Policy explained
Warm Homes Plan 2026 Explained
What the government's Warm Homes Plan means for homeowners: what you can use today, and what is still to come.
- Available now and future plans kept separate
- Independent advice
- Free eligibility check
- £15 billion Public investment committed to 2030
- 21 January 2026 Published; updated March 2026
- No single grant You apply to the individual schemes
- Loans not open No date or interest rates published yet
In short
What the Warm Homes Plan is
The government’s plan to upgrade homes and cut energy bills through to 2030.
- Published on 21 January 2026; updated in March 2026
- £15 billion of public investment to 2030
- Brings existing schemes together, plus new support still being set up
- Not a grant in itself — you benefit through its schemes
The plan, in full Show less
The UK government’s plan, published in January 2026, for upgrading homes to cut energy bills and carbon emissions through to 2030. It brings existing schemes together and sets out new support that is still being put in place.
It was published on 21 January 2026 and updated in March 2026. The plan commits £15 billion of public investment to 2030. It is not a grant in itself: homeowners benefit through the individual schemes it funds.
Where the money goes
Headline allocations — not money a household can apply for today.
| Area | Funding to 2030 |
|---|---|
| Low-income household schemes | £5 billion |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme, to 2029/30 | £2.7 billion |
| Warm Homes Fund (innovative finance) | £2.7 billion |
| Consumer loans | £2 billion |
| Heat networks | £1.1 billion |
| Other programmes and devolved governments | £1.5 billion |
Headline allocations. Funding committed to a programme is not the same as money a household can apply for today.
Available now
Support you can use today
Open schemes, each with its own eligibility rules.
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Available now
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
£7,500 towards an eligible heat pump in England and Wales; up to £9,000 for qualifying off-gas homes, for a limited period.
Read about Boiler Upgrade Scheme -
Available now
Warm Homes: Local Grant
Council-delivered insulation, solar, batteries and heat pumps for eligible lower-income households in England.
Read about Warm Homes: Local Grant -
Available now
Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund
Funding for social landlords to improve the homes they let. Tenants do not apply directly.
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Available now
ECO4, until the end of 2026
Energy supplier-funded improvements for eligible households. Closes 31 December 2026, with no replacement obligation.
Read about ECO4 -
Available now
Plug-in solar
Kits of up to 800W became legal to buy and use in Great Britain in August 2026.
Each scheme, in full Show less
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Grants towards heat pumps and some biomass boilers in England and Wales — £7,500 for an eligible air source or ground source heat pump, and up to £9,000 for qualifying off-gas-grid homes until 31 March 2027.
Warm Homes: Local Grant
Council-delivered upgrades — insulation, solar, batteries and heat pumps — for eligible lower-income households in England, to March 2028.
Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund
Funding for social landlords to improve the homes they let. Tenants do not apply directly.
ECO4, until the end of 2026
Energy supplier-funded improvements for eligible households. It closes on 31 December 2026 and will not be replaced by another supplier obligation.
Plug-in solar
Small plug-in solar kits of up to 800W became legal to buy and use in Great Britain in August 2026. This followed a separate government announcement rather than the plan itself.
Current guidance applies 0% VAT to qualifying energy-saving materials installed in residential property, including heat pumps and biomass boilers, until 31 March 2027.
Announced — not yet available
Announced, future or subject to implementation
None of these can be applied for by households today.
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Not yet available
Low- and zero-interest loans
Government-backed loans for solar, batteries and heat pumps. No lenders or rates published yet.
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Not yet available
A single low-income scheme from 2027/28
The Warm Homes: Local Grant and Social Housing Fund combined into one. Details to come.
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Not yet available
Heat battery grants
A £2,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant is announced, but not yet an approved grant category.
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Not yet available
A Warm Homes Agency
A new government agency to oversee home-upgrade programmes. It is still being set up.
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Not yet available
Higher standards for rented homes
Private rented homes in England and Wales to reach EPC band C by 1 October 2030. Needs legislation.
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Not yet available
Future Homes Standard
New homes in England will need low carbon heating and on-site renewables from 24 March 2027.
