Can I get a boiler grant if I'm not on benefits?
Last updated:
- Council ECO4 Flex referral, household income under £31,000
- Warm Homes: Local Grant in England, income £36,000 or less
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme has no income test
Not on benefits? See which route fits your home.
Check If You Qualify- Gas Safe registered engineers
- Company No. 16100301
Under £31,000
ECO4 Flex income limit
Ofgem
£36,000 or less
Local Grant income limit
GOV.UK
31 Dec 2026
ECO4 end date
GOV.UK
£7,500
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
GOV.UK
Which routes give a boiler grant if you're not on benefits?
Yes, you can sometimes get a boiler grant if you're not on benefits. The main routes are a council ECO4 Flex referral (household income under £31,000, work finished by 31 December 2026), the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England (income £36,000 or less) and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which has no income test. Child Benefit counts too, if your income is under the ECO4 limit.
Five routes are open to households that do not get a means-tested benefit. Each has its own income test, area and end date.
Routes for households not on benefits, last updated 27 October 2026
1. Council ECO4 Flex referral
- Where: England, Scotland, Wales
- Income test: Household income under £31,000, two hardship signs, or an NHS referral
- What it can pay for: Insulation and heating, decided after a survey
- Open until: Work finished by 31 December 2026, where your council still takes requests
2. ECO4 with Child Benefit
- Where: England, Scotland, Wales
- Income test: Income under the limit for your household size
- What it can pay for: Insulation and heating, decided after a survey
- Open until: 31 December 2026, while funding is still available
3. Warm Homes: Local Grant
- Where: England
- Income test: £36,000 or less, an eligible postcode, or two hardship signs
- What it can pay for: Insulation, heat pumps, solar panels. Not gas boilers
- Open until: 31 March 2028, if your council has funding
4. Boiler Upgrade Scheme
- Where: England and Wales
- Income test: None
- What it can pay for: £7,500 off a heat pump. Not gas boilers
- Open until: No closing date on GOV.UK
5. Schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Where: Each nation
- Income test: Depends on the nation (see Route 5 below)
- What it can pay for: Depends on the scheme
- Open until: Depends on the scheme
An honest point first. If your household earns more than these limits and your boiler still works, a free gas boiler is unlikely. The realistic help is a heat pump grant, or a council grant for insulation and low carbon heating.
Route 1: a council referral through ECO4 Flex
Your council can refer you for ECO4 help without benefits, as long as it has published a Statement of Intent and your household meets one of the Flex routes. Ofgem's guidance (version 3.0, March 2026) sets out these routes:
- Household income: gross annual income under £31,000. Ofgem says this limit applies whatever the size of your household or where you live.
- Two hardship signs: for example, living in one of the most deprived areas, a low income Council Tax Reduction, free school meals for a child, a health condition that makes you vulnerable to the cold, or a referral from Citizens Advice or your energy supplier because of bill debt.
- Medical referral: a GP or NHS referral for a heart, lung, mobility or immune system condition that the cold makes worse.
Some hardship signs cannot be paired. A deprived area and a health condition do not count together, for example.
Your home matters too. Owner occupied homes need an EPC rating of D to G under the income and medical routes, or E to G under the two signs route.
Privately rented homes need E to G. Council and housing association homes cannot use Flex.
Taking part is optional for councils, and many have stopped. Birmingham City Council has closed its ECO4 Flex scheme and says "no new applications can be funded". Coventry says it is "no longer accepting declaration requests".
Even with a council declaration, the work is not guaranteed. The energy supplier still decides after our survey, and every install must be finished by 31 December 2026. Read our LA Flex scheme guide to see what your council's statement covers.
Route 2: Child Benefit, if your income is under the limit
Child Benefit counts as an ECO4 qualifying benefit when your income is under the ECO4 income threshold for your household. Many families do not think of it as a benefit, so they never check.
ECO4 Child Benefit income limits (ECO4 Order 2022, Schedule 1)
| Who claims | 1 child | 2 children | 3 children | 4 or more children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single claimant | £19,900 | £24,800 | £29,600 | £34,500 |
| Member of a couple | £27,500 | £32,300 | £37,200 | £42,000 |
For a single claimant, the Order counts the claimant's annual income from all sources. For a couple, it counts their combined income, and Ofgem treats unmarried partners who live together as a couple.
