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.
All Energy Grants Available to Pensioners
Pensioners in the UK can access multiple energy grants and support schemes. If you receive Pension Credit, you unlock the most generous support — including home improvements that can be fully funded for eligible households. Here's every scheme available in 2026. On Attendance Allowance? Attendance Allowance doesn't qualify on its own for ECO4; Pension Credit does. See boiler grants with Attendance Allowance for every route. For a quick ranked list, read our best energy grants for pensioners.
| Scheme | What You Get | Who Qualifies |
|---|---|---|
| ECO4 | Free insulation, boilers, heat pumps | Pension Credit recipients |
| GBIS | Closed 31 March 2026 | Was: council tax bands A-D (no benefits needed) |
| Warm Home Discount | £150 off electricity bill | Pension Credit (Guarantee) — automatic |
| Winter Fuel Payment | £100-£300/year | Born on or before 27 June 1960 (England, Wales, NI); HMRC takes it back if your income is over £35,000 |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme | £7,500 towards heat pump | All homeowners (no income test) |
ECO4 — Free Home Improvements Through Pension Credit
Pension Credit is a qualifying benefit for ECO4; your home must also qualify (usually EPC D–G). These measures can be fully funded for eligible households (the installer may ask for a top-up):
- Loft insulation — save up to £590/year
- 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
- Underfloor insulation — for suspended timber floors
Your home must have an EPC rating requirements of D or below (most older properties qualify). Check your eligibility now.
Important: Around 880,000 pensioners who are eligible for Pension Credit don't claim it. If you're on a low income in retirement, check your Pension Credit eligibility first — it unlocks thousands of pounds in energy grants.
Warm Home Discount — £150 Off Your Electricity Bill
The Warm Home Discount provides a one-off £150 discount on your electricity bill each winter. If you receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, you should receive this automatically — no application needed. Your energy supplier applies the credit between October and March.
You don't need to call anyone or fill in forms. If you're on Pension Credit (Guarantee) and haven't received it, contact your energy supplier.
New for January 2027: if you live in a council tax band A–D home in England as your main home and pay its council tax, you should also get the £100 Household Energy Payment. It is paid by your council, automatically if you pay council tax by direct debit. Nobody else should contact you about it.
Winter Fuel Payment 2026
The Winter Fuel Payment is a yearly payment to help with heating costs. For winter 2026 to 2027 you can get it if you were born on or before 27 June 1960 and usually live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. If you live alone, or no one you live with is eligible, you get:
- Born before 28 September 1946: £300
- Born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960: £200
If you live with someone else who's eligible, you may get £100 to £300, depending on your ages and whether either of you gets Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related ESA (GOV.UK).
Since winter 2025/26 you don't need to be on benefits to get it, but if your total income is over £35,000, HMRC takes it back through your tax code or Self Assessment. Most people are paid automatically in November or December 2026, after a letter in October or November. If you're on Universal Credit or Pension Credit, see the other grants on this page too. In Scotland, the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment replaces it.
Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) — No Benefits Needed
GBIS used to offer free insulation without benefits to homes in council tax band energy grants A-D, but it closed on 31 March 2026. If you don't receive Pension Credit or any benefits, the route now is the Warm Homes: Local Grant income route: household income of £36,000 or less before tax, in a home rated EPC D–G, with no benefits needed (England). In Scotland, Warmer Homes Scotland also helps people aged 75+ with no working heating.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)
All homeowners — regardless of income or benefits — can receive a £7,500 government grant towards an air source heat pump through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. This reduces the typical cost from £12,000 to around £4,500. The scheme has been extended to 2030, with vouchers issued until 31 December 2029.
How to Claim Pension Credit
If you're not already claiming Pension Credit and think you might be eligible, you can apply:
- Online: at gov.uk/pension-credit
- By phone: 0800 99 1234 (free, Mon-Fri 8am-6pm)
- By post: download the form from gov.uk
You may qualify for Pension Credit if your weekly income is below £238 (single) or £363.25 (couple), the 2026/27 rates on GOV.UK. Claiming Pension Credit unlocks ECO4 and the Warm Home Discount.