Independent Energy Guide

Energy grants and upgrades that cut your bills

Solar, heat pumps, insulation or a new boiler: see what's worth doing, what it really costs, and every grant that helps pay for it.

Independent & unbiased MCS-certified installers Eligibility checks completed

What do you want to sort out?

Pick a goal. We'll show you what usually works, what it costs, and any grant that helps pay for it.

Looking for a grant first? See every scheme that's open

What it really costs

Air source heat pump
£5,400
Typical price after the £7,500 grant. The median install was £12,900 before it (DESNZ, April to June 2026).
Heat pump costs
4kW solar system
£6,600 to £7,800
Installed, and worth about £630 to £760 a year at October 2026 prices without a battery (DESNZ, PVGIS).
Solar panel costs
Insulation, if you qualify
£0
The Warm Homes: Local Grant can fully fund insulation and heating for eligible owner-occupiers in England, through participating councils. Tenants pay nothing; landlords may contribute.
Who qualifies

Every grant you can still get

Checked against GOV.UK, Ofgem and the Scottish and Welsh schemes. Updated September 2026.

Check what you qualify for

2026 to 2027 at a glance

  1. Great British Insulation Scheme closed
  2. Heat pump grant drops the EPC rule and adds £2,500 for air-to-air
  3. £9,000 heat pump grant for oil and LPG homes off mains gas
  4. Warm Home Discount opens for winter 2026/27
  5. ECO4 ends. Work must be finished by then
  6. £9,000 rate ends and 0% VAT goes back to 5%

Two minutes to know where you stand

  1. 01

    Tell us about your home

    Your postcode, the type of property, how it's heated, and whether you'd pay yourself or need a grant.

  2. 02

    See your options

    The grants you qualify for, the upgrades worth doing, and what they typically cost where you live.

  3. 03

    One quote, if you want it

    If an accredited installer covers your area, we'll pass your enquiry to them, and only them. Not a marketplace, and no calls from five firms.

It's free for you. If you ask for a quote, the installer pays us for the introduction.

What is Great British Energy?

An independent guide to upgrading your home: which upgrades are worth it, what they cost, and every grant that can help. We're not the government's Great British Energy (gbe.gov.uk), and we're not an energy supplier. More about us

4,800+households have checked their options with us since February 2026.

  • One installer, never a marketplace

    Your details go to one suitable installer that covers your area, and only when you ask for a quote. Your enquiry is not passed to anyone else.

  • Checked against the source

    Grant figures are checked against GOV.UK, Ofgem and the Scottish and Welsh schemes, and each guide shows when.

  • Certified installers only

    Before we introduce anyone, we check their MCS registration for solar, batteries and heat pumps, or TrustMark for insulation.

  • Straight about costs

    Grants don't cover everything. When they don't, we say so and show what the upgrade really costs.

UK energy grants available in 2026 include the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (£7,500 towards a heat pump in England and Wales, or £9,000 for an air or ground source heat pump in oil- or LPG-heated homes with no mains gas until 31 March 2027), the Warm Homes: Local Grant (upgrades for lower-income homes in England through participating councils, fully funded for owner-occupiers, to March 2028), 0% VAT on solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and insulation until 31 March 2027, the Warm Home Discount (£150 off electricity bills) and ECO4, which closes on 31 December 2026. Scotland has Home Energy Scotland and Warmer Homes Scotland, and Wales has Nest. See what Great British Energy is and all UK energy grants.

The guides people read most

Grants

Upgrades and costs

Quotes and local help

For businesses

Straight answers

Something we haven't covered? Email hello@greatbritishenergy.com

Do I have to qualify for a grant to use this?
No. Grants are one part of it. The checker also shows which upgrades are worth paying for, roughly what they cost, and whether the £7,500 heat pump grant or 0% VAT brings the price down. The heat pump grant has no income test.
Am I eligible for free home improvements?
Possibly. In England, the Warm Homes: Local Grant can fully fund upgrades for owner-occupiers with a household income of £36,000 or less, on a qualifying benefit, or in a low-income postcode, in homes rated EPC D–G where the council is taking part (tenants pay nothing; landlords may contribute), and ECO4 runs until 31 December 2026. Scotland has Warmer Homes Scotland and Wales has Nest. The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026. Enter your postcode above to check.
How much can I save with solar panels?
A typical 4kW system costs about £6,600 to £7,800 installed and is worth roughly £630 to £760 a year at October 2026 prices without a battery, so it pays back in about 9 to 12 years depending on where you live. The full workings, city by city, are in are solar panels worth it? and solar panel costs.
What is the ECO4 scheme?
ECO4 is an energy supplier scheme that funds insulation and heating upgrades for low-income and benefit households, including loft and cavity wall insulation, boiler replacements and first-time central heating. It ends on 31 December 2026 and the work has to be finished by then. See what replaces it.
How does the Boiler Upgrade Scheme work?
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes £7,500 off an air source or ground source heat pump, or £2,500 off an air-to-air heat pump, in England and Wales. Homes heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas connection get £9,000 off an air source or ground source heat pump until 31 March 2027. You must own the property (landlords included), and since 28 April 2026 you don't need an Energy Performance Certificate. Your installer applies for the grant and takes it off the price.
Do I need planning permission for solar panels?
Usually not. Solar panels on a house roof are normally permitted development. Listed buildings and some conservation areas are the main exceptions, so check with your council if either applies.
How long does a heat pump installation take?
A typical air source heat pump takes 2 to 3 days to fit. Ground source systems take longer, usually 1 to 2 weeks, because of the ground loop. Your installer surveys the home first. See heat pump costs and whether heat pumps are worth it.
How does Great British Energy make money?
Installers pay us when we introduce you, and we only introduce you when you've asked for a quote. It's free for you, and we pass your details to one installer, not a list. More about how we work.

See what you can get for your home

Two minutes. The grants you qualify for, the upgrades worth doing, and one installer quote if you want it.

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Part of the UK Property Tools Network. Check your EPC baseline, council tax band and nearby planning before you commit to an upgrade.