The short answer: If you’re on a lower income or a means-tested benefit in Wales, start with Nest: the Welsh Government scheme can fit a heat pump, insulation or solar panels for free in homes rated EPC E or below (or D or below with an eligible health condition). Call 0808 808 2244. If you don’t qualify, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes £7,500 off a heat pump with no income test, Green Homes Wales offers interest-free loans of £1,000 to £25,000, and the UK-wide Warm Homes Loan covers solar, batteries and heat pumps. England’s Warm Homes: Local Grant doesn’t apply in Wales.
Last verified: 30 October 2026 against GOV.WALES (Nest), the Development Bank of Wales and GOV.UK.
Energy grants and loans in Wales at a glance
| Scheme | What you get | Who | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest (Welsh Government) | Free package: heat pump, insulation, solar panels; boiler or storage heater repair if you have no heating | Owners and private tenants on a means-tested benefit or low income, EPC E or below (D with a health condition) | Call 0808 808 2244 |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme | £7,500 off an air or ground source heat pump; £9,000 for oil or LPG homes with no mains gas until 31 March 2027 | Property owners in England and Wales; no income test | Through an MCS-certified installer |
| Green Homes Wales | Interest-free loans £1,000–£25,000, free retrofit assessment, some grants alongside | Owner-occupiers in Wales; not means-tested; credit checks | Register interest with the Development Bank of Wales |
| Warm Homes Loan | Low-rate and some interest-free loans for solar, batteries and heat pumps | Homeowners, including private landlords borrowing personally (scheme rules), UK-wide; credit checks | Through a lender or installer |
| ECO4 | Insulation and heating | Qualifying means-tested benefits | Through energy suppliers, until 31 December 2026 |
| Warm Home Discount | £150 off your electricity bill | Certain means-tested benefits | Usually automatic in England and Wales |
| 0% VAT | No VAT on installed solar, batteries, heat pumps and insulation | Everyone | On your installer’s invoice, until 31 March 2027 |
Nest: free home energy upgrades in Wales
Nest is the Welsh Government’s scheme for free energy advice and home improvements. For eligible households it can fund a package of measures such as a heat pump, insulation or solar panels. If your home has no heating or hot water, you may be able to get a boiler or electric storage heaters repaired or replaced. An assessor visits to work out a package for your home.
Who qualifies for Nest
- Tenure: you own your home or rent it privately. Council and housing association homes are not included. Private tenants need their landlord’s permission.
- Income: you get a qualifying means-tested benefit, or you live in a low-income household.
- EPC: the home is rated 54 (E) or less, or 68 (D) or less if someone in the household has an eligible health condition. D-rated homes without one go on a reserve list.
Qualifying means-tested benefits are: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Council Tax Reduction related to income, and Child Tax Credit with an individual income below £18,660 a year.
Low-income thresholds depend on who lives with you and are measured after mortgage or rent. Nest doesn’t count disability-related payments as income. Some examples from GOV.WALES:
| Household | Annual income below |
|---|---|
| Single adult, no children | £15,521 |
| Single pensioner | £15,521 |
| Couple, no children (or pensioner couple) | £23,166 |
| Couple with one child under 14 | £27,799 |
| Couple with two children under 14 | £32,433 |
| Couple with two children 14 or over | £38,456 |
Eligible health conditions include respiratory disease (such as asthma or COPD), circulatory disease (such as heart disease or stroke), mental health conditions, dementia, and intellectual and developmental disorders. You’ll need evidence such as a prescription or a GP letter.
How to apply: call Nest free on 0808 808 2244 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm) or request a callback on GOV.WALES. If phone calls are hard for you, email advicewales@est.org.uk. Calls and emails are welcome in Welsh. Even if you don’t qualify, Nest can advise on other grants, tariffs and benefits.
Solar panel grants in Wales
There is no Wales-wide solar grant for everyone, but there are four routes:
- Free through Nest, if you meet the income and EPC rules above. Solar panels are one of the measures Nest can include.
- Interest-free through Green Homes Wales: solar PV, solar PV with a battery, and solar thermal are on its list of eligible measures.
- Low-rate through the Warm Homes Loan: up to £15,000 for solar and £15,000 for a battery, some interest-free. See solar panel loans.
- 0% VAT on installed solar and batteries until 31 March 2027, and export payments through the Smart Export Guarantee.
Heat pump grants in Wales
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme applies in Wales exactly as in England: £7,500 off an air source or ground source heat pump, with no income test. If your home is heated by oil or LPG and has no mains gas, it’s £9,000 until 31 March 2027; see the £9,000 oil and LPG grant. Your MCS-certified installer applies for you.