Funding status, last updated 27 October 2026: ECO4 runs from 1 April 2022 to 31 December 2026, and the government says there will be no successor supplier obligation. Some energy suppliers have already stopped new ECO4 applications.
Some installers may still have funding, but time is short. See the full ECO4 eligibility rules.
Route 3: the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England
The Warm Homes: Local Grant has an income route, so you do not need benefits. Your household qualifies with one of these:
- A gross household income of £36,000 or less, or under the After Housing Costs limit for your household.
- A home in an eligible postcode, from the 20% most income deprived areas of England.
- Two of the same hardship signs used by ECO4 Flex, if your home is rated EPC E to G.
The home must be privately owned, in England, and rated EPC D to G. The grant pays for insulation, heat pumps, solar panels and smart controls. The guidance says "new gas boilers cannot be funded".
The grant runs until 31 March 2028, but some councils have already filled their places for this year. We help you apply, and your council handles the rest. The council checks your income against the After Housing Costs table for your household.
Route 4: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, with no income test
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives money off a heat pump or biomass boiler whatever your income, in England and Wales. GOV.UK sets out the amounts:
- £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump.
- £5,000 towards a biomass boiler.
- £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump.
- An extra £1,500 for an air or ground source heat pump until March 2027, if your home uses oil or LPG and has no mains gas.
You must own the property and be replacing fossil fuel heating, such as gas, oil, LPG or electric heating. It does not pay for a new gas boiler.
The installer applies for the grant, not you. Read our heat pump grant guide for the steps.
Route 5: help in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Each nation has its own schemes, and some do not need benefits at all.
- Scotland: the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan offers up to £7,500 towards a heat pump, and Home Energy Scotland says "You do not need to be in receipt of benefits to qualify." Warmer Homes Scotland can include a new gas boiler. You can qualify without benefits if someone is 75 or over with no working heating, or has a DS1500 or BASRiS medical form. Call us on 07599 995537 to check if ECO4 or LA Flex can help your home in Scotland. See our guide to boiler grants in Scotland.
- Wales: the Warm Homes Nest scheme helps households with a means-tested benefit, or on a low income (set by household size). A health condition widens the EPC limit.
- Northern Ireland: ECO4 and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme do not apply, and we do not work in Northern Ireland. The Affordable Warmth Scheme uses a household income test rather than benefits. The Department for Communities plans to replace it with the Warm Healthy Homes Fund from April 2027. See our guide to the boiler replacement scheme in NI.
Paying less if no grant fits
Before you pay for a new boiler, check every route above. Many households are over one income limit but under another, so our eligibility check is a good first step.
How is household income counted?
Each scheme counts income in its own way, so a household can be over one limit and under another.
How each scheme counts household income
| Rule | ECO4 Flex (income route) | Warm Homes: Local Grant | ECO4 with Child Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limit | Under £31,000 | £36,000 or less, or the After Housing Costs limit | £19,900 to £42,000, by household |
| Whose income | Every adult aged 18 or over who lives there, including lodgers and relatives | Every adult, except those in full-time education. A lodger's income is left out, but their rent counts | The claimant, or the couple combined |
| Benefits | Benefit payments count as income, including Child Benefit | Disability benefits such as PIP, DLA and Attendance Allowance are left out | Income from all sources |
| Before or after tax | Before tax | Before tax | Before tax, from all sources |
Can self-employed people get a boiler grant?
Yes. Self-employed earnings count like wages.
For ECO4 Flex, Ofgem lists self-assessment tax returns and SA302 letters as proof, and your own written statement is not enough on its own. Documents should be no more than 12 months old.
Can I get a boiler grant if I have savings?
Savings alone do not stop you. Ofgem's Flex guidance counts the interest you earn on savings as income, but it does not set a savings limit. One-off money, such as an inheritance, a gift from family or the 25% tax-free part of a pension, is not counted.
