- Several grants and zero-interest loans are available in England, Scotland, and Wales to help homeowners install insulation in their homes.
- These schemes could help you get insulation for free or heavily discounted (if you are eligible).
- Many of the schemes can also be used to install other measures like a new boiler or heat pump too.
Things are tough right now. Costs are rising, and your fuel bills are probably higher than you’d like – and likely to rise even more as your usage rises in the colder months. The Energy Price Cap is also going up from October 1. If you’re losing the winter fuel allowance this year, things might feel particularly tough.
But there is something you can do to help stave off those increases in heating bills: insulation. Having a well-insulated property is now at the forefront of many people’s minds as the cost-of-living crisis continues.
But the upfront cost can be a barrier for some. For a more affordable way to insulate your home, check out the government grants available below, whether you’re eligible for them, and how much help you can get.
If you’re interested in insulation, fill in our form to get a free insulation quote. Keep reading to find out if you are eligible for a loft insulation grant.
Grant | What it’s worth? | Who’s eligible? |
|---|---|---|
ECO4 | Up to 100% of the costs | People who meet certain benefits criteria |
Home Upgrade Grant | Up to 87% of the costs | Low-income, off-gas grid homes with EPC rating of D, E, F, or G |
Home Energy Scotland | Interest-free loan for 100% of the costs | Residents in Scotland |
What government grants are available for insulation in 2024
Yes, at present, five national grants provide financial support for people wanting to install insulation in their home:
- Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme
- Warm Homes Scotland
- Nest (Wales)
- Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS)
- Home Upgrade Grant (HUG).
Each scheme focuses on low-income and vulnerable households, which would benefit most from this financial support.
Want to see what these schemes have to offer? We’ve outlined the key details below, including what’s covered, who’s eligible, and how to apply.
Am I eligible for free insulation grants?
We will discuss each scheme in more detail later, but generally speaking, each scheme has certain eligibility criteria for accessing funding.
If you meet the criteria, you’ll typically need to apply as a first step. Once your eligibility is confirmed, the grant or loan will typically require some authorised third-party organisation to complete some assessment to see what insulation measures are required.
With that complete, the work will be done, and the scheme will pay the installer. Depending on the scheme, you can get free insulation (and other energy-efficient measures) if you fall into one of the following two groups:
Low-income group
You might be eligible for multiple energy-efficient improvements through schemes like ECO4 if you meet the following conditions:
- You own your home or, in some cases, rent from a private landlord.
- Your home has an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of D or lower (EPC E or lower if renting).
- Someone in your household receives certain benefits, such as pension credit, universal credit, child benefit (depending on income limits), income support, or housing benefit.
- You live in social housing or are recognised by your local council as having a low income (currently a total household income below £31,000 a year). You or someone in your home is considered “vulnerable” to the effects of living in a cold home.
General income group
If you don’t qualify as being in the “low-income group,” you may still be able to receive assistance with insulation through the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS).
If you meet the criteria, you could be eligible for free insulation, although you can only have one type installed (either cavity wall insulation or loft insulation, not both). It’s important to note that you might have to cover part of the costs, but you will be informed before any work begins.
To be eligible, all of the following must apply:
- You own or rent your home (either privately or through a housing association).
- Your home falls within council tax bands A to D in England or A to E in Scotland and Wales. You can check your home’s council tax band on the Government website.
- Your home has an EPC rating of D or below.
Government grants for loft insulation
Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)
- ECO4 can covers measures liket insulation for your home.
- It also offers funding for other measures, like a new boiler.
- If eligible, it can cover 100% of costs.
The most popular grant that helps people lower the cost of insulation is the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4), which offers a grant towards loft insulation for anyone who meets certain requirements.
The government scheme is run by energy suppliers. It can cover the cost of installing energy efficiency improvements, such as loft insulation. But you may not get to choose which measures are installed.
The programme is currently due to end in March 2026.
Who is eligible for ECO4?
Applicants must receive one of the following benefits to be eligible for the ECO4 scheme:
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support (IS)
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit (PCGC)
- Working Tax Credit (WTC)
- Child Tax Credits (CTC)
- Universal Credit (UC)
- Housing Benefit
- Pension Credit Savings Credit (PCSC)
- Child Benefit
Anyone with additional Department of Work and Pension (DWP) benefits will also have access to ECO4, regardless of whether they receive Universal Credit. You’ll need to live in a home with an energy rating of D to G (or E to G in some cases).
