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The honest guide toEnergy grants.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, council-run grants and 0% VAT on energy-saving work: who qualifies, how the money reaches you, and how to spot a grant scam.
Grants
Who this is for
For anyone trying to work out which home energy grants are real, which they qualify for, and how the money actually reaches them, without being caught by a grant scam.
The questions these guides answer
- Which grants and tax breaks are genuinely available in 2026?
- What does the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pay, and who can apply?
- Is there help for lower-income households?
- How do I tell a real scheme from a cold-calling scam?
Worth knowing first
In England the main help is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (£7,500 off an air or ground source heat pump, or £9,000 replacing oil or LPG off the gas grid until 31 March 2027), the council-run Warm Homes: Local Grant for lower-income households, and 0% VAT on installing heat pumps, insulation, solar panels and batteries until 31 March 2027. Since 28 April 2026 you no longer need an EPC for a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, and your installer applies for it for you.
Reading order: beginner first
Start at the top.
02 guides
- 01
Home energy grants and finance in 2026: what's actually available
The grants, tax breaks and finance that can genuinely lower the cost of a heat pump, solar panels or insulation in 2026, who qualifies for each, and how to apply without being caught by a grant scam.
9 min read
- 02
The Warm Homes: Local Grant: who qualifies and how to apply
Who can get free insulation, solar or a heat pump through their council under the Warm Homes: Local Grant, how eligibility is checked, and how to apply safely.
7 min read
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- How much do solar panels cost in 2026?9 min read
- On-gas vs off-gas heating: the geography, the economics, the future7 min read
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