Can I Get a Free Boiler on PIP?

You can — but not because of PIP alone. ECO4 (the Energy Company Obligation) funds heating and insulation upgrades for eligible households in England, Scotland and Wales. The main way in is receiving one of the benefits on the Help to Heat Group list set out in the ECO4 Order. PIP is a non-means-tested disability benefit and does not appear on that list (legislation.gov.uk — ECO4 Order, Schedule 1).

So if you have seen pages saying “YES — PIP means a free boiler”, treat that as over-simplified. The honest answer is: PIP opens the door to checking two other routes, and many PIP households do pass one of them.

Even when you meet the criteria, Ofgem is clear that eligibility does not oblige a supplier to install measures in your home (Ofgem — ECO homeowners and tenants). Your property (for example its EPC rating and current heating) and available funding also matter.

No — not on its own. The ECO4 Help to Heat Group benefits are:

• Universal Credit
• Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit or Savings Credit)
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income Support
• Housing Benefit
• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Child Benefit (subject to household income thresholds)

PIP does not appear on this list. Neither does Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance. Source: ECO4 Order, Schedule 1; see also Ofgem's homeowner and tenant guidance. Always check the live Ofgem page rather than relying on any blog summary, including this one.

Our Warm Homes Plan guide and ECO4 eligibility page use the same rule: PIP alone is not a Help to Heat qualifying benefit.

Route A — PIP plus another Help to Heat benefit

If anyone in your household receives PIP and one of the benefits listed above (for example Universal Credit, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit), you may qualify through the standard ECO4 benefits route. In that case the qualifying benefit — not PIP — is what counts. Many PIP claimants also receive a means-tested benefit, so this is the first thing to check.

Next step: Check ECO4 eligibility.

Route B — LA Flex on household income

If PIP is your only benefit, your council may still be able to refer you through LA Flex. Each participating council publishes a Statement of Intent (SoI) setting out who it will refer. Ofgem's headline Flex example is a combined gross household income under £31,000 (Ofgem — ECO homeowners and tenants). Some councils apply different or additional criteria, so the SoI is what decides.

Next step: LA Flex scheme guide.

Route C — LA Flex on cold-related health or vulnerability

LA Flex can also cover households where someone's health could be made worse by living in a cold home. Ofgem's examples include cardiovascular conditions, respiratory conditions, limited mobility and immunosuppression. Some councils use wider vulnerability criteria in their SoI. Your PIP award letter may help as supporting evidence where your council's SoI allows it — but it does not qualify you automatically.

Next step: LA Flex scheme guide · Call 07342 267215.

For the standard ECO4 benefits route, yes — you (or someone in your household, depending on the rules) need a benefit on the Help to Heat list, and Universal Credit and Pension Credit are the most common. PIP can be paid alongside either.

If you do not get a listed benefit, you are not automatically ruled out: LA Flex (Routes B and C above) exists for households outside the benefits list.

• On Universal Credit or another listed benefit → ECO4 eligibility
• Over State Pension age and on, or possibly entitled to, Pension Credit → boiler grant for pensioners
• PIP only → LA Flex scheme

LA Flex lets councils refer households that miss the Help to Heat list but are on low income or vulnerable to the cold. What matters in practice:

• Your council's Statement of Intent. Not every council takes part, and criteria vary. The SoI sets out income tests, health criteria and what evidence is accepted.
• How PIP is treated in income tests. There is no single national rule on whether PIP counts towards a council's household income figure. Check how your council's SoI treats disability benefits before assuming either way.
• Evidence. Ofgem's local authority guidance allows documents such as a PIP award notice to be used as evidence supporting a Flex referral where the SoI relies on disability or vulnerability (Ofgem — ECO4/GBIS LA Administration Guidance v3.0). Some councils may also ask for a GP or medical letter for health-based routes.
• Still no install guarantee. A council referral (declaration) makes you eligible to be considered; a supplier must still fund the work after a survey.

Full walkthrough: LA Flex scheme guide.

ECO4 runs until 31 December 2026, following a nine-month extension (Ofgem — ECO; GOV.UK — Extending the ECO4 end date: government response).

There is no ECO5. The government has confirmed there will be no successor energy supplier obligation after ECO4. Instead, support moves to the Warm Homes Plan, a government-funded programme worth around £15 billion (GOV.UK — Warm Homes Plan). The government's extension response describes an additional £1.5 billion Budget top-up that brings Warm Homes Plan funding to just under £15 billion — the £1.5 billion is that top-up, not the whole Plan (GOV.UK — extension response).

ECO4 is the last phase of the Energy Company Obligation, but help does not stop in 2027 — rules will differ. See our Warm Homes Plan guide. If you think you qualify for ECO4 now, it is sensible to check before the end of 2026 rather than wait.

ECO4 is “whole house” in approach: the assessor and supplier decide which measures suit your home. Depending on the survey, that can include:

• A replacement A-rated gas boiler or other heating upgrade where your current system is broken or inefficient
• Insulation — for example loft, cavity wall or other fabric measures
• Heating controls

Not every PIP household will get every measure, and heat pumps are more often funded through other schemes (see the FAQ on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme). Energy savings vary by home and usage, so we do not quote savings figures here. More detail: ECO4 eligibility.

1. legislation.gov.uk — The Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2022, Schedule 1 — Help to Heat Group benefits; PIP not listed
2. Ofgem — ECO homeowners and tenants — qualifying benefits, LA Flex £31,000 income and health examples, eligibility does not guarantee install
3. Ofgem — Energy Company Obligation (ECO) — ECO4 runs until 31 December 2026
4. GOV.UK — Extending the ECO4 end date: government response — end date; no successor supplier obligation; £1.5bn Budget top-up
5. GOV.UK — Warm Homes Plan — ~£15bn programme
6. Ofgem — ECO4/GBIS Local Authority Administration Guidance v3.0 (PDF) — PIP award notice as Flex evidence
7. GOV.UK — PIP: how much you'll get — current PIP rates