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Energy grants can be used to help pay your energy bills and pay for energy efficiency improvements to your home. But what energy grants are available, how can you find out if you're eligible for them and how do you apply? We take a look...
This guide starts by highlighting the help currently available for people struggling to pay energy bills in the form of energy grants direct from the government. We then look at the energy grants and schemes available to help make your home more energy efficient and reduce your bills in the longer term. We hope you find the help you’re looking for.
Here is a summary of some of the main government help available with energy bills in winter 2026/27.
| What help is available? | How much do I get? | Who is eligible? | Do I need to apply? | When do I get it? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Weather Payment | £25 for every 7 days of very cold weather | You may be eligible if you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit or certain other benefits. | No, it’s paid automatically. | Between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027 |
| Winter heating payment | £62 | If you receive certain benefits in Scotland | No, it’s paid automatically. | From December 2026 and through winter |
| Warm home discount | £150 | Those receiving certain benefits in England, Wales and Scotland | The discount on electricity bills is usually automatic if you’re eligible. You may need to apply directly to your energy supplier if you live in Scotland. | The scheme reopens in October 2026. If you’re eligible, the discount will be applied during winter 2026/27. |
| Child Winter Heating Payment | £265.50 | Children and young people under 19 in Scotland getting qualifying disability benefits | No, it’s usually paid automatically. | From October 2026 and through winter |
In terms of what’s currently available, you may get help via “Help to Heat” schemes which are designed to make homes warmer and cheaper to heat. This funding isn’t delivered directly by the government, but through installers, local authorities, energy companies and other bodies.
These include:
You may or may not have heard of some of these schemes. But you’re right if you’re finding this confusing and a little overwhelming. Keep reading and we’ll explain all.
Making your home more energy efficient is a key way to reduce energy bills.
One scheme that may help is the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), which requires energy suppliers to help eligible households make their homes more energy efficient.
You may be eligible to have multiple energy-efficiency improvements to your home if you meet certain criteria under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). It requires energy suppliers to help households cut their heating costs by fitting energy-saving measures ranging from loft and wall insulation to air source heat pumps.
The current scheme ECO4, focuses on improving the least energy efficient homes (properties with an EPC rating rating of D-G) and households in fuel poverty. The scheme also aims to deliver a more complete upgrade of those homes, shifting to a multi-measure ‘whole-house retrofit approach’.
This scheme was due to end on 31 March 2026, however the Government has extended this deadline to 31 December 2026. The Government has said ECO4 will not be replaced by another energy supplier obligation when it ends.
Under the ECO4 scheme you may also be able to get your boiler repaired, upgraded or even replaced, and if you own your own home, you might qualify for free heating controls, such as thermostatic radiator valves, as well as other measures such as improved window glazing.
With The Warm Homes: Local Grant, you could get free energy-saving improvements made to your home if you’re on a low income, getting certain benefits or living in a certain postcode area in England.
If you’re eligible and your local council has funding available, they will arrange a home survey to see how your home could be made more energy efficient. They might suggest improvements like installing:
Your local council will then organise and pay for any improvement work they’ve agreed with you.
If you have a landlord, they may need to pay for some of the improvements.
To be eligible, your home must be privately owned (either by you or your landlord) and have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of D, E, F or G,
Your household income must usually be £36,000 a year or less. However, if you earn more, you might still be eligible if either:
Find more information on Warm Homes: Local Grants at gov.uk.
Get instant quotes and compare prices from Domestic Energy Assessors in your local area.
Here’s an illustration of how much installing energy efficiency measures may save you on energy bills each year. See our guide for more advice on what to consider with energy efficiency improvements.
| Insulation type | Detached house | Semi-detached house | Mid terrace house | Bungalow | Mid-floor flat |
| Cavity wall insulation | £420 | £240 | £140 | £180 | £120 |
| Loft insulation (0-270mm) | £390 | £230 | £210 | £380 | N/A |
| Floor insulation | £120 | £70 | £45 | £120 | N/A |
| Solid wall insulation | £550 | £330 | £200 | £250 | £160 |
Under the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme you can get £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump. Until March 2027, you may be able to get an additional £1,500 if your home is heated by oil or LPG and isn’t connected to the mains gas grid.
Find out more in our guide on Heat pump grants and how to apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
The Welsh Government’s ‘Nest’ scheme gives free advice and support to help people in Wales improve their home’s energy efficiency. Plus, the scheme also offers free energy efficiency improvements such as insulation, a heat pump or solar panels. There’s criteria you’ll need to meet – find out more here.
While in Scotland, eligible households could reduce their heating bills by making improvements to their homes with funding worth £10,000 or more from the Scottish Government. You might also be eligible for energy-saving home improvements like heating and insulation. Find out more information at Warmer Homes Scotland.
Many energy companies offer schemes or energy grants that offer help for those struggling with energy debt. You’ll usually need to jump through lots of administrative hoops when applying for these energy grants. For example, you’ll need to have spoken to a debt adviser first and completed a budget showing your income and spending.
Here are a few examples of help available:
The British Gas Energy Trust offers two grants:
Find out more on the British Gas Energy Trust here.
This gives grants and support to vulnerable customers who are struggling with energy debt. It can help with electricity or gas bill debts, and provide essential white goods such as a fridge or cooker. But you need to get independent debt advice before applying. Find more information on the EDF Customer Support Fund here.
You can find information about energy grants some charities offer and how to go about applying at Charis. While Turn2us has a benefits calculator, a grants search tool to help you find out what support you can get and adviser locator tools. You’ll also find information on benefits and information on help with paying energy and water bills.
You may also get help from:
Also if you or someone in your household is a veteran, you can apply for a grant to help pay your energy bills through the Royal British Legion
Green mortgages reward you for saving energy in your property. Some lenders will give you lower interest rates or cashback and larger loans if your home meets a minimum energy-efficiency level. Other lenders will offer lower rates or cashback if you make energy-efficiency improvements. Or if you take out additional borrowing to pay for measures to improve your home’s energy efficiency.
Each lender will have its own terms and conditions for its green mortgages, but lenders generally offer green mortgages on homes with an EPC rating of A or B. Read more in our guide What is an EPC?
The Smart Export Guarantee pays homeowners for renewable energy they have generated, such as from solar panels, and put into the grid. However, in most cases you are best off making your home as energy efficient as possible first.
The Green Homes Grant Scheme closed in March 2021. It offered government grants for homeowners in England to help pay for certain energy-efficient home improvements. The energy grants were for up to £5,000, or up to £10,000 if you received certain benefits and were meant to pay at least two thirds the cost of energy-efficiency improvements such as installing cavity wall insulation, loft insulation or a heat pump. The scheme launched in September 2020 and closed to new applications in March 2021.
The Green Deal government scheme gave loans for energy-saving home improvements which you could repay through your energy bills, typically over 10 to 25 years. The scheme closed in 2015.
If you took out a Green Deal loan and are now selling your home, you must tell the buyer as it’s the person who pays the electricity bill that pays the Green Deal loan back, so it would pass to them.
If you move into a property with a Green Deal, the landlord or seller must show you a copy of the Energy Performance Certificate – this will explain what improvements have been made and how much you’ll need to repay.
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