Financial Support

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a UK Government initiative to encourage more people to install heat pumps and biomass boilers.

The scheme provides up to £7,500 to help cover the cost of installing one of three low carbon heating systems:

• Air source heat pump (£5,000 grant)
• Ground source heat pump (£7,000 grant)
• Biomass boiler (£7,000 grant).

The funding only covers biomass boilers in rural locations, in properties that are not connected to the gas grid, and with an emissions certificate showing that polluting emissions are kept to a minimum. Biomass boilers in self-build properties are not eligible under the scheme.

The scheme is open to homeowners, as well as owners of small business properties, in England and Wales. To be eligible for the scheme, you must:

• Own your property
• Have a property with an installation capacity up to 45kWh (this covers most homes)
• Have a valid EPC that does not include any outstanding recommendations for loft or cavity wall insulation (unless you are exempt).

For more information on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, including FAQs and how to apply, visit Energy Saving Trust’s website.

Find information about benefits, grants and discounts you can get if you’re in financial difficulty, from the Mayor of London, the government, your local council, charities and advice centres through the mayor’s cost-of-living hub.

Your local council may have funding to support you with the cost of energy, food or everyday items. Each council decides how to use the funding, and so each one is different.

To find out more, contact your local council, or speak to our advisors on 0808 196 8260.

ECO4 is a government scheme to help you save money on your energy bills by mandating suppliers in making your home energy efficient and lower your bills. It promotes complete upgrades in your home insulation, renewables, heating system and heating control upgrades.

You are eligible for the scheme based on qualifying benefits and the energy efficiency of your home, although being eligible does not automatically qualify for upgrades under ECO4 various routes are available for qualification.

To apply, check your eligibility with your energy supplier or local authority. You can find your local authority contact on our directory.

ECO4 Flex is an additional element of the ECO4 funding which the government has brought in help to thousands of low-income UK homes that would have otherwise been ineligible for the grant.

If you have found yourself to be ineligible for ECO4 funding, contact your local authority as they may have broader eligibility available. Find your local authority contact on our directory.

The Great British Insulation Scheme aims to help 300,000 homes across England, Scotland and Wales become more energy efficient and heat your home for less.

The scheme is aimed at two main groups:

• Those living in homes with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating D-G and within council tax bands A-D in England and A-E in Scotland and Wales.
• Householders receiving qualifying benefits and living in homes with an EPC rating of D or below.

Check if you’re eligible using this online tool.

For more information on the Great British Insulation Scheme, visit Energy Saving Trust’s website.

The Warm Home Discount is a one off wintertime payment of £150 towards your energy bills. The money is not paid to you – it’s applied as a discount on your energy bill between October and March.

You may be eligible for the Warm Home Discount if:

• You receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit or
• You are on a low income and meet your energy supplier’s criteria for the scheme.

Your electricity supplier must be part of the scheme, but as this list shows, most suppliers are. There are different ways to apply to the scheme, depending on how you qualify for the discount.

For more information on the scheme, including how to apply, visit the UK Government’s website.

If you receive certain benefits you could get £25 extra a week during the winter when the temperature is zero or below for more than seven days.

Check if you’re eligible

In the winter months pensioners can get between £250 and £600 to help pay heating bills.

This coming winter, this will include an extra one-off Pensioner Cost of Living Payment of between £150 and £300. This will be paid as an automatic top-up to the Winter Fuel Payment.

Check if you’re eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment

The Smart Export Guarantee provides income to homes for the electricity they export to the grid. It ensures you’re paid for the renewable electricity you generate at home but can’t use.

You may be eligible for the scheme if you have one of the following renewable energy systems at home:

• Solar PV panels
• Wind turbine
• Hydroelectricity
• Anaerobic digestion
• Micro combined heat and power.

All energy suppliers with at least 150,000 customers must provide at least one Smart Export Guarantee tariff, however there are no set or minimum tariffs for the scheme (although it must always be greater than zero).

The system and your installer must be certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) or equivalent. Your energy supplier may ask for your MCS certificate to prove that your installation meets this standard. You also need a registered smart meter that records how much electricity you export to the grid.

For more information on the Smart Export Guarantee, visit Energy Saving Trust’s website.

Cost of Living Payment

Households on means tested benefits, including Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Tax Credits, will have received a payment of £301 during April to May. There are two further payments of £301 and £299 to be paid in Autumn 23 and Spring 24.