The short answer: The Warm Homes: Local Grant has not closed. It runs until 31 March 2028. But each council gets a yearly allocation, and several have already used their money for 2026/27. As of 29 October 2026, Liverpool, Northumberland, Stoke-on-Trent, Tunbridge Wells, West Northamptonshire and West Suffolk say on their own websites that they are full or closed to new applicants, and London reports high demand and waiting lists. There is no national list of which councils are open, so check your own council’s page. Many are taking interest or keeping waiting lists for the final year, which starts on 1 April 2027.
Every status below is quoted from the council’s own website, checked 29 October 2026. Councils change these pages without notice, so check yours before you rely on it.
Councils that say they are full or closed for 2026/27
| Council | What its own page says | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Liverpool Our Liverpool grants guide | “Now oversubscribed for year two which runs from 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2027.” Source: Liverpool City Council, checked 29 Oct 2026 | Register interest for year three (from 1 April 2027) through the GOV.UK portal |
| Northumberland Our Northumberland grants guide | “We are currently oversubscribed for Warm Homes: Local Grant so we are not processing anymore applications” (notice dated 30 July 2026) Source: Northumberland County Council, checked 29 Oct 2026 | You can still apply to be considered if the council receives further funding |
| Stoke-on-Trent Our Stoke-on-Trent grants guide | The council has “utilised their current funding allocation for the period 01 April 2026 – 31 March 2027” and is “not currently able to progress any further applications” Source: Stoke-on-Trent City Council, checked 29 Oct 2026 | Wait for the next funding year; the grant runs to March 2028 |
| Tunbridge Wells | “We aren’t currently accepting applications as the scheme is oversubscribed.” Source: Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, checked 29 Oct 2026 | “Check back regularly to see if applications have been reopened” |
| West Northamptonshire Our Northampton grants guide | “Now closed for 2026/27 as the annual allocation has been reached” (14 October 2026) Source: West Northamptonshire Council, checked 29 Oct 2026 | Applications still processed onto a waiting list; residents contacted after 1 April 2027 |
| West Suffolk | Its funding page lists the Warm Homes: Local Grant as “closed to new applicants” Source: West Suffolk Council, checked 29 Oct 2026 | Confirm with the council or Warm Homes Suffolk; parts of the page still show how to apply |
London: high demand and capped queues
The Greater London Authority runs the grant for London boroughs. Its page says “there is currently high demand and a large volume of applications” and that waits will be longer. Each borough’s queue is capped at “up to 250% of the funding allocated to that local authority”. Once a borough’s queue is full, new applications go on a waiting list, and “being in the queue does not guarantee funding”. The GLA says its delivery partners are DOMNA and LMF, and that Sureserve no longer manages the scheme. See our London energy grants guide.
Reported elsewhere, not yet confirmed by us
Press reports also name Leeds (“not accepting new applications at this time”, via warmhomesleeds.co.uk) and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough partnership (reported by the i Paper on 20 September 2026 to have allocated its entire £3.5m for this year). We couldn’t open the councils’ own pages to confirm these, so check directly: Leeds, Cambridge, Peterborough.
Your council isn’t listed? That doesn’t mean it’s open. No one publishes a national register. Use the steps below, or start with the free eligibility checker to see every route you could use now.
Why are councils running out?
The Warm Homes: Local Grant is a £500 million scheme. Councils and consortia bid for it and get a set amount for each project year. Project year two runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. Demand has been far higher than the money in many areas. Lewisham, for example, was reported to have found 4,500 eligible homes with money for about 800. When a council’s allocation for the year is committed, it either stops taking applications or starts a waiting list.
The final project year starts on 1 April 2027, and the scheme ends on 31 March 2028. Some councils, such as West Northamptonshire, say they already have a year-three budget.
How to check if your council’s Warm Homes grant is full
- Find your council’s Warm Homes: Local Grant page. Search “[your council] Warm Homes Local Grant”, or start from our council guides. In some areas a combined authority or a partner such as Warm Homes Suffolk runs it.
- Look for the status line. Words like “oversubscribed”, “closed to new applicants”, “allocation reached” or “waiting list” mean this year’s money has gone. Note the date on the notice.
- Check whether you can still register interest. Liverpool and West Northamptonshire, for example, still take applications for the waiting list or year three.
- Use the official route. Apply through the GOV.UK Warm Homes: Local Grant service, or call the GOV.UK helpline on 0800 098 7950 (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 12pm). GOV.UK says your council will usually contact you within 10 working days.
- Check you qualify first so you don’t wait for nothing: household income usually £36,000 or less (or a qualifying postcode or benefit), EPC D–G, privately owned home in England. See who qualifies.
Your council is full. What can you still get?
| Route | What it gives | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Your council’s waiting list | A place in the queue for 2027/28 | Anyone eligible: register now if your council allows it |
| ECO4 | Funded insulation and heating | Households on qualifying benefits. Runs to 31 December 2026, with fewer suppliers taking new households |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme | £7,500 off a heat pump (£9,000 for oil/LPG homes with no mains gas, to 31 March 2027) | Most homeowners in England and Wales, whatever their income |
| Warm Homes Loan NEW | Interest-free or low-rate loans for solar, batteries and heat pumps | Homeowners who can repay a loan; no income test; live since 27 October 2026 |
| Warm Home Discount | £150 off your electricity bill | Eligible low-income households |
| LA Flex | A council referral into ECO4 | Households without a listed benefit, while ECO4 lasts |
Nobody can buy you a place in the queue. The GLA warns of people asking for “a fee of £300–£1500” to secure applications or arrange solar installs, and says the grant “is free to eligible applicants”. Never pay a fee to “reserve” a Warm Homes grant. Report suspected scams to your local Trading Standards.
Common questions
Is my council’s Warm Homes grant full?
There is no national list, so the only reliable check is your own council’s Warm Homes: Local Grant page. Liverpool, Northumberland, Stoke-on-Trent, Tunbridge Wells, West Northamptonshire and West Suffolk all say on their own websites that they are full or closed for 2026/27, and London reports high demand with waiting lists. Use our council guides to find your council, then look for words like “oversubscribed”, “closed” or “waiting list”.
Has the Warm Homes: Local Grant closed?
No. The scheme runs until 31 March 2028. What has run out in many places is a council’s money for the current project year (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027). Several councils are registering interest or keeping waiting lists for the final year from 1 April 2027.
Should I still apply if my council is full?
Often, yes. Liverpool asks residents to register interest for year three, West Northamptonshire is adding eligible applications to a waiting list in order of receipt, and Northumberland asks you to apply in case it gets more funding. A waiting-list place is not a guarantee of funding.
When does the next round of funding start?
Councils get an annual allocation. The final project year starts on 1 April 2027 and the scheme ends on 31 March 2028. Some councils, such as West Northamptonshire, say they already have a budget in place for that year.
What can I get if my council is full?
If you get a means-tested benefit, check ECO4, which runs to 31 December 2026, although supplier capacity is shrinking. Anyone replacing a boiler with a heat pump can claim the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant (£7,500, or £9,000 for oil or LPG homes with no mains gas until 31 March 2027). Homeowners who can repay a loan can use the new Warm Homes Loan, some of which are interest-free. Check the Warm Home Discount for help with bills.
Can someone get me to the front of the queue?
No. Be wary of anyone who says they can. The Greater London Authority warns that people have been asked for fees of “£300–£1500” to secure applications, and says the grant “is free to eligible applicants”. Apply through GOV.UK or your council, and report suspected scams to Trading Standards.