A Guide to Double Glazing Grants in 2023

✔ ECO4 and the Home Upgrade Grant provide funding to low-income groups

✔ The Home Energy Scotland Loan is available to most Scottish residents

✔ Check out the table below to learn more about double glazing grants

There are countless benefits to getting double glazed windows for your home — reducing noise, better insulation, and a higher level of security.

Despite all these benefits, some homeowners struggle to cover the initial costs of double glazing, but government grants can reduce what you spend.

Some grants for vulnerable and low-income groups include the installation of double glazed windows. We’ll guide you through the different grant options further down this page.

If you don't qualify for double glazing grants, you can still compare prices and get quotes here.

What's on this page?

Can you get double glazing government grants in 2023?

There isn’t a dedicated grant for double glazing, but you could qualify for double glazing funding under the government’s ECO4 scheme, saving some or all of double glazing costs.

ECO4 is the fourth and final stage of the government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, which is running from April 2022 to March 2026.

Under ECO4, major energy companies will help vulnerable households access free home upgrades, including double glazing.

If you live in an older property, we've answered whether you can install double glazing on a listed building.

Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)

ECO4 is the fourth and final stage of the government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, which has been running from April 2022 and ends March 2026.

The primary goal of this grant is to support low-income households who are unable to upgrade their homes and heating systems. It does this by partnering with major energy suppliers in the UK to provide free home upgrades – including installing double glazing – to vulnerable households.

Energy suppliers with more than 150,000 domestic customers are obligated to support eligible applicants – although, the government is hoping to remove obligation thresholds, which will mean smaller companies will also be able to participate in the scheme.

Want to learn more about this scheme? Check out our complete guide to the ECO4 scheme. Or for more on general grants for UK households, read our guide to government grants for home improvements.

Potential savings with ECO4

ECO4 could potentially cover 100% of the cost of double glazing.

ECO4 provides successful applicants with up to £14,000 for energy saving home improvements, a little over the average £11,050 it costs to install double glazing in a three-bedroom house.

ECO4 eligibility requirements

You might be eligible for the ECO4 scheme if you receive any of the following benefits:

• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income Support (IS)
• Pension Credit Guarantee
• Credit Working Tax Credit (WTC)
• Child Tax Credits (CTC)
• Universal Credit (UC)
• Housing Benefit
• Pension Credit Savings Credit

You can also fill out the ECO4 eligibility questionnaire to check if you meet the requirements.

How to apply for ECO4

To apply to the ECO4 scheme, all you need to do is get in touch with one of the energy suppliers that are 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's suitable for the grant.

Double glazing grants via ‘LA Flex’

‘LA Flex', also called Local Authority Flexibility, allows local authorities to expand ECO4 eligibility to applicants who do not meet all the criteria.

ECO4 eligibility can be extended to households that are either living in fuel poverty, or on a low-income and vulnerable. Additionally, your home needs to have an EPC rating of D-G

To benefit from LA Flex, you need to contact your local authority.

Approved applicants can get up to £10,000 in funding for energy efficient measures such as double glazing.

Welsh Government Warm Homes Nest Scheme

Wales’ government doesn’t currently offer double glazing grants – but you can get help with other home improvements which will keep you happy and warm.

Created in 2011, Nest has assisted more than 33,600 Welsh households in installing energy-efficient home measures, according to government statistics.

In 2017/18 alone, the scheme provided support to 4,600 homes, by helping people to afford new boilers, central heating systems, and insulation.

Potential savings with Nest

Nest covers 100% of the cost of energy efficient home improvements.

While the scheme doesn't include double glazing, it can still help make your home feel warmer financing a new heating system, or insulation measures.

Nest eligibility requirements

You may be eligible for Nest if:

• You’re a homeowner, or you rent from a private landlord
• Your home wastes energy and is unnecessarily expensive to heat
• Someone in your household receives a means-tested benefit
• A member of your household has a chronic respiratory, circulatory, or mental health condition, and a low income

The means-tested benefits which qualify are:

• Child Tax Credit
• Council Tax Reduction
• Housing Benefit
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• Working Tax Credit

How to apply for Nest

If you think you meet the eligibility criteria, call Nest on 0808 808 2244, or request a call back using the online form.

A Nest advisor will then ask you some questions to see if you and your property qualify for any 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.

Home Upgrade Grant

The Home Upgrade Grant offers grants from £3,000 to £24,000 for home improvements that increase a property’s energy efficiency, including double glazing.

Up to 40% of the total amount granted can be spent on double glazing.

The Home Upgrade Grant is only available in 45 local authorities in England, and will run from April 2023 to March 2025. It’s open to low-income homes that are off the gas grid, including homeowners, renters, and those living in social housing.

Potential savings with the Home Upgrade Grant

The Home Upgrade Grant could cover around 87% of the cost of double glazing.

Double glazing costs the average three-bedroom house £11,050, and 40% of the up to £24,000 grant can be spent on windows. This means you'd be saving £9,600 on double glazing.

