What heat pump grants are available in the UK in 2026?

Three in England and Wales: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (£7,500, or £9,000 for oil and LPG homes), ECO4 (fully funded for households on qualifying benefits) and the Warm Homes: Local Grant (fully funded for incomes under £36,000 with EPC D-G, via councils). Scotland runs a separate Home Energy Scotland scheme with grants up to £7,500 plus interest-free loans.

Which heat pump grant pays the most?

ECO4 and the Warm Homes: Local Grant can pay for the entire installation, so they beat the Boiler Upgrade Scheme when you qualify. If you do not qualify for either, the £7,500 BUS grant (£9,000 for oil and LPG homes) is the biggest sum available with no means test.

Can I get a heat pump grant if I'm not on benefits?

Yes. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme has no benefits or income test at all. Benefits only matter for ECO4. This is the single most misunderstood fact about UK heating grants.

Can you combine ECO4 and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?

Not for the same measure. One heat pump gets one grant. Households that qualify for ECO4 should usually take that route because it covers more of the cost.

Do heat pump grants cover the full cost?

ECO4 and the Warm Homes: Local Grant can. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not: a typical air source heat pump installation costs £10,000 to £14,000, so after the £7,500 grant you pay roughly £2,500 to £6,500 yourself.

Heat pump grants in the UK: all 3 routes compared

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

Three heat pump grants are open in England and Wales in 2026: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 (£9,000 for oil and LPG homes), ECO4 can fund the entire installation for households on qualifying benefits, and the Warm Homes: Local Grant can fully fund work for incomes under £36,000. Scotland runs its own, separate scheme.

Most homeowners fit exactly one of these routes, and picking the wrong one costs real money. A household that takes £7,500 off through BUS when it qualified for a fully funded ECO4 job has paid thousands it did not need to. Here is how to pick correctly.

The three routes at a glance

Comparison of the three main UK heating grants
What matters	Boiler Upgrade Scheme	ECO4	Warm Homes: Local Grant
How much	£7,500 off a heat pump. £9,000 if you heat with oil or LPG.	Can fully fund a boiler, heat pump or insulation.	Can fully fund improvements.
Income test	None. Any income qualifies.	Yes. Someone in the household needs a qualifying benefit.	Yes. Household income under £36,000 and EPC D to G.
Where	England and Wales.	Great Britain.	England only.
Who applies	Your MCS-certified installer. You never fill in a form.	A TrustMark installer or your energy supplier.	You, through your local council.
Deadline	Runs until 31 March 2028.	Scheme rules and deadlines change. Check what is currently open.	Rolling out by council area through 2028.

Checked against GOV.UK: 10 July 2026

Route 1: Boiler Upgrade Scheme, the no-questions route

If you own your home in England or Wales, this one is nearly guaranteed. £7,500 off an air source or ground source heat pump, no income test, no benefits requirement, and since April 2026 no insulation prerequisite either. Your MCS-certified installer claims the voucher, you never touch a form. Homes currently heated by oil or LPG get £9,000 between 21 July 2026 and 31 March 2027, which we cover separately in the oil boiler replacement guide. Full detail in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide.

Route 2: ECO4, the fully funded route

ECO4 is benefits-linked. If anyone in the household receives Universal Credit, Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit), Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Housing Benefit or Tax Credits, ECO4 can pay for the whole job: heat pump or boiler, insulation, sometimes solar too. It is delivered by the big energy suppliers through TrustMark-registered installers. Scheme rules and deadlines change, so check your eligibility now and we will confirm what is currently open. The honest breakdown of who qualifies is in our free boiler grants guide.

Route 3: Warm Homes: Local Grant, the council route

England only. If your household income is under £36,000 and your home has an EPC rating of D to G, your local council can fully fund energy improvements including heat pumps. The catch is rollout: councils come online area by area, so availability depends on your postcode. Applications go through the council, not through an installer.

Scotland: a different and better offer

Home Energy Scotland provides grants of up to £7,500 for a heat pump (£9,000 in rural areas) plus an optional interest-free loan of the same amount again. That is a stronger package than anything in England. We have no Scottish installer network, so we send Scottish visitors there directly rather than collecting details we cannot act on. Call 0808 808 2282 or search for Home Energy Scotland.

The schemes genuinely differ by nation. For the plain version where you live, see heating grants in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

How to choose in 30 seconds

Anyone in the household on a qualifying benefit? Check ECO4 first, it pays the most.
Income under £36,000 and an EPC of D to G? Ask your council about the Warm Homes: Local Grant.
Neither? Take the Boiler Upgrade Scheme: £7,500 off, £9,000 if you heat with oil or LPG.

Or answer 5 questions in our eligibility checker and it does the sorting for you, including telling you straight if none of the routes fit.