The short answer
Most help with a new boiler is aimed at households receiving means-tested benefits. If you do not receive one, you still have four kinds of route:
- ECO4 Flex, where your council declares your household eligible.
- Child Benefit, which counts for ECO4 when household income is below a set limit.
- Income-based schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England.
- Grants with no income test, which pay towards a heat pump rather than a gas boiler.
ECO4 Flex: help through your council
ECO4 Flex lets a participating council make a private household eligible when it does not receive a qualifying benefit. Councils can use it, for example, for households with an income below £31,000, or for people with a health condition made worse by living in a cold home. The full Flex routes are set out in Ofgem’s ECO4 delivery guidance.
What to know before you rely on it:
- Not every council takes part, and each one publishes its own criteria.
- The council confirms eligibility. Ofgem says the council will contact you if you meet its criteria, and can refer you for the scheme.
- The usual ECO4 rules still apply. The home has to be rated EPC D to G, insulation usually comes first, and the boiler has to be non-condensing, broken beyond repair, or missing altogether.
- ECO4 ends on 31 December 2026, and the work must be finished by then.
Child Benefit and ECO4
Child Benefit is not means-tested, but ECO4 treats it as a qualifying benefit when the household’s income is below a limit. The limit depends on whether you are single or a couple, and on how many children you have. Ofgem sets the figures in its ECO4 guidance, so a working family can qualify without any other benefit.
Not sure whether you qualify for a benefit?
Many people on low incomes are entitled to a benefit they do not claim, such as Pension Credit for people over State Pension age, or Universal Credit for working households. A benefits calculator on GOV.UK can tell you quickly, and a successful claim can open ECO4 and other schemes.
Income-based routes around the UK
| Scheme | Where | Route without benefits | Can it fit a new gas boiler? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECO4 Flex | England, Wales and Scotland | Council declares you eligible, for example on income below £31,000 | Yes, as part of a package, until 31 December 2026 |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant | England | Household income of £36,000 or less, or an eligible postcode | No. Insulation and heat pumps instead |
| Warmer Homes Scotland | Scotland | Aged 75 or over with no working heating, or a DS1500 or BASRiS certificate | Yes, in some cases |
| Nest | Wales | Low household income, below the Welsh Government thresholds | Only if the home has no working heating or hot water |
| Affordable Warmth Scheme | Northern Ireland | Gross household income under £23,000 | In some cases, after insulation |
A few details:
- England: the Warm Homes: Local Grant does not fund gas boilers or other fossil-fuel heating, but an eligible household can get insulation and a heat pump through the council. See the Warm Homes: Local Grant.
- Scotland: Warmer Homes Scotland can help a household where someone is aged 75 or over with no working heating, or has a DS1500 or BASRiS certificate. See grants in Scotland.
- Wales: Nest uses income thresholds, for example £15,521 a year for a single adult after mortgage or rent payments, as well as benefits. A boiler is mainly repaired or replaced where the home has no working heating or hot water. See the Nest eligibility rules and our guide to grants in Wales.
- Northern Ireland: the Affordable Warmth Scheme is based on gross household income, not benefits.
Grants with no income test
These do not pay for a gas boiler, but for many homes they are the largest grants available towards new heating:
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England and Wales): £7,500 towards an eligible air source or ground source heat pump, for property owners, whatever their income. See the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and our guide to a heat pump grant with a gas boiler.
- Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan (Scotland): £7,500 towards a heat pump, with an optional interest-free loan, for homeowners. You do not need to receive benefits.
Find the route that fits your household
Tell us how your home is heated and whether you own it. We will take you to our eligibility check with those answers filled in. It is free, and nothing is sent until you choose to send it.
If no scheme fits
- Repair first. If the boiler has a fault, a repair is often quicker and cheaper than a replacement. See boiler repair.
- Get several quotes. Our boiler replacement page explains what a quote should include.
- Pensioners: see free boiler grants for pensioners.
Be wary of anyone who says you qualify without asking
A genuine scheme checks your household, your home and your heating before promising anything, and never asks for a fee to “secure” a grant. If someone does, walk away and check the scheme through its official website.
