ECO4 ends 31 December 2026: what you can get now
If you were looking at ECO4, these are the schemes you can apply to today, and the ones that keep running after it closes.
- Warm Homes: Local Grant (England) — insulation, heat pumps and solar panels for privately owned or privately rented homes rated EPC D–G, through councils taking part, if household income is £36,000 or less, someone gets a qualifying means-tested benefit, or you live in one of the most deprived postcodes. Owner-occupiers can have the work fully funded; tenants pay nothing, and a landlord gets one home fully funded, then pays 50% from the second. It runs to March 2028. Apply free on GOV.UK; your council usually contacts you within 10 working days. How it works.
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England & Wales) — £7,500 off an air source or ground source heat pump for most homeowners replacing fossil-fuel heating — no income or benefits test, and since 28 April 2026 no valid EPC needed. 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. The installer claims it and takes it off the quote; you pay the rest. Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide.
- In Scotland or Wales? — the Warm Homes: Local Grant is England only. In Scotland, Warmer Homes Scotland funds insulation and heating (Home Energy Scotland, 0808 808 2282); in Wales, Nest does the same for free if you get a means-tested benefit such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit, or have a low income, and your home is rated EPC E or below, or D with certain health conditions (0808 808 2244).
- Warm Home Discount — £150 off your electricity bill for winter 2026/27. In England and Wales it is usually paid automatically if you got Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or income-related ESA on 23 August 2026. Who qualifies.
- ECO4, while it lasts — ECO4 can still fund work where a local installer has capacity, but only until 31 December 2026, and the work has to be finished, not just booked. There are no new targets and no ECO5. What replaces ECO4.
Sources, checked 10 October 2026: GOV.UK Warm Homes: Local Grant, GOV.UK Boiler Upgrade Scheme, SI 2026/390, Ofgem ECO, HMRC VAT Notice 708/6, GOV.UK Warm Home Discount, Home Energy Scotland, gov.wales Nest.
Yes — You Can Stack Multiple Grants
UK homeowners can combine multiple energy grant schemes to maximise their free upgrades. Each scheme is independent, with its own eligibility criteria and funding. Here's exactly what you can combine.
The Best Combination: ECO4 + Boiler Upgrade Scheme
This is the golden combo:
- Step 1: Get free insulation through ECO4 (loft, cavity wall, solid wall)
- Step 2: Apply for £7,500 BUS grant for a heat pump
- Step 3: Your now well-insulated home runs efficiently on the heat pump
Together they can cover much of the cost of both the insulation and the heat pump.
This works because ECO4 and BUS are completely separate schemes run by different departments. There's no rule against using both.
What You CAN Stack
- ✅ ECO4 insulation + BUS heat pump grant (£7,500)
- ✅ ECO4 insulation + Smart Export Guarantee (solar earnings)
- ✅ LA Flex insulation + BUS heat pump grant (the GBIS route closed 31 March 2026)
- ✅ ECO4 measures + Warm Home Discount (£150 bill credit)
- ✅ Any scheme + local council grants (where available)
- ✅ ECO4 + Scottish/Welsh specific schemes (HES, Nest)
What You CAN'T Stack
- ❌ ECO4 and GBIS for the SAME measure (e.g., both paying for cavity wall insulation)
- ❌ ECO4 boiler replacement + BUS for the same property (both cover heating, pick one)
- ❌ Two applications to the same scheme for the same property
The Ideal Order
- Insulation first (ECO4 or LA Flex) — reduces heat loss
- Heating upgrade second (BUS heat pump or ECO4 boiler) — efficient in insulated home
- Solar panels third (ECO4 or self-funded) — generate free electricity
- Smart Export Guarantee — earn money from excess solar
This order maximises savings because each step builds on the previous one.
Check What You Qualify For
Our eligibility checker shows all schemes you qualify for at once. Most people are surprised they can access multiple programmes.