What if my household has no income?
A household with no income is under the £31,000 limit, but the council still needs documents. Ofgem says a self-declaration cannot be the only evidence, so expect to show bank, council tax or HMRC letters.
What does not count as a qualifying benefit?
Several payments that people call benefits do not open these schemes on their own.
- PIP, DLA and Attendance Allowance: not on the ECO4 or Local Grant benefit lists. Under ECO4 Flex, a PIP or DLA award letter can prove a disability, which is one of the two hardship signs. In Scotland, Warmer Homes Scotland does accept Adult Disability Payment. See boiler grants for disabled people.
- Carer's Allowance: not on the ECO4 or Local Grant lists.
- State Pension: this is income, not a qualifying benefit. Pension Credit does qualify. Read our page on boiler grants for pensioners.
- Tax credits: these ended on 5 April 2025, so they no longer open ECO4.
- Single person discount: a 25% Council Tax discount is not a hardship sign. A low income Council Tax Reduction is.
Questions about your income or benefits? Speak to our team.
Who will not qualify?
A boiler grant not on benefits is still possible, but you are unlikely to get one through these routes if:
- Your household income is over £36,000, you do not claim Child Benefit, and your area or health does not give you two hardship signs.
- You live in England and want a free gas boiler after 31 December 2026.
- You rent from a council or housing association.
- Your home is rated EPC A, B or C.
- Your council has closed its ECO4 Flex requests and its Local Grant places.
If that is you, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is still open to owners on any income.
Prefer to message? Send us your questions on WhatsApp.
Common questions
What is the income limit for a boiler grant?
There is no single limit. Council ECO4 Flex uses a gross income under £31,000. The Warm Homes: Local Grant uses £36,000 or less, or the After Housing Costs limit. ECO4 with Child Benefit uses £19,900 to £42,000, depending on who claims and how many children. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme has no income limit, but it does not pay for gas boilers.
Can I get a free boiler if I work?
Yes, if your household income is under the limits, or you meet the hardship or medical routes. Working is not a bar. What counts is total household income and your home's energy rating.
Is there a grant for a new gas boiler if I'm not on benefits?
Only through ECO4, which runs from 1 April 2022 to 31 December 2026, Warmer Homes Scotland, or Nest in Wales, where the home has no heating or hot water and the household qualifies. The Local Grant and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme do not fund gas boilers.
What happens after ECO4 ends?
ECO4 has no supplier funded successor. The government's Warm Homes Plan sets out what comes next, and the Local Grant runs to March 2028.
Want help with your application? Start with a free survey.
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Sources
- Ofgem: ECO4 and GBIS Flex Local Authority Guidance, version 3.0, March 2026 (PDF)
- legislation.gov.uk: The ECO4 Order 2022 (SI 2022/875), Schedule 1
- Ofgem: ECO4 Guidance: Delivery, version 4.0, March 2026
- GOV.UK: Extending the ECO4 end date, government response
- GOV.UK: Apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant
- DESNZ: Warm Homes: Local Grant policy guidance, July 2026 (PDF)
- GOV.UK: Boiler Upgrade Scheme, what you can get, check if you're eligible and how to apply
- Home Energy Scotland: Grant and Loan and Warmer Homes Scotland
- Welsh Government: Nest and Warm Homes Nest scheme annual report 2024 to 2025
- Department for Communities: Affordable Warmth eligibility changes and Warm Healthy Homes Fund
- GOV.UK: Child Tax Credit (tax credits ended 5 April 2025)
- Birmingham City Council: ECO4 announcement (PDF) and Coventry City Council: Warmer homes, checked 20 October 2026
About This Page
FreeBoilerUpgrade.uk is an installer run by Reliant Energy Solutions Ltd (No. 16100301), incorporated on 25 November 2024. Every boiler is fitted by a Gas Safe registered engineer. We are not part of the government or Ofgem.
- Company: Reliant Energy Solutions Ltd, company number 16100301, address 16 Suite, Turner Business Centre, Middleton, Manchester M24 1RU
- Phone: 07599 995537
- Email: info@freeboilerupgrade.uk
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