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Free boiler and insulation grants
ECO4 still pays for a boiler or insulation on a low income, until 31 December 2026. The Great British Insulation Scheme has closed. Who qualifies, and how to avoid scams.
Written by the benefitmoney.co.uk editorial team · Last reviewed 15 September 2026
If your home is cold because of an old boiler or no insulation, the work is paid for through your energy supplier. Two schemes did this. ECO4 is still running — it was extended and now runs to 31 December 2026. The Great British Insulation Scheme has closed: it ended on 31 March 2026. So if you need help now, ECO4 is the one that matters.
ECO4 — boiler and heating
ECO4 is open until 31 December 2026. It is the fuller scheme: repairing or replacing a broken boiler, heating upgrades and insulation together. It is for low-income and vulnerable households — if you get Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Child Benefit or Housing Benefit you are likely to qualify. You apply through a participating supplier or your council, not through a cold-caller.
Source: GOV.UK — Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)↗. Opened 10 September 2026. Ofgem confirms ECO4 “will run until 31 December 2026, following a nine-month extension”. Checked 10 September 2026.
Great British Insulation Scheme — closed
GBIS closed on 31 March 2026 and is no longer taking applications. It paid for a single insulation measure — loft or cavity-wall insulation, for example. Its eligibility was wider than ECO4’s: a General Group (Council Tax bands A–D in England, A–E in Scotland and Wales, with an EPC of D or below), plus a Low Income Group on means-tested benefits. If you were counting on GBIS for insulation, ECO4 can still cover insulation — but only for low-income and vulnerable households.
Source: GOV.UK — Great British Insulation Scheme↗; Ofgem. Checked 10 September 2026.
What about the £7,500 boiler grant?
That is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for heat pumps. It is not means-tested and is aimed at replacing a working boiler with a low-carbon system — useful, but not the low-income route this page is about.
While you wait
See help with energy bills for discounts and arrears help, and your council’s Crisis and Resilience Fund for fuel vouchers.
Frequently asked questions
Can I really get a free boiler?
If you are on a qualifying low income or benefit, ECO4 can repair or replace a broken boiler at no or low cost — applied for through your council or an Ofgem-listed supplier, not a cold-caller.
What is the difference between ECO4 and GBIS?
ECO4 covers heating, boilers and insulation for low-income households and runs to 31 December 2026. GBIS covered single insulation measures with wider eligibility, but it closed on 31 March 2026.
When do the schemes end?
The Great British Insulation Scheme has already ended — it closed on 31 March 2026. ECO4 was extended and runs to 31 December 2026, so it is still open. No successor scheme has been confirmed.
Someone called offering a free boiler — is it real?
Treat unsolicited calls or texts as a scam. Apply yourself through your council or an Ofgem-listed supplier, and never give bank details to a cold-caller.
Where you live changes what you can claim
Several of the schemes on this page stop at a border, and the discretionary fund behind them is a different scheme in each nation with its own rules and its own application route. Start from the one that covers you.
| If you live in | The local crisis fund is | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| England | Crisis and Resilience Fund, run by your own council | Find your council — 141 checked so far |
| Scotland | Scottish Welfare Fund | How the Scottish Welfare Fund works |
| Wales | Discretionary Assistance Fund | How the Discretionary Assistance Fund works |
| Northern Ireland | Discretionary Support | How Discretionary Support works |
Charitable funds worth trying
These are the funds named on this page, in one place. Most want a referral from a support worker, an adviser or a social worker rather than an application straight from you — and a charitable grant does not usually affect your benefits, though a large lump sum held as savings can.
- British Gas Energy Trust↗ — help with energy debt, open to customers of any supplier.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)↗. Opened 10 September 2026.
- GOV.UK — Great British Insulation Scheme↗. Checked 10 September 2026.
- Ofgem — Great British Insulation Scheme↗ (scheme ran April 2023 to 31 March 2026). Checked 15 September 2026.
- Ofgem — Energy Company Obligation (ECO)↗ (ECO4 extended to 31 December 2026). Checked 15 September 2026.
Other grant guides
- All grants — every scheme on this site, and the order worth trying them in.
- Maternity and new baby grants — Sure Start and Scotland’s Best Start.
- Help with funeral costs — the Children’s Funeral Fund and Funeral Expenses Payment.
This page is independent. It is not run by the DWP, GOV.UK, Ofgem or any energy supplier. Scheme rules and end dates change — check the GOV.UK pages linked above.