Home Upgrade Grant eligibility requirements

You might be eligible for the Home Upgrade Scheme if:

• Your household income is less than £31,000 a year
• You’re off the gas grid
• Your home has an EPC rating of D, E, F, or G
• You live in one of the 45 local authorities that applied for the grant

How to apply for the Home Upgrade Grant

If you think you meet the eligibility criteria, and your local authority is on the list below, get in touch with them. They will be able to tell you what the next steps are.

If you’re unsure what your local authority is, you can use the government’s find your council tool.

Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan

Home Energy Scotland is a scheme funded by the Scottish Government that will help you replace single glazing with double glazing, if you qualify for it.

You'll be able to make your home warmer and reduce your energy bills, so it's absolutely worth seeing you if qualify. It's as simple as completing a contact form on the government website, and waiting for someone to phone you back.

They'll ask you questions about your home to help work out what you might qualify for.

Potential savings with Home Energy Scotland

Successful applicants can get 75% off the cost of double glazing with the Home Energy Scotland grant.

That takes the average cost of double glazing down from £11,050 without the grant to around £2,762 with the grant.

Home Energy Scotland eligibility requirements

You might be eligible for the Home Energy Scotland loan if you meet one of the following requirements:

• You're a homeowner living in Scotland
• You're building your own home
• You're not a landlord
• You're not a property developer

How to apply for the Home Energy Scotland

You will need to contact Home Energy Scotland first to get advice about your home and they'll run through the best options for you. After speaking to advisor, they'll send you a personalised link to complete and online application form for you to fill in.

Please note that you can only use the form provided to you by Home Energy Scotland.

I don’t qualify for any double glazing grants – now what?

If you don’t qualify for any double glazing grants, there are other ways to reduce costs. Here are just a few:

• Shop around and negotiate – Getting quotes from multiple double glazing installers will help you locate the best deal. Negotiating with the installers, though it might be awkward for some, can also lead to discounts. Don’t forget that installers want to make a sale, so the ball is really in your court
• Don’t choose the most expensive materials and designs – Some window materials and designs are more expensive than others. In most cases, opting for casement windows with uPVC frames will be the cheapest option. Don’t overlook other factors such as decorative glazing bars – while they might look charming, more material always equals a higher cost
• Consider if all your windows need to be openable – Fixed panes are cheaper than windows with hinges for opening, so consider which rooms you want openable windows in. In entrance halls or corridors for example, you might not need a window you can open
• Opt for windows with a lower energy rating – Windows have energy ratings that indicate how well they insulate a property. The best double glazed windows have a rating of A+++, but they’re also the most expensive. If you’re switching from single glazing to double glazing, you’ll still feel the benefits if you opt for double glazed windows with a B or A rating
• Have your windows installed in winter – It’s cheaper to install new windows in the winter compared to the summer, because less people are doing it. Demand is low, and installers are eager for work, so you’re more likely to get a better deal. The cheapest time of year to install windows is early December, right before the Christmas holidays

Hopefully these tips can help you reduce costs. Just remember to be wary of overly cheap double glazing. Price can be a reflection of quality, and as with most things in life, if something is too good to be true, it probably is.

Double glazing financing

Most of the biggest window companies in the UK offer financing for double glazing.

Everest offers one of the best financing options, with customers able to pay for their windows over 180 months, essentially 15 years.

Clearview and Britelite offer similar financing options, with their payback period lasting 120 months (10 years).

You can find out more about these companies and their finance options by going to our page on the best double glazing companies.

How much can you save with double glazing grants?

You could save on 100% of the cost of buying and installing double glazing with the ECO4 and Nest grants respectively.

The Home Upgrade Grant could save you 87%, or £9,600, on double glazing, while the Scottish Home Energy grant could save you 75%, or £7,500.

If you're wondering what money you could save on making your home warmer, we've also created a guide to government grants for insulation.

And if you want to get started on making your home more efficient, take a look at our 7 easy ways to improve your property's EPC rating.

What are the benefits of double glazing?

• Lower energy bills – A typical household could save up to £235 per year on energy bills with double glazing
• A reduced carbon footprint – By providing an extra layer of insulation, double glazing can help homeowners cut back on emissions by reducing the number of times they reach for the thermostat. After all, using less energy on heating will lead to fewer emissions in the atmosphere
• A warmer home – The extra layer of insulation also means double glazing can lock in the warmth provided by your heating better than single glazing
• A safer and more secure home – Double glazed windows are thicker and stronger than single glazed ones, so they'll be harder to break
• Outside noise reduction – Double glazing is better at keeping out noise than single glazing, and can reduce the noise level by 35 to 40 decibels (dB)

Next steps

Although the Green Homes Grant has ended, there are still plenty of options out there that can help you afford a new set of double glazed windows.

Of course, not everyone will be eligible for these grants – but that doesn't mean they can't get a good deal.

If you don’t qualify for any of these grants, make sure to compare at least three quotes before settling. This way, you know you're getting a good price. Want to speed up the process? Pop your details in this short form, and we'll do the hard work for you. We'll pass on your details to our professional installers, who'll provide you with free bespoke quotes.

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