How to apply for ECO4
To apply to the ECO4 scheme, you simply need to contact one of the energy suppliers offering it.
You’ll then be invited to a telephone assessment, which involves answering questions about your income, whether you receive benefits and your property’s energy efficiency rating.
The installer will then arrange a date to visit your home and confirm whether it is eligible for the grant.
Great British Insulation scheme
- BGIS covers measures like cavity wall and loft insulation for your home.
- It applies to homes in council tax bands A to D, with EPC ratings of D to G.
- If eligible, it can cover 100% of costs.
The Great British Insulation Scheme (previously known as ECO+) is a government initiative to that is designed to support an extra 400,000 households beyond those eligible for the ECO4 scheme.
The government has stated that this grant will run until March 2026. It’s also allocated £1 billion to the project and claims it will cover up to 75% of the costs.
In theory you can get most types of insulation under the scheme, including solid floor and solid wall insulation, but in practice it seems to be mainly loft insulation or cavity wall insulation that are funded, and possibly smart heating controls. If you’re eligible, you’ll need to the remainder of any costs not covered by the scheme.
You can find out more about the scheme on our page: ECO+: Everything You Need To Know.
Who is eligible for the Great British Insulation Scheme?
To be eligible for the Great British Insulation Scheme, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be living in a home with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or below
- Be living in a home that falls within Council tax bands A-D in England or A-E in Scotland and Wales
- You can be a landlord, resident homeowner, or tenant (with landlord’s permission) to apply.
- You’re not eligible if you live in Northern Ireland, though there is other support available.
How to apply for the Great British Insulation Scheme
Contact your energy supplier first to find out if you’re eligible, and if you are, they’ll match you with an installer who’ll assess your home for free. The installer will recommend what single piece of insulation is best for your home, and then a date will be decided for installing it.
Home Upgrade Grant
HUG can be used to help with the cost of home insulation
- Like others, it can also be used to install other measures like low-carbon technologies
- HUG offers up to 60% of the costs of installation
The Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) is a government-backed scheme that provides energy efficiency upgrades and low-carbon heating via local authority funding. It will run until March 2025 and help cover households in England that meet the specific criteria (see eligibility).
Homes that qualify for HUG will have at least 60% of the insulation costs covered, and landlords of rented properties will be entitled to a grant of up to £16,000 to improve the property.
HUG is also available for people looking to get grants for solar panels.
Who is eligible for the Home Upgrade Grant?
To be eligible for the Home Upgrade Grant, you must:
- Live in England
- Be disconnected from the gas grid
- Qualify as a low-income household
- Have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) between D and G
- Live in one of the local authority areas listed here
How to apply for the Home Upgrade Grant
You need to contact your local authority first to find out if it’s applied for the Home Upgrade Grant and then second to see if your house will be eligible. There is no way to apply for the grant, as it’s entirely down to your local authority.
Warmer Homes Scotland
- Warmer Homes Scotland can be used to get cheap or free home insulation.
- Warmer Homes Scotland is only available to eligible residents in Scotland.
- It can cover 100% of the costs or offer a zero-interest loan if eligible.
People in Scotland can install insulation through the government’s Warmer Homes Scotland scheme – if they meet specific requirements.
Like the ECO scheme, Warmer Homes Scotland offers financial support to low-income and vulnerable households struggling to keep on top of energy bills.
Loft insulation is a popular choice in this scheme. During 2017/2018 and 2018/2019, 10% of installations through the Warmer Homes Scotland grant were loft insulation.
Who’s eligible for Warmer Homes Scotland?
