Which schemes apply in Northern Ireland
Most of the schemes you may read about online do not cover Northern Ireland:
| Scheme | Applies in Northern Ireland? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme | No | England and Wales only |
| ECO4 | No | Great Britain only |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant | No | England only |
| Boiler Replacement Scheme | No longer | Closed |
| Affordable Warmth Scheme | Yes | Lower-income owner-occupiers and private tenants; being replaced |
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is only open in England and Wales, and ECO is a scheme in Great Britain, which does not include Northern Ireland. The same GOV.UK page states that the Boiler Replacement Scheme in Northern Ireland is now closed.
The Affordable Warmth Scheme
The Affordable Warmth Scheme aims to help with fuel poverty and energy inefficiency, and is run by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
Who qualifies
The scheme is for people who live in Northern Ireland, own and live in their home, or rent from a private landlord, with a total annual gross household income of less than £23,000. The home must be your main home, not a holiday home or commercial property. It is not available to Housing Executive or housing association tenants.
For privately rented homes, the landlord must agree to the work, be registered with the Department for Communities’ Landlord Registration Scheme, and pay half of the cost.
What it can pay for
The scheme takes a whole-house approach, and work is done in priority order:
- Insulation, ventilation and draught-proofing, such as loft insulation to 300mm and cavity wall insulation.
- Heating, such as replacing solid fuel, LPG or Economy 7 heating with gas or oil central heating, or replacing a boiler that is at least 15 years old where the householder is over 65, has a child for whom Child Benefit is paid, or receives a disability benefit such as PIP, DLA or Attendance Allowance.
- Windows, replacing single glazing.
- Solid wall insulation, for detached homes.
The grant can be up to £7,500, or up to £10,000 where solid wall insulation is needed. The Housing Executive says you should not have to contribute to the work it agrees. Grants depend on the funding available.
How to apply
Contact the NI Energy Advice Service on 0800 111 44 55. If your household appears to meet the requirements, they send you an application form, which you return to your local grants office with proof of ownership or tenancy and of your income. A technical officer then visits to assess the home. Do not start any work until you have approval in writing: work started earlier is not paid for.
What replaces it: the Warm Healthy Homes Fund
The Department for Communities has consulted on a Warm Healthy Homes Fund to replace the Affordable Warmth Scheme, planned for 2027. The consultation closed on 19 August 2026. The proposals include an air source heat pump as the main heating measure, with solar panels and batteries offered where a home assessment supports them, and higher grant limits. These are proposals, not final rules, and nothing can be applied for yet.
A heat pump grant is planned
The Department for the Economy has said it intends to offer a one-off capital grant for air-to-water, ground-to-water and water-to-water heat pumps, open to all households rather than targeted at particular groups. It plans a public consultation later in 2026, and says the scheme is likely to launch in 2027. No grant amounts have been published.
Solar panels and batteries
There is currently no financial support for homeowners who want to generate their own electricity, such as with solar panels. Installed energy-saving materials, including solar panels and heat pumps, currently have 0% VAT, until 31 March 2027. Our battery storage page explains how the VAT relief works.
Social housing
If you rent from the Housing Executive or a housing association, improvements to your home are the landlord’s responsibility. Ask them directly about insulation or heating upgrades.
Other help with energy costs
Grants for home improvements are only part of the picture. Two other things may help:
- An electricity bill discount. Around 860,000 households are due to get £63 off their electricity bills, from 6 October 2026. It is applied automatically, so there is nothing to apply for. The Department for the Economy says support will continue in 2027 and 2028, at amounts not yet set.
- The Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme (NISEP). It is paid for through a small charge on every electricity customer, and most of the money is targeted at households in fuel poverty. It has funded measures such as insulation, heating controls and efficient boilers, delivered by organisations that bid for the funding. The Utility Regulator’s pages do not name the current delivery organisations.
If your home is heated by oil
Oil is the most common way to heat a home in Northern Ireland, so the lack of a Boiler Upgrade Scheme here matters. For now, the options are the Affordable Warmth Scheme if your household qualifies, or paying for an upgrade yourself. The planned heat pump grant, once it opens, is intended to be available to households whatever their income. If you are weighing up a replacement for an old oil boiler, it may be worth finding out whether that grant has launched before committing to a like-for-like swap.
Comparing with the rest of the UK
Our guides to insulation grants and the free boiler grant set out what is available in each nation.
Talk through your options
Our eligibility check covers the UK-wide schemes, so in Northern Ireland it mainly helps you rule things out. If you would rather talk, get in touch and we will point you to the right place.
