your local council or the energy supplier the caller says they represent.
Use our grant eligibility checker to see which schemes you could get, and the new boiler cost calculator to see what you would pay without one.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a free boiler in 2026?
Only through a scheme you qualify for. ECO4 can replace or repair a boiler for households on qualifying benefits until 31 December 2026, and Warmer Homes Scotland can fund a new gas boiler for eligible households in Scotland. There is no general free boiler grant.
Does the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pay for a new gas boiler?
No. It pays £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump and £5,000 towards a biomass boiler, in England and Wales. Gas boilers and hybrid systems are not covered.
Who qualifies for a boiler grant under ECO4?
Households on a qualifying benefit, such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Child Benefit or Housing Benefit, in an owned home rated D to G or a privately rented home rated E to G. Apply through your council or an energy supplier.
When does ECO4 end?
On 31 December 2026. The work has to be finished by then, so apply early.
Does the Warm Homes: Local Grant cover boilers?
GOV.UK lists insulation, air source heat pumps, smart controls and solar panels, not gas boilers. It is for lower income households in England.
Data sources
GOV.UK and Home Energy Scotland, checked on the date above.
Show every source
- GOV.UK, Help from your energy supplier: the Energy Company Obligation, checked 5 October 2026, and the government response Extending the ECO4 end date.
- GOV.UK, Apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme: grants for air source and ground source heat pumps, biomass boilers and air-to-air heat pumps, checked 5 October 2026.
- GOV.UK, Apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant, checked 5 October 2026.
- Home Energy Scotland, Warmer Homes Scotland, checked 5 October 2026.