£100 Household Energy Payment for bands A–D (from January 2027)
The Budget on 28 October 2026 announced a one-off £100 Household Energy Payment for every household in council tax bands A to D in England that lives in the home as its main home and is liable for the council tax. Payments start from January 2027.
- Pay council tax by direct debit? You don’t need to do anything. GOV.UK says the money will be paid straight into your bank account.
- Don’t pay by direct debit? Your council will invite you to apply.
- Not included: second homes, empty homes, and households where someone else, such as a landlord, pays the council tax. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will decide their own support.
- Band E or above? Councils get a £100 million discretionary fund for households who miss out but need help.
Read our full guide: £100 Household Energy Payment: who gets it and when.
Only your council pays this. You never apply through us, and we will never contact you about it. GOV.UK: “Nobody other than your council should get in touch asking you to claim the rebate.” Source: DESNZ, 28 October 2026.
What Your Council Tax Band Meant — and What Replaces It
Until 31 March 2026, a home in council tax bands A–D (A–E in Scotland and Wales) qualified for free insulation through the Great British Insulation Scheme — no benefits needed. GBIS has now closed to new applications. The main routes still open are ECO4 (often fully funded improvements if you receive a qualifying benefit) and LA Flex, which lets your council refer you into ECO4 funding without benefits.
GBIS has closed: what you can get instead
The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026 and was not extended. If you wanted free or cheap insulation, these are the routes open today.
- No benefits? Use the income or postcode route (England) — no scheme uses council tax bands any more. The closest replacement is the Warm Homes: Local Grant: household income of £36,000 or less, or a home in one of the most deprived postcodes, in a home rated EPC D–G. Check the postcode route.
- 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 low-income households in homes rated EPC E or below (0808 808 2244).
- 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.
- Paying yourself? — Insulation, heat pumps and solar panels installed in your home carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027 (5% after that). Installers quote the cost you pay.
- 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.
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.
Key fact: the council tax band route (GBIS) closed on 31 March 2026. If your home is in bands A–D and you do not claim benefits, LA Flex is now the main no-benefits route — your council can refer you into ECO4 based on low income, health conditions, or a poor EPC rating.
Grants for Homes in Council Tax Bands A–D (2026)
| Scheme | What You Get | Cost to You |
|---|---|---|
| ECO4 | Free insulation, boilers, heat pumps (qualifying benefit needed) | £0 |
| LA Flex | ECO4 measures without benefits, via your council | £0 |
| GBIS | Closed to new applications 31 March 2026 | — |
| Warm Home Discount | £150 off electricity bill | £0 |
| Household Support Fund | Ended 31 March 2026; now the Crisis and Resilience Fund (via council) | £0 |
ECO4 — What You Can Get
If you receive a qualifying benefit — or your council refers you through LA Flex — you can access all ECO4 measures, provided your home has an EPC rating of D or below. Available improvements include:
- Loft insulation — save up to £590/year on energy bills
- Cavity wall insulation — save up to £395/year
- Solid wall insulation (internal or external) — save up to £475/year
- Boiler replacement — new A-rated condensing boiler
- Air source heat pump — low-carbon heating system
- Room-in-roof insulation — for converted lofts
- Underfloor insulation — for suspended timber floors
- First-time central heating — if you've never had central heating
How to Apply for ECO4
- Check eligibility online — use our free checker (60 seconds)
- Provide proof of eligibility — a recent benefits award letter, or your council's LA Flex declaration if you are applying without benefits
- Home survey — a surveyor visits to assess your property (1-2 weeks)
- Receive recommendation — you're told which measures you qualify for
- Installation — work is carried out by TrustMark-registered installers (1-3 days)
The entire process takes 4-8 weeks from application to completion.
Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS)
The Great British Insulation Scheme was the scheme built around council tax bands. GBIS closed to new applications on 31 March 2026. While it was open, it provided free insulation through two pathways:
- Benefits pathway: for households on qualifying benefits
- Council tax band pathway: if your home is in bands A-D (no benefits needed)
GBIS covered loft insulation and cavity wall insulation before it closed. If you missed it, LA Flex and ECO4 are the live routes to the same measures in 2026.
Warm Home Discount
Regardless of your council tax band, you may qualify for the Warm Home Discount — a £150 one-off credit applied to your electricity bill. In England and Wales you may qualify for winter 2026/27 if you (or your partner) got Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related ESA or Pension Credit on 23 August 2026, your name (or your partner's) is on the electricity bill and your supplier is part of the scheme. You'll get a letter between late October 2026 and early January 2027, and most people don't need to do anything. In Scotland, you may need to apply to your supplier.
Household Support Fund
The Household Support Fund ended on 31 March 2026. In England, council help with essential costs, including gas and electricity bills, is now the Crisis and Resilience Fund, which runs to March 2029. Contact your council directly to find out what's available in your area — eligibility varies by council. See what replaced the Household Support Fund.
What Documents Do You Need?
- Benefits award letter — if applying through the benefits route (LA Flex applicants: your council confirms eligibility instead)
- Proof of address — utility bill or council tax bill
- Landlord permission — if you're a private tenant (your landlord must consent to the work)