Free Boiler Grants in London (E, EC, N, NW, SE, SW, W, WC)ECO4 Eligibility 2026

London homeowners (EPC band D–G) and private tenants (EPC band E–G, with landlord consent) whose household either claims a qualifying benefit (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, PIP, ESA, Income Support, Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit) or has gross income under £31,000 via the Greater London Authority's Pan-London LA Flex Statement of Intent. The GLA SoI also recognises the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Minimum Income Standard (MIS) as an alternative income test, and cold-home vulnerability indicators.

The Greater London Authority publishes a single Pan-London ECO Flex Statement of Intent that covers all 32 London boroughs and the City of London — installers can use it across the whole capital. Individual boroughs (notably Newham, Hammersmith & Fulham, Hackney, Lambeth and Southwark) also publish their own supplementary SoIs alongside the GLA version, which can add borough-specific routes. Households are referred via their own borough's energy team, not the GLA directly.

Both — split by the River Thames. Cadent's North London network covers every postcode north of the Thames (N, NW, E, EC, W, WC, plus the Central London Westminster side of SW1). SGN's Southern network covers every postcode south of the Thames (SE, the Lambeth / Battersea / Wandsworth side of SW, and Croydon). When checking a new gas connection, you'll be routed to Cadent or SGN depending on which side of the river the property sits.

Inner-borough Victorian conversion flats are London's strongest ECO4 catchment. The typical scope is: A-rated condensing combi replacement, new programmable controls and TRVs, loft insulation top-up (coordinated with the upstairs/downstairs flat under PAS 2035 because the loft is usually unbounded), and — where the rear extension is cavity-built — cavity-wall fill. Solid-wall insulation on the front terrace is in scope but typically needs Conservation Area planning consent (many inner-borough streets are inside a CA).

Sometimes — it depends on whether the block has gas risers and individual gas meters. Many 1960s/70s towers (Trellick, Balfron, Alexandra Road) were built with all-electric heating and have no gas infrastructure inside the block; retrofitting gas to a high-rise is rarely viable. The PAS 2035 retrofit assessment under ECO4 will scope an alternative — typically a new electric heating system upgrade, an air-source heat pump where the block supports it, or insulation-only measures where heating-system replacement isn't feasible.

Most inner-London boroughs do operate their own referral pipeline via their housing or energy-efficiency team — including Hackney, Lambeth, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Islington, Camden, Westminster, Hammersmith & Fulham, Wandsworth and Lewisham. Outer-London boroughs typically rely on the Pan-London GLA SoI without publishing supplementary versions. If you're not sure, search your borough's website for 'ECO4 Flex' or 'Energy Company Obligation' to find their referral contact.

ECO4 closes 31 December 2026. After that, the £15 billion Warm Homes Plan takes over from April 2027 — funded by public investment rather than energy-bill levies, and delivered by the new Warm Homes Agency rather than Ofgem (gov.uk Warm Homes Plan, updated 18 March 2026). You may have seen the successor scheme called 'ECO5' online — that name is not used by government and no scheme by that title exists. For London households, the practical effect is straightforward: if you apply under ECO4 before the 31 December 2026 close, the install is funded under ECO4 even if the engineer's visit happens in early 2027; if you start a fresh application after 1 January 2027, you'll be routed through the Warm Homes Local Grant (WHLG), the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund, or the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme depending on your tenure and property. Your local council's energy team continues to handle the referral throughout the transition.