The Development Bank of Wales says Green Homes Wales can provide top-up funding alongside a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, covering the heat pump, fitting, pipework and radiators. You can also pay the rest with a Warm Homes Loan for a heat pump.
Green Homes Wales: interest-free loans
Green Homes Wales is a Welsh Government initiative managed by the Development Bank of Wales. It offers:
- Interest-free loans of £1,000 to £25,000, repaid over up to 10 years (possibly longer for larger projects), with a 6-month repayment holiday at the start;
- a fully funded home assessment by a retrofit coordinator;
- grants alongside the loan for some measures (not on their own).
Who can apply: homeowners in Wales, for their main home. It isn’t means-tested, but you must pass credit and affordability checks. New builds and listed buildings aren’t covered, and landlords can’t apply at the moment. The loans are unsecured.
What it covers includes heat pumps, biomass, high heat retention storage heaters, solar PV (with or without a battery), solar thermal, insulation, high-performance glazing, draught proofing and heating controls. Installers must be TrustMark-registered (PAS 2030), and MCS-certified for low-carbon technology such as heat pumps and solar. They can’t be a member of your household or immediate family.
How to apply: the Development Bank of Wales asks you to call Nest first for general advice, then register your interest on its website. Funding is first come, first served, and there may be a waiting list.
Other help for Welsh households
- ECO4 runs in Wales until 31 December 2026 for people on qualifying benefits. See what replaces ECO4.
- £150 Warm Home Discount: usually automatic in England and Wales if you got Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or income-related ESA on 23 August 2026, your supplier is in the scheme and your name (or your partner’s) is on the bill. Some people get a letter asking them to confirm details by 26 February 2027.
- The £100 Household Energy Payment is for England only. The government says Wales will receive additional funding (through the Barnett formula, according to the Budget), and the Welsh Government will decide how best to use it. See our £100 payment guide. Council tax bands in Wales are based on 2003 values and run from A to I.
- The Warm Homes: Local Grant is England only; Nest is the closest Welsh scheme.
Watch out for grant scams. Nest is free and you contact it on 0808 808 2244 or through GOV.WALES. Don’t pay anyone a fee to “register” you for a grant, and be wary of cold calls. Forward scam texts to 7726 and scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
Energy grants in Wales: common questions
What is the Nest scheme in Wales?
Nest is a Welsh Government scheme that gives free energy advice and, for eligible households, a free package of home improvements such as a heat pump, insulation or solar panels. You can call Nest free on 0808 808 2244, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.
Who is eligible for Nest?
You must own or privately rent your home, and either get a means-tested benefit (such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit or Council Tax Reduction related to income) or live in a low-income household. The home must have an EPC rating of 54 (E) or less, or 68 (D) or less if someone in the household has an eligible health condition.
Are there solar panel grants in Wales?
Yes, for some homes. Nest can include solar panels in a free package for eligible lower-income households. There is no solar grant for everyone, but Green Homes Wales offers interest-free loans that cover solar PV and batteries, the Warm Homes Loan offers low-rate and some interest-free loans, and installed solar pays 0% VAT until 31 March 2027.
Can I get the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in Wales?
Yes. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is open in England and Wales: £7,500 off an air or ground source heat pump, or £9,000 if you’re replacing oil or LPG and have no mains gas, until 31 March 2027. There is no income test.
What is Green Homes Wales?
A Welsh Government scheme run by the Development Bank of Wales. It offers interest-free loans of £1,000 to £25,000 over up to 10 years, a fully funded retrofit assessment and, for some measures, a grant alongside the loan. It isn’t means-tested, but you must own the home, live in it as your main home and pass credit checks. Landlords can’t apply at the moment.
Does the Warm Homes: Local Grant cover Wales?
No. GOV.UK says the Warm Homes: Local Grant is only available in England. In Wales, the closest free route is Nest.
Is ECO4 available in Wales?
Yes, until it ends on 31 December 2026. ECO4 is run through energy suppliers across Great Britain for people on qualifying benefits.
Do Welsh households get the £100 Household Energy Payment?
Not the England scheme. The government says Wales will receive additional funding (the Budget says through the Barnett formula), and the Welsh Government will decide how best to use it to provide similar support. Watch GOV.WALES for an announcement.
Is Great British Energy Guide part of the Welsh Government?
No. We are an independent grants guide. We are not the Welsh Government, Nest, the Development Bank of Wales, your council or the government-owned Great British Energy company.