Energy upgrades and grants: what is open in the UK
Lower bills, a boiler near the end of its life, a draughty house or an EPC rating a buyer or tenant will ask about: most energy projects start with one of these. This section collects our guides on heat pumps, solar panels, home batteries, insulation and whole-house retrofit, and keeps track of the grant schemes that are actually taking applications. Each scheme listed here links to its official page, and the date at the foot of the page shows when we last checked them.
Articles
- Registering energy devices with the network operatorWhy solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and EV chargers must be registered with your network operator: 'connect and notify' or 'apply to connect'.Read more
- The Smart Export GuaranteeHow the Smart Export Guarantee works in Great Britain: who pays, what you need to qualify, why tariffs differ and why you can pick any licensee.Read more
- MCS certification explainedWhat MCS certification covers, why the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and export tariffs depend on it, what the certificate is for, and what MCS does not check.Read more
- EPC ratings explainedWhat an Energy Performance Certificate shows, when you need one, the minimum rating for private lets in England and Wales, and why grants ask for it.Read more
Where to start: the order that usually saves money
Heat that stays in the house is heat you do not have to buy or generate. That is why most independent advice puts insulation and draught-proofing before new heating: a smaller heat loss means a smaller heat pump, fewer radiators to replace and a lower running cost for as long as you live there.
Solar panels are a separate decision. They pay back through the electricity you use yourself and what you export, so orientation, shading and how much you are at home during the day matter more than the state of your heating. A battery only makes sense once you know how much surplus the panels produce or if you use a time-of-use tariff.
If you are unsure where your house stands, an energy assessment or an up-to-date EPC is a sensible first step. It will not replace an installer's survey, but it tells you which measures are worth pricing.
Grant schemes open in September 2026
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales pays towards replacing fossil fuel heating with a heat pump or biomass boiler. The installer applies for you and deducts the grant from the price.
The Warm Homes: Local Grant, run by councils in England, and ECO4, funded by energy suppliers across Great Britain, are aimed at low-income households. ECO4 is due to end on 31 December 2026.
Scotland and Wales have their own schemes: Home Energy Scotland offers grants and interest-free loans, and the Welsh Government's Nest scheme offers free advice and, for eligible households, free improvements.
Separately from grants, the installation of energy-saving materials such as insulation, heat pumps, solar panels and batteries in homes is zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027.
Topics this section covers
- Heat pumps: air source, ground source and air-to-air, and what the survey should include
- Solar panels: system size, export payments and planning rules
- Home battery storage: retrofit, backup power and tariffs
- Insulation: loft, cavity, solid wall and floors, and the ventilation that has to go with them
- Energy-efficient renovation: planning several measures in the right order
- Heating: boiler replacement, servicing and hybrid systems
- Energy assessments: EPCs and retrofit assessments
How to check a scheme before you rely on it
Grant schemes change their amounts, eligibility and closing dates, sometimes with little notice. Before you sign a quote that assumes a grant, check the scheme's official page yourself and ask the installer to confirm in writing that the grant has been applied for and approved where the scheme works that way.
Be wary of cold calls and door-to-door offers of free insulation or free boilers. Genuine schemes are run by councils, energy suppliers or government bodies, and you can check them independently before anyone visits your home.
Asking for a quote through Offrano
Each trade page linked from this section has a request form. Your request goes to exactly one business in your area that buys it; the service is free for you, and we email you the business's name and phone number before it sees your details. Offrano does not decide whether you qualify for a grant; the installer and the scheme do.
Frequently asked questions
Which grants can I get for a heat pump?
In England and Wales, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme if you own the home and are replacing fossil fuel heating. In Scotland, Home Energy Scotland's grant and loan. Low-income households may also qualify for the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England, ECO4 or, in Wales, the Nest scheme.
Can I combine several grants?
Sometimes, but not for the same measure. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, for example, does not fund a property that has already received government funding for a heat pump. Check each scheme's rules and ask the installer which scheme it is using.
Is there a grant for solar panels?
None of the schemes listed here is a solar grant open to every household. Solar panels can be included in the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England and the Nest scheme in Wales for eligible households, and their installation in homes is currently zero-rated for VAT.
What happens to ECO4 after December 2026?
ECO4 is due to end on 31 December 2026 after a nine-month extension. We will update this page when a successor scheme is confirmed on an official source; until then, do not rely on ECO4 for work that cannot be completed before the end date.
Source: ofgem.gov.uk
Does Offrano check whether I am eligible?
No. We pass your request to one business in the trade, and eligibility is decided by the scheme administrator, usually after the installer has applied. The form asks whether you want to use a grant so the installer can prepare for it.