New boiler grants for pensioners: what actually exists
Written by Danny Whitfield
Heating and energy writer · Last updated 13 July 2026
Checked against GOV.UK: 10 July 2026 · Last verified: 13 July 2026
Pensioners who receive Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit) can get a fully funded boiler or heat pump through ECO4. Pensioners without it still get £7,500 off a heat pump through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which has no age or income test.
There is no scheme called the pensioner boiler grant, whatever the adverts say. What exists is better: two real schemes, one of which pays the whole cost if you receive the right benefit. Here is how they fit together for a retired household.
Route 1: ECO4 with Pension Credit, the fully funded one
Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit) is a qualifying benefit for ECO4. If you receive it and your home has a low energy rating, typically EPC D or below, the scheme can replace your boiler or install a heat pump and insulation at no cost to you. The work is done by TrustMark-registered installers and funded by the big energy suppliers.
The catch that catches nobody who reads this far: around 800,000 eligible pensioner households do not claim Pension Credit at all. If your weekly income is under about £218 (single) or £333 (couple), claim it first. It opens the door to the heating grant, plus the Winter Fuel Payment and a council tax reduction, and takes one phone call to 0800 99 1234.
Route 2: Boiler Upgrade Scheme, the no-test one
A comfortable retirement income rules out ECO4, but the Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not care about income, savings or age. It takes £7,500 off an air source heat pump in England and Wales, or £9,000 if the house currently heats with oil or LPG. Your MCS-certified installer claims the money, you never fill in a form.
A typical installation costs £10,000 to £14,000 before the grant, so expect £2,500 to £6,500 for the whole job. On a bungalow, often less, because single-storey homes suit heat pumps well.
The two routes compared
| ECO4 | Boiler Upgrade Scheme | |
|---|---|---|
| Needs Pension Credit? | Yes (or another qualifying benefit) | No, no income test at all |
| What it pays | Usually the full cost | £7,500 (£9,000 for oil/LPG homes) |
| Covers gas boilers? | Yes, where a boiler is the right measure | No, heat pumps and biomass only |
| Who applies | TrustMark installer or supplier | Your MCS installer |
| Where | England, Scotland and Wales | England and Wales |
A word on cold calls
Pensioners are the number one target for grant cold-callers, because Pension Credit makes the household genuinely valuable to an installer. The scheme is real, but never sign on the doorstep. Check any firm on the TrustMark register, never pay an up-front fee, and if someone claims to be from the government, they are lying to you. Our guide to spotting the rogues is at is-the-eco4-scheme-legit.