Each announcement, in full Show less
These are commitments in the plan or related policy. None of them can be applied for by households today.
Low- and zero-interest loans
Government-backed loans for solar panels, batteries and heat pumps, offered through participating lenders. The scheme rules describe a first consumer launch phase from September 2026, but no list of lenders or rates had been published when we checked.
A single low-income scheme from 2027/28
The government intends to combine the Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Social Housing Fund into one scheme with more area-based delivery. Details are still to be published.
Heat battery grants
The plan announces a £2,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant for heat batteries. It is not yet one of the scheme’s approved grant categories.
A Warm Homes Agency
A new government agency to oversee home-upgrade programmes. It is still being set up.
Higher standards for rented homes
Private landlords in England and Wales will need rented homes to reach EPC band C by 1 October 2030, with a £10,000 cost cap. This is confirmed policy but still needs legislation.
Future Homes Standard
New homes in England will need low carbon heating and on-site renewable generation. The regulations are law and take effect from 24 March 2027.
If someone offers you a Warm Homes Plan grant
There is no single Warm Homes Plan grant, and announced support such as the consumer loans is not open yet. Be cautious of anyone offering access to it, and check the scheme’s official guidance.
Who can get help, and when
The plan has no eligibility test of its own. Each scheme sets who it is for and how long it runs.
| Scheme | Who it is for | Where | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme | Property owners, including landlords, replacing fossil fuel or electric heating with a heat pump. No income test. | England and Wales | Open now. Extended to 2030. |
| Enhanced £9,000 off-gas grant | Homes off the mains gas grid replacing oil or LPG heating with an air-to-water or ground source heat pump. | England and Wales | Applications properly made by 31 March 2027. |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant | Lower-income households in homes rated EPC D to G: a means-tested benefit, a gross income of £36,000 or less, or an eligible postcode. | England | Open now, where the council has funding. Delivery to 31 March 2028. |
| ECO4 | Households on a qualifying benefit, or declared eligible by their council. | England, Scotland and Wales | Ends 31 December 2026. Work must be finished by then. |
| Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund | Social landlords apply. Tenants do not apply themselves. | Through your landlord | Running now. |
| Warm Homes loans | Households borrowing for solar panels, batteries or a heat pump. | To be confirmed | Not open in a way households can use: no lenders named yet. |
Not sure which applies to you? Our eligibility check covers the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, the Warm Homes: Local Grant and ECO4 in one go.
What homeowners should know
The plan by topic, and the page to read next for each.
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Heat pumps
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme continues: £7,500 towards an eligible heat pump in England and Wales.
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Insulation
Through the Warm Homes: Local Grant, or ECO4 until 31 December 2026. No general grant for every household.
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Solar panels and batteries
Grant-funded for eligible lower-income households in England. Government-backed loans have no named lenders yet.
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Lower-income households
£5 billion committed. Now: Warm Homes: Local Grant and Social Housing Fund; one scheme intended from 2027/28.
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Financing
Low- and zero-interest loans are being set up. No launch date or rates published yet.
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Landlords
Private rented homes expected to need EPC band C by 1 October 2030, with a £10,000 cost cap.
Each topic, in full Show less
Heat pumps
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme continues, with £7,500 towards an eligible air source or ground source heat pump in England and Wales, and up to £9,000 for qualifying oil and LPG homes off the gas grid until 31 March 2027. An air-to-air heat pump in a home attracts £2,500. Lower-income households in England may get a heat pump funded through the Warm Homes: Local Grant instead. The plan also announces a grant for heat batteries, which is not yet an approved grant category.
Insulation
For lower-income households in England, insulation is available through the Warm Homes: Local Grant. ECO4 can also fund insulation until 31 December 2026. There is currently no general insulation grant for every household.
Solar panels and batteries
Grant-funded solar and batteries are available to eligible lower-income households in England through the Warm Homes: Local Grant. Government-backed loans for solar and batteries are being rolled out through participating lenders, but no lenders had been named when we checked. There is no general solar grant for every household. Installed solar panels and batteries currently carry 0% VAT, until 31 March 2027, and small plug-in solar kits are now legal to buy and use in Great Britain.