To qualify for the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme, you must meet all of the following criteria:
- Be a homeowner or the tenant of a private-sector landlord
- Live in the home as your main residence
- Have lived there for at least 12 months (unless in receipt of a DS1500 certificate)
- Live in a home with an energy rating of 72 or lower, which is not more than 230 square metres in floor size
- Live in a home that meets the living standard set out in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006
- Haven’t received support for energy efficiency improvements through Warmer Homes Scotland funding in the last five years
On top of this, you’ll also need to meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Be of pensionable age, have no working heating system, and receive a passport benefit
- Be aged 75 or older and eligible for a passport benefit
- Be pregnant and/or have a child under 16, and eligible for a passport benefit
- Have a disability and be eligible for any level of Personal Independent Payment (PIP)
- Have a disability and be eligible for a high-rate Disability Living Allowance (DLA) (care or mobility component)
- Have a disability, receive a low/medium rate Disability Living Allowance (DLA) (care or mobility component), and be eligible for a passport benefit
- Be a carer in receipt of Carers Allowance
- Have been injured or disabled serving in the Armed Forces, and be eligible for Armed Forces Independence Payment/War Disablement Pension
- Have an injury or disability from an accident or disease caused by work and be eligible for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
Anyone with the following benefits will also be considered for the scheme:
- Guarantee element of the Pension Credit
- Attendance Allowance
- Universal Credit, or any of the benefits due to be replaced by Universal Credit (such as Income-based JSA, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit)
- Council Tax Reduction
- Carer’s Allowance
- Higher Rate Care or Mobility components of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- War Disablement Pension
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
How to apply for Warmer Homes Scotland
If you’d like to get the ball rolling, call Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282 or use the contact form to request a call or email back.
Once you’ve done this, the organisation will ask questions about your eligibility. If you qualify for the scheme, you’ll be referred to Warmworks Scotland (the Warmer Homes Scotland managing agent), who will offer a survey of your property.
Nest
- NEST can be used to install measures like loft or wall insulation.
- It can also install things like a new boiler or a heat pump.
- If eligible, it covers 100% of the costs.
Wales residents who meet specific criteria can install loft insulation through the government’s Nest scheme.
Nest supports low-income and vulnerable people in Wales by offering free and impartial advice about home energy and funding for various home improvements.
If you’re eligible for the scheme, Nest will recommend a range of free appliances that you can install to make your home warmer and reduce energy bills.
Learn more: National Home Energy Survey — Wales crowned the most climate-conscious part of the UK.
Who is eligible for Nest?
To be eligible for the Nest scheme, you must meet all three conditions below:
- Own or privately rent your home (not from a local authority or housing association)
- Have an inefficient home that is expensive to heat
- You or someone you live with receives a means-tested benefit or has a chronic respiratory, circulatory, or mental health condition and has an income below the defined thresholds
Several means-tested benefits qualify, including:
- Child Tax Credit (income below £16,105 a year)
- Council Tax Reduction (exemption and discount do not qualify on their own)
- Housing Benefit
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Working Tax Credit (currently have an income below £16,105 a year)
How to apply for Nest
If you think you meet the eligibility criteria, call Nest on 0808 808 2244, or request a callback using the online form.
A Nest advisor will then ask questions to see if you and your property qualify for free home improvements. If you’re successful with your application, an assessor will visit your home to see what energy efficiency improvements they can offer.
Government grants for cavity wall insulation
If your home needs cavity wall insulation, you can get a grant through the ECO4, Warmer Homes Scotland, and Nest schemes.
Not everyone in the UK is eligible, however, but you might be if you meet at least one of the following benefits:
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Child Benefit (on the condition that the household’s relevant income does not exceed the amount set out in Chapter 3 of government scheme guidance)
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Pension Guarantee Credit
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income Support
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Mobility Supplement
- Personal Independence Payment
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Tax Credits (Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits)
- Universal Credit
Are there any government grants for spray foam insulation?
Although several government grants provide insulation, spray foam insulation isn’t usually popular in these schemes. This might be because spray foam is typically the most expensive insulation material.
It’s worth noting that this doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t get spray foam insulation through government grants – it just means it might only be economical for some properties. It is important to note that spray foam can have drawbacks, including the risk that it will affect the value of your property and make it more difficult to remortgage.
The Energy Saving Trust found that Warmer Homes Scotland uses innovative measures to improve homes, some of which include spray foam insulation. For example, in homes with suspended floors, the scheme has used Q-Bot technology, which uses robots to spray insulation under the floor.
We have a dedicated post on the costs if you want to know more about spray foam insulation.
Local grants for insulation
Various local grants are also available to help pay for insulation at home.
The schemes available will depend on where you live. We’ve given a few examples below to give you an idea of what to expect from local insulation schemes.
London – Warmer Homes grant
Sadiq Khan’s Warmer Homes programme provides free heating, insulation, and ventilation improvements for low-income households.
