ECO4 ends 31 December 2026 — what replaces it
ECO4 has been extended once, to 31 December 2026, so suppliers can finish existing targets and fix faulty installs only. There are no new targets, no carry-over and no ECO5. The Great British Insulation Scheme closed to new applications on 31 March 2026.
In England the replacement for low-income households is the Warm Homes: Local Grant — a £500m scheme delivered by councils and their appointed installers from April 2025 to March 2028, for privately owned and privately rented homes rated EPC D to G where the council is taking part. Owner-occupiers can have insulation, heating and solar fully funded. Tenants pay nothing; a landlord gets one home fully funded, then contributes 50% from the second.
One of these three routes must apply:
- Household income of £36,000 a year or less before tax; or
- Someone in the home gets one of: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance; or
- The home is in a postcode the government lists as among the most deprived (IMD deciles 1–2).
On top of one of those routes, the home must be rated EPC D to G and you must be an owner-occupier or a private tenant (with your landlord's consent — rented homes rated F or G need a registered MEES exemption). Social housing is not eligible.
Over 97% of eligible councils in England (271) are funded to deliver it, but funding and timing vary by area, and your council will usually contact you within 10 working days of a referral.
Check the Warm Homes route for your home →You can also apply directly through the government's checker on GOV.UK.
Not eligible, or paying yourself? The Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes £7,500 off an air source or ground source heat pump for most homeowners replacing fossil-fuel heating in England and Wales, with no income test and no EPC needed since 28 April 2026 (£9,000 for an air or ground source heat pump in oil- or LPG-heated homes with no mains gas connection, until 31 March 2027). The £150 Warm Home Discount comes off your electricity bill again this winter, and if you are buying solar, 0% VAT applies until 31 March 2027 — get a solar quote from one MCS-certified installer. Need a like-for-like gas boiler? The Warm Homes: Local Grant cannot fund new gas boilers, so outside ECO4 you would pay an installer’s quote — ask your council about any emergency heating fund.
Carers in the UK can access several energy grants in 2026 — but usually not through Carer’s Allowance alone. Carer’s Allowance by itself is not an ECO4 qualifying benefit. Most caring households qualify another way: through Universal Credit or Pension Credit, through the benefits of the person being cared for (ECO4 works at household level), or through a council LA Flex referral. Qualifying households can receive free insulation and boiler replacement through ECO4 until 31 December 2026, the £150 Warm Home Discount, and free priority support through the Priority Services Register.
Energy Grants Available to Carers
Whether you care full-time for a family member at home or receive Carer’s Allowance for looking after someone nearby, these are the schemes that matter in 2026:
| Scheme | What You Get | How Carers Qualify |
|---|---|---|
| ECO4 | Free insulation, boilers, heating upgrades | Household route: anyone in the home on a means-tested benefit (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support and others) |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant | Council-run funded upgrades in England | Lower-income households in EPC D–G homes — no specific benefit always required |
| LA Flex | Council referral into ECO4 funding | Low income or vulnerability — many councils include caring households |
| Warm Home Discount | £150 off the electricity bill | Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related ESA or Pension Credit on 23 August 2026 (England and Wales); usually automatic |
| Winter Fuel Payment | £100–£300/year | Carers born on or before 27 June 1960 (England, Wales, NI); HMRC takes it back if income is over £35,000 |
| Priority Services Register | Priority support from the energy supplier | The person you care for — and carers themselves — can register free |
The Household Rule — the Route Most Carers Miss
The single most important thing for carers to understand is that ECO4 eligibility works at household level, not individual level. The scheme asks whether anyone living in the property receives a qualifying means-tested benefit — not whose name is on the application.
In practice: if you live with the person you care for and they receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Income Support or another qualifying benefit, the home can qualify for free ECO4 improvements — regardless of whether your own Carer’s Allowance counts. The property also needs an EPC rating of D or below, which most older UK homes meet.
This is why so many caring households wrongly assume they’re ineligible. The benefit that unlocks the funding is often the one belonging to the person being cared for.
Does Carer’s Allowance Qualify on Its Own?
No — Carer’s Allowance is not on the ECO4 qualifying benefits list by itself. But before you close the tab, check the four routes that regularly work for carers:
- Universal Credit — many carers receive UC (often with the carer element). UC is a qualifying means-tested benefit in its own right.
- Pension Credit — older carers may qualify for Pension Credit, which carries an extra amount for carers. Pension Credit is a qualifying benefit, and it unlocks the Warm Home Discount automatically too.
- The household route — the person you live with and care for receives a qualifying benefit (see above).
- LA Flex — your council can refer low-income or vulnerable households into ECO4 funding without a listed benefit. Many councils treat caring responsibilities as a vulnerability factor. See our LA Flex guide.
If none of those fit, the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England funds upgrades for lower-income households in energy-inefficient homes without requiring a specific benefit — see our Warm Homes: Local Grant guide.
What the Funding Actually Covers
A qualifying household can receive, often fully funded through ECO4 (until 31 December 2026):
- Loft insulation — save up to £590/year on energy bills
- Cavity wall insulation — save up to £395/year
- Solid wall insulation — save up to £475/year
- Boiler replacement — new A-rated condensing boiler
- Air source heat pump — low-carbon heating system
- Underfloor insulation — for suspended timber floors
For a household where someone spends most of the day at home — which is the reality of most caring situations — heating and insulation upgrades matter more than for almost anyone else, because the heating is on more hours of the day.
Warm Home Discount — £150 Off Your Electricity Bill
The Warm Home Discount gives a one-off £150 discount on the electricity bill each winter. In England and Wales, carers qualify for winter 2026/27 if they (or their partner) got Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related ESA or Pension Credit on 23 August 2026, their name (or their partner's) is on the electricity bill and their supplier is part of the scheme; the old “high energy costs” test no longer applies. The winter 2026/27 scheme is running now: letters go out between late October 2026 and early January 2027. In most cases the letter confirms you qualify, with no application needed.
Priority Services Register — Built for Caring Households
The Priority Services Register (PSR) is free, has no eligibility test beyond need, and is genuinely useful for carers. Register the person you care for — and yourself as their carer — with the energy supplier and network operator to get:
- Priority reconnection during power cuts — critical where medical equipment, stairlifts or hoists rely on power
- Advance notice of planned outages — time to plan care around them
- The nominee scheme — bills and account communications can come to you as the carer, so nothing gets missed
- Password protection — verify that anyone at the door is a genuine engineer
- Accessible communications — large print, braille or audio
Contact the energy supplier directly to register — it takes minutes and costs nothing.
How to Apply
The fastest way to see every scheme the household qualifies for is the postcode checker. Have ready:
- Your postcode
- Benefits received by anyone in the household — including the person you care for
- Whether the home is owned or rented
- Roughly how the home is heated
If the person you care for owns the home, the application is made for their property — you can start the check on their behalf.