Which schemes apply in Scotland
Home energy support in Scotland works differently from England and Wales:
- The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is only open in England and Wales. Scotland has its own heat pump grant instead.
- The Warm Homes: Local Grant is England only.
- ECO4, funded by energy suppliers, covers Great Britain, so it applies in Scotland until it ends on 31 December 2026.
- Home Energy Scotland, funded by the Scottish Government, is the free advice service and the route into both Scottish schemes. Its freephone number is 0808 808 2282.
The Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan
This is the main scheme for homeowners, and there is no income test: you do not need to receive benefits.
Heat pumps
For a heat pump or a connection to a heat network, you can get a grant of up to £7,500, plus an optional interest-free loan of up to £7,500. Homes in remote rural and island areas, and off-gas rural areas, can get an extra £1,500 on the grant, making it £9,000.
Two rules catch people out. The heat pump must provide all of the home’s heating and hot water, so hybrid systems that keep a boiler are not eligible. And replacing an existing heat pump attracts a loan only, not a grant.
Insulation and other energy efficiency measures
For insulation and similar measures, the grant covers up to 75% of the combined cost, up to a maximum of £7,500, with the same £1,500 rural and island uplift. Each measure has its own limit:
| Measure | Maximum grant |
|---|---|
| Loft, cavity wall or underfloor insulation | £1,500 |
| Flat roof or room-in-roof insulation | £3,000 |
| Solid wall insulation | £7,500 |
Spray foam insulation is not funded. Some measures, such as insulated doors and glazing, are available as loans only.
How it works
- Call Home Energy Scotland free on 0808 808 2282. An adviser talks through your home and sends you a link to apply, usually within two working days.
- Apply, with an energy report for insulation and similar measures. You can apply for a heat pump without an EPC.
- Wait for your written offer. You must not start any work before it arrives.
- Have the work done within nine months, then claim the funding.
Funding is first come, first served
Home Energy Scotland allocates funding within each financial year, from 1 April to 31 March, and it can run out before the year ends. If you are planning work, it is worth applying early in the year rather than late.
Who can apply
You must own the home and live in it as your only or main residence. Businesses, holiday homes and second homes are not eligible. Registered private landlords have a separate Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan instead.
Warmer Homes Scotland
Warmer Homes Scotland is for households who are struggling to heat their home. It offers support worth £10,000 or more, and in most cases the Scottish Government meets all the costs. The work is carried out by Warmworks.
What it can install
Wall and loft insulation, draught-proofing, central heating (which can include an electric storage heater, a new gas boiler or an air source heat pump) and home renewable systems. A survey decides which of these suit your home.
Who qualifies
You must own the home or rent it from a private landlord, live in it as your main residence and have lived there for at least six months. The home must have a poor energy rating, a floor area of 230m² or less, and be in council tax band A to G. Someone in the household must also:
- be aged 75 or over with no working heating; or
- have a DS1500 or BASRiS certificate completed by a medical professional; or
- receive a qualifying “passport” benefit, such as Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related ESA, Pension Credit Guarantee, Council Tax Reduction (not the single-person discount), Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability Payment or Scottish Child Payment.
Pension Credit Savings on its own does not qualify. Home Energy Scotland publishes the full list and notes that the criteria can change. Private tenants need their landlord’s permission, and work a landlord is legally required to do under the Repairing Standard is not funded.
ECO4 in Scotland
ECO4 can fund insulation and heating for households receiving certain means-tested benefits, or on lower incomes through the council Flex route, until 31 December 2026. Work has to be completed before then, so time is short. See our ECO4 page.
What about the rest of the UK?
If you are comparing, our guides to insulation grants and the free boiler grant cover every UK nation side by side.
Talk it through
We are an independent service, not Home Energy Scotland. For the Scottish schemes, Home Energy Scotland is the place to apply. If you are weighing up a heat pump and want to understand your options first, our eligibility check covers the UK-wide schemes and tells you which apply in Scotland.
Check which schemes fit your home
Tell us what heats your home 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.
