Warm Homes Local Grant FAQs

Low-income households in England living in a privately owned or privately rented home rated EPC D to G. Low income means one of: an eligible postcode (IMD income deciles 1-2), someone in the household receiving a listed means-tested benefit (or meeting ECO4 Flex route 2), or a gross household income of £36,000 or less, or under the after-housing-costs limit for your household.

Housing Benefit, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit (savings and guarantee) and Universal Credit. Anyone in the household can receive the benefit, except a lodger or an adult in full-time education.

Before tax. It is combined gross household income. If you are over £36,000, the after-housing-costs test may still let you qualify: limits run from £20,000 to £40,000 depending on household size.

Not in your own right. Social housing is only included as infill when a council treats a connected block or terrace, up to 10% of a project, with the social landlord paying at least 50%.

Yes, if you own it or rent it privately and it meets the other rules. Blocks of flats are a common place for area-based work, where the infill rule can bring in neighbours who would not qualify alone.

Yes, if the park home is your permanent residence, has an energy performance rating equivalent to D to G, and is expected to remain for the whole guarantee period of the measures.

No, it is England only. Scotland has Warmer Homes Scotland through Home Energy Scotland; Wales has Nest; Northern Ireland has the Affordable Warmth Scheme and the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme.

Up to £16,600 for energy performance measures and up to £16,600 for low carbon heating per home, averaged across the council's project. Both caps rose from £15,000 in the June 2026 guidance.

For owner occupiers and private tenants, yes: owner occupiers cannot be required to contribute and tenants are not expected to pay. Landlords pay 50% from their second home onwards.

No. It is a grant paid by the council to the installers for agreed work, not a loan to the household.

Yes, if you choose to. Owner occupiers can self-fund measures the retrofit coordinator did not recommend, or cosmetic finishes, where the council agrees it is feasible.

Not for the same measure. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (£7,500, or £9,000 when replacing oil or LPG off the gas grid until 31 March 2027) cannot fund the same heat pump as the Warm Homes: Local Grant, but different measures in one home can come from different schemes.

Through the GOV.UK online service or your council's own route. Your council usually contacts you within 10 working days to check evidence and book a home survey.

The GOV.UK list (updated 2 July 2026) names 73 lead authorities and 204 consortium members. Greater Manchester and the West Midlands run a devolved route. Use the council lookup on this site.

An allocation covers 2025 to 2028 and is drawn down in batches; contractor capacity varies; and each council decides how to manage demand fairly. Ask how it prioritises and whether you can register now.

GOV.UK lists an assisted digital support helpline for the online service (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 12pm); the number is on the official GOV.UK apply page. This site does not run a phone line.

First contact usually within 10 working days; the rest depends on the council, its contractors and the size of the package. DESNZ does not publish an average.

The delivery window closes on 31 March 2028. From 2027/28 the government intends to merge the Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Social Housing Fund into one low-income scheme.

Any energy performance or heating measure recognised by RdSAP except fossil fuel heating: insulation of all kinds, draughtproofing, glazing, doors, heating controls, hot water measures, lighting, solar PV, solar thermal, batteries (with solar), heat pumps, high heat retention storage heaters, and biomass in exceptional rural cases.

No. New gas, oil or LPG boilers are never funded, including integrated or compact hybrids. In a mains-gas home, a separate hybrid system can be installed with only the heat pump part funded.

Only if the retrofit assessment recommends them. Glazing and energy efficient doors are eligible, but glazing has a price limit councils must meet on average, so it is chosen less often than insulation or solar.

Solar PV: 38% of measures reported to the end of July 2026, followed by insulation (about 24%) and batteries (18%).

No. The final decision on any heating system rests with the household, after clear advice on the likely bill impact.

Yes, for homes let to low-income tenants. One home per landlord can be fully funded across the whole scheme; each further home needs a 50% landlord contribution.

No. Tenants are not required or expected to contribute.

They need a registered exemption under the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) Regulations 2015 before the grant can fund them, because public money cannot bring a home up to the legal minimum.

No, it is a genuine government scheme. But fake offers use its name. Applying is free, the council organises the work, and nobody legitimate asks for a fee or bank details to release a grant.

Every installer must be TrustMark-registered, and heat pump, solar and battery installers must be MCS-certified. Look the firm up on the TrustMark and MCS websites yourself.

No. It is an independent guide published by SEO-DONS LTD. It cannot approve or speed up a grant and never charges a fee.