Paying for it
Grants cover some or all of the cost of many of these changes, depending on where you live, whether you own your home and your income. The rules change often, so this page names the schemes and the tool below checks which you might get today.
The main schemes
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England and Wales). A grant towards a heat pump for homeowners and private landlords. Your MCS-certified installer applies for it and takes it off the price. GOV.UK
- Warm Homes: Local Grant (England). Insulation, heat pumps and solar panels for lower-income households, run by councils. GOV.UK
- ECO4 (England, Scotland and Wales). Insulation and heating paid for by energy suppliers, for households on certain benefits. It is due to close; the grant finder shows when.
- Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan (Scotland). Grants and interest-free loans for heat pumps, insulation and more. Home Energy Scotland
- Nest (Wales). Free improvements for lower-income households. gov.wales
- NISEP (Northern Ireland). Schemes for insulation and heating, mostly for lower-income households. NIHE
- No VAT on installing heat pumps, insulation, solar panels and batteries, for now. Your installer's quote should already show it. GOV.UK
Councils sometimes run their own schemes too. Your council's website will list them.
Tariffs
After the upfront cost, the tariff you are on decides most of the running cost. Tariffs with cheaper hours overnight, and tariffs made for heat pumps, can cut bills a lot once the heating, hot water or car runs on electricity. The savings calculator estimates running costs for your home.
Avoid
- Anyone who calls or knocks uninvited offering a "free" government grant.
- Paying anyone to apply for a grant on your behalf. The official schemes don't charge you to apply.
- Large deposits to an installer who isn't a member of a consumer code such as RECC or HIES. Both protect deposits.
Free, impartial advice: GOV.UK for England and Wales, Home Energy Scotland, and NIHE in Northern Ireland.