Londoners can get between £5,000 and £25,000 towards home efficiency improvements – the amount depends on your existing energy efficiency rating and the type of fuel your house uses.
To be eligible for this scheme, applicants need to:
- Live in Greater London
- Own or rent their own home (landlords can apply as long as the tenant is eligible)
- Receive a qualifying benefit or be on a low household income
- Meet maximum energy efficiency and household income requirements for the Sustainable Warmth element
Nottingham – Healthy Housing Service
The Healthy Housing Service funds a range of home-energy improvements for people over 60 and families with young children at risk of cold-related illnesses.
Through the scheme, people can get insulation installed either for free or at a heavily subsidised rate, along with boiler checks and advice on switching energy suppliers.
York – Home Upgrade Grant
City of York Council funds home improvements through its Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) – a scheme available for low-income households.
Applicants can receive various energy efficiency measures, including loft insulation and draught proofing, cavity wall insulation, and attic room insulation.
To qualify for HUG funding:
- Your household must have an annual income of less than £30,000 per year
- Rented properties must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D to G
How can I get insulation cheaply without a grant or loan?
If you are not eligible for any of the grants featured here, there are other ways to insulate your home that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. One of the main ones is to install roof insulation yourself.
Rolls of insulation can be bought from DIY stores and installed relatively easily. Make sure you take the right health and safety precautions, including wearing a mask, making sure there is adequate lighting, and ensuring you have solid grounding so you don’t fall through the ceiling.
Other measures include draughtproofing windows, doors and any unused fireplaces. This can be done relatively cheaply using off-the-shelf insulation strips.
Draughts are one of the major ways homes lose heat, so closing off any draughty areas will help with the bills and improve the comfort of your home, especially in winter. Thicker curtains or thermal curtain liners can also help reduce draughts and heat loss. Rugs and carpets on the floor can also help your feet feel warmer.
You can also try to negotiate with insulation companies to get the best deal possible. You may also save some money by looking for end-of-life insulation products that may be discounted to clear stock.
Try local re-use platforms such as Freeycle, Freegle and Olio – you might be able to get hold of unwanted rugs or carpets without having to pay a thing.
If you do need insulation, consider financing or payment plans if you’re still struggling with the cost. Some insulation companies offer zero-interest financing options or payment plans, allowing you to spread the cost over time and making it more manageable.
How to avoid insulation grant scams
Unfortunately, as with any industry, some unscrupulous people will try to rip you off. If you consider taking advantage of the grants available, follow some basic tips and tricks to avoid being scammed.
- Research the installer: Always check the company’s credentials before engaging with them. You should also source and read reviews and testimonials and validate any accreditations they claim they have (such as Trustmark). Reputable companies are usually registered with industry bodies or trade associations.
- Be wary of cold callers: Be cautious if someone contacts you out of the blue offering insulation grants or services. Scammers often use cold calling to pressure individuals into making hasty decisions.
- Get a few quotes: Ensure you obtain quotes from several companies to compare prices and services. This can help you identify unusually high or low quotes indicating a scam. It also gives you some ammunition to negotiate.
- Verify grant eligibility: Confirm whether you are eligible for a government grant by visiting official websites like the UK government’s energy grants page, or by contacting your energy company. There are lots of official-seeming websites, and scammers may claim you are eligible for a non-existent grant to lure you in.
- Avoid upfront payments: Reputable insulation companies under any of these schemes will not ask for large upfront payments before any work has been done. Be suspicious of any company that demands full payment upfront or a large deposit.
- Read the fine print: Carefully review any contracts or paperwork before signing. Scammers often hide unfavorable terms in the fine print or make vague promises.
- Do not rush decisions: Scammers often use high-pressure tactics to force you into making quick decisions. This is a big red flag!
- Beware of unrealistic offers: If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is!
How do I get started?
Hopefully, this article has helped you better understand the grants offered to people in the UK. If you’re not eligible for any of these schemes, you can still compare insulation prices.
Enter a few simple details, and we’ll connect you with our trusted suppliers. They’ll then contact you with free quotes to compare.
- There are five government grants available for insulation in the UK.
- You may be eligible, especially if you receive certain benefits.
- Different grants depend on where you live in the UK; be sure to check what is available in your area.
- If you are not eligible for any of the government grants, you can still compare insulation prices to get the best deal for insulating your home.