Lower-income households
The plan commits £5 billion to low-income schemes. Today that means the Warm Homes: Local Grant (to 31 March 2028) and the Social Housing Fund; a single combined scheme is intended from 2027/28.
Financing
Low- and zero-interest loans for heat pumps, solar and batteries are being set up. Lenders are being appointed, but no launch date or interest rates have been published for households.
Landlords
Private rented homes in England and Wales are expected to need EPC band C by 1 October 2030, with a £10,000 cost cap per property. The policy is confirmed but still needs legislation. Support landlords can use today: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is open to landlords in England and Wales, and under the Warm Homes: Local Grant one rented property per landlord can be fully funded, with the landlord paying half the cost from the second property.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Warm Homes Plan?
The UK government’s plan, published on 21 January 2026, to upgrade homes and cut energy bills through to 2030, backed by £15 billion of public investment. It brings together existing schemes such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and the Warm Homes: Local Grant, and announces new support such as consumer loans.
Can I apply for a Warm Homes Plan grant?
There is no single “Warm Homes Plan grant” to apply for. You apply to the individual schemes that are open now — mainly the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, the Warm Homes: Local Grant and, until the end of 2026, ECO4.
Are the Warm Homes Plan loans available yet?
Not in a way households can use yet. The scheme rules describe a first launch phase from September 2026 through participating lenders, but no list of lenders or interest rates had been published when we checked. We will update this page when a lender can be named.
Does the Warm Homes Plan replace ECO4?
ECO4 ends on 31 December 2026 and the government has said there will be no successor energy supplier obligation. Support for lower-income households is moving to grant funding delivered through schemes such as the Warm Homes: Local Grant.
Who is eligible for the Warm Homes Plan?
There is no single eligibility test, because the plan is delivered through separate schemes. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is open to property owners in England and Wales with no income test. The Warm Homes: Local Grant is for lower-income households in England in homes rated EPC D to G. ECO4, until 31 December 2026, is for households on qualifying benefits or declared eligible by their council.
When does the Warm Homes Plan start?
It already has. The plan was published on 21 January 2026, and its main schemes are open now: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and the Warm Homes: Local Grant. What has not started for households is the newer support. The loans have no named lenders yet, and the single low-income scheme is intended from 2027/28.
Does the Warm Homes Plan include heat pump grants?
Yes, through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which the plan funds to 2029/30: £7,500 towards an eligible air source or ground source heat pump in England and Wales, £2,500 for an air-to-air heat pump in a home, and up to £9,000 for qualifying off-gas oil and LPG homes until 31 March 2027. Lower-income households in England may get a heat pump through the Warm Homes: Local Grant.
Does the Warm Homes Plan pay for solar panels?
Only for some households. Solar panels and batteries can be funded for eligible lower-income households in England through the Warm Homes: Local Grant. For everyone else the plan’s support is the loan scheme, with a cap of £15,000 for solar panels, which has no named lenders yet. There is no general solar grant.
What does the Warm Homes Plan mean for landlords?
Private rented homes in England and Wales are expected to need EPC band C by 1 October 2030, with a £10,000 cost cap per property. That is confirmed policy but still needs legislation. Landlords can use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme now, and under the Warm Homes: Local Grant one rented property per landlord can be fully funded, with a 50% landlord contribution from the second.
Does the Warm Homes Plan apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Only in part. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers England and Wales, the Warm Homes: Local Grant covers England only, and ECO4 covers England, Scotland and Wales. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own home energy schemes, and part of the plan’s funding is allocated to the devolved governments.
Is plug-in solar part of the Warm Homes Plan?
Plug-in solar kits of up to 800W became legal to buy and use in Great Britain in August 2026, following a separate government announcement. They are not a grant — you buy them yourself.
Want to know what applies to your home now?
Skip the policy detail — tell us about your property and we will help you understand which open scheme is most relevant.
or call 0121 838 3030