Boiler help you can get now
Free boilers for eligible households come mainly through ECO4, open until 31 December 2026. Here is what you can apply for now, including if you don't get benefits.
- 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.
- 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. It funds heat pumps, not gas boilers.
- Just need a gas boiler replaced? — outside ECO4, the national schemes in England do not pay for a like-for-like gas boiler: the Warm Homes: Local Grant cannot fund new gas boilers, and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is for heat pumps. Some councils run small emergency heating funds, so ask yours. In Scotland, Warmer Homes Scotland can still fund a new gas boiler where it suits the home.
- 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.
Can You Get a Free Boiler in 2026?
Yes — if you qualify for the ECO4 scheme, until it ends on 31 December 2026. Under the Energy Company Obligation, large energy suppliers fund boiler replacements for eligible households. This can include replacing broken, inefficient, or condemned boilers with modern A-rated condensing boilers, and it can be fully funded, though the installer may ask for a top-up. ECO4 is winding down with no new targets, so a boiler usually comes as part of a wider package where an installer still has capacity — see the options above for what carries on after ECO4.
An old G-rated boiler wastes up to 40% of the energy it uses. Replacing it with a modern A-rated boiler typically saves £300-400 per year on gas bills. If your boiler is over 10 years old and you're on qualifying benefits, you could get a brand new one installed for free.
ECO4 Boiler Replacement: What's Covered
- New A-rated condensing gas boiler — fully installed with all controls
- First-time central heating — if you currently use electric heaters, this can save £900+/year
- Radiator upgrades — where needed as part of the heating system
- Smart thermostat — included with most installations
- All labour and materials — no hidden costs
Who Qualifies for a Free Boiler?
To qualify under ECO4, you need to meet ALL of these criteria:
- Receive a qualifying benefit: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income-based JSA, Income-related ESA, Income Support or Housing Benefit (the Warm Home Discount is not a qualifying benefit; tax credits ended on 5 April 2025, so they no longer count)
- Own your property (or be a private tenant with landlord consent)
- Have an EPC rating of D, E, F, or G
- Have a broken, condemned, or inefficient existing boiler (typically 10+ years old)
Important: ECO4 focuses on "worst first" — homes with the lowest EPC ratings get priority. If your home is rated E, F, or G, you're in a strong position.
What About the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
Don't confuse ECO4 boiler replacement with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). BUS provides £7,500 towards a heat pump — not a gas boiler replacement. It's a different scheme with different eligibility criteria and doesn't require you to be on benefits.
How to Apply for a Free Boiler
- Check your eligibility with Great British Energy using our free tool (60 seconds)
- Get matched with a TrustMark-registered installer in your area
- A surveyor visits your home to assess the current system
- Installation is scheduled (typically 1-2 days)
- Your new boiler comes with a manufacturer's warranty (5-10 years)
⚠️ Funding Deadline: December 2026
ECO4 boiler replacement funding ends on 31 December 2026 and the work must be finished by then. Suppliers have no new targets for the extension, so fewer installers can take new ECO4 jobs as the year goes on. If you have an old boiler and you're on qualifying benefits, check your eligibility today — and if ECO4 is not available, look at the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (£7,500 off a heat pump, any income) and the Warm Homes: Local Grant.