The short answer: Yes — you can still get free or funded home insulation and heating in 2026 even if you don't claim any benefits. The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) closed to new applications on 31 March 2026, but two routes remain open for households without benefits: ECO4 LA Flex (where your local council sets its own eligibility rules, running until 31 December 2026) and the Warm Homes: Local Grant (for lower-income, privately-owned homes in England, running until March 2028, with a household income threshold usually around £36,000 a year). Which one fits depends on your council, your home's energy rating, and your income — not on whether you receive benefits.
"I don't get benefits — can I still get a grant?"
This is the most common question we get, and since GBIS closed it has only become more common. Most of the headline energy-grant schemes — like the main ECO4 route — are benefits-gated: you have to receive a qualifying benefit such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit to qualify. GBIS used to be the obvious answer for everyone else, because it qualified households by council tax band rather than income. With GBIS now closed to new applicants, that gap has to be filled by two other routes.
The good news: both of those routes are designed specifically for people who don't claim benefits but are still on a modest income or living in a hard-to-heat home. They just work differently from a national scheme — your local council is in the driving seat. Here's exactly how each one works, who qualifies, and how to apply.
Quick comparison: the two no-benefits routes in 2026
| ECO4 LA Flex | Warm Homes: Local Grant | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A flexible route within ECO4 where councils set their own eligibility criteria | A government grant delivered by councils for low-income, energy-inefficient homes |
| Who it's for | Households in fuel poverty or on a low income and vulnerable to a cold home — no benefits needed | Lower-income households in privately-owned or privately-rented homes in England |
| Income test | Set locally by your council (published in its "Statement of Intent") | Household income usually £36,000/year or less (with some alternative pathways) |
| Home type | Private tenure only (owner-occupier or private rental; social housing excluded) | Privately owned or privately rented; England only |
| What it covers | Insulation and heating measures under ECO4 | Insulation and low-carbon heating upgrades |
| Runs until | 31 December 2026 (supplier funding tightening after 31 March 2026) | March 2028 |
| Who decides | Your local council + an obligated energy supplier | Your local council |
Sources: Ofgem ECO4 LA & Supplier Flex guidance; GOV.UK Warm Homes: Local Grant. Always confirm current criteria with your own council.
ECO4 LA Flex: how "flexible eligibility" works
ECO4 is the government's main energy-efficiency scheme, funded by an obligation placed on large energy suppliers (it is not paid for out of your taxes, and it is free to the household). Most ECO4 help goes to people on qualifying benefits — but suppliers are allowed to deliver up to half of their obligation through a flexible route called LA Flex (Local Authority Flexible Eligibility).
Under LA Flex, your local council can refer households it considers to be:
- living in fuel poverty, or
- on a low income and vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home.
Crucially, you do not need to be on benefits. Each council publishes a document called a Statement of Intent that sets out the exact income levels, health conditions, and other criteria it will use. Because every council writes its own, the rules genuinely differ from one area to the next — which is why the honest answer to "do I qualify?" is "it depends on your council." Our LA Flex eligibility guide covers the typical income thresholds and qualifying health conditions in more detail.
Who and what is eligible:
- Tenure: private only — owner-occupiers and private renters (with landlord consent). Council and social housing are excluded from flexible eligibility.
- Property: your home usually needs a lower EPC rating (typically D–G) showing it needs the improvement.
- Measures: insulation (loft, cavity wall, and more) and heating measures, depending on what your home needs and what your supplier will fund.
Timing note: LA Flex officially runs until 31 December 2026, but energy suppliers are no longer adding new funding beyond 31 March 2026, so available funding is tightening. If LA Flex is your route, it's worth checking sooner rather than later.
Warm Homes: Local Grant — the longer-running route
The Warm Homes: Local Grant is a separate government scheme that runs from April 2025 to March 2028 — so it has the longest runway of any current route. Local authorities deliver it in their areas, managing applications and arranging the home survey and the work. Read our dedicated Warm Homes: Local Grant guide for the full detail.
Who it's for:
- Lower-income households — income is usually £36,000 a year or less, though some councils accept alternative qualifying pathways if you're just over the threshold but have other vulnerabilities.
- Privately-owned or privately-rented homes in England that are energy-inefficient (a lower EPC rating).
What it covers: energy-efficiency improvements (such as insulation) and low-carbon heating upgrades, aimed at cutting bills and improving warmth in homes that are expensive to heat.
Because it's income-based rather than benefits-based, Warm Homes: Local Grant is often the right answer for working households who don't claim benefits but are still feeling the squeeze.
Which route is right for you?
A simple way to think about it:
- Private homeowner/renter on a modest income, no benefits → start with your council's LA Flex criteria (it can cover both insulation and heating, but funding is tightening through 2026).
- Lower-income household (income roughly £36k or under) in a privately-owned home in England → the Warm Homes: Local Grant is likely your best long-term route (open to 2028).
- You DO claim a qualifying benefit (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, and others) → you may qualify for mainstream ECO4 — see our ECO4 scheme guide and ECO4 eligibility guide.
- Not sure? Use the eligibility checker — it compares all the live routes for you in about a minute.
How to apply (step by step)
- Check your eligibility using the checker above, or look up your council's ECO4 Flexible Eligibility "Statement of Intent" and its Warm Homes: Local Grant page.
- Get matched to a route and an installer — for LA Flex this means a participating energy supplier; for Warm Homes it's your local authority's delivery partner.
- Home survey — an assessor visits to confirm what measures your home needs and that you meet the criteria.
- Installation — the work is carried out by certified (TrustMark-registered) installers at no cost to you under these routes.
- EPC update — your Energy Performance Certificate is updated to reflect the improvement.
What happened to GBIS?
The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) closed to new GOV.UK referrals on 31 March 2026. It was the scheme that qualified households by council tax band (A–D in England) rather than by benefits, so its closure mainly affects people without benefits — exactly the group LA Flex and Warm Homes are designed for. If you were counting on GBIS, those two routes are where to look next. For the full picture, see our Great British Insulation Scheme — what to check next guide and our free insulation grants overview.