Free First Time Central Heating grants available for homes with no heating

Free First Time Central Heating grants

If your home has never had a central heating system you could qualify for a First Time Central Heating grant under the ECO4 scheme.

To qualify, you or someone in your household, must be in receipt of either one of the qualifying benefits listed below or qualify under the ECO Flex scheme (if available in your area).

As well as no heating at all, other heating systems which qualify for a First Time Central Heating grant under ECO4 include:

Will I receive a gas boiler or Air Source Heat Pump?

If your home had a mains gas connection, which in use before 1st April 2022, we will be able to install gas central heating for you. Examples include if you cook using gas, have gas room heaters or a warm air gas heating system.

However, if you do not have mains gas, you will receive an Air Source Heat Pump which is one of the most efficient forms of heating available.

A whole house approach to energy efficiency

As part of the ECO4 scheme, we will upgrade the insulation in your home before installing your new boiler if your loft has less than 300mm (12 inches) of loft insulation, your roof or flat roofs are not insulated in line with the current building regulations, or you have a cavity wall that is not insulated.

This is because insulation helps to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, which can save you money on your energy bills. It also helps to reduce your carbon footprint, which is good for the environment.

If you are interested in taking advantage of the ECO4 scheme, please contact us to discuss your options. We will be happy to help you determine if you are eligible and to arrange for the insulation to be installed.

Ventilation

When you install insulation, you are reducing the amount of air that can circulate. This can lead to condensation forming, which can cause mould and damp patches to appear on ceilings.

To prevent this, we will bring your home’s ventilation up to the latest standards and install additional ventilation where required as part of the ECO4 grant.

Do I qualify for a free gas boiler upgrade grant?

To qualify for a free gas boiler upgrade grant, you must be a homeowner and in receipt of one of the benefits listed below.

Alternatively, if you are a tenant we may be able to upgrade your boiler to an environmentally friendly Air Source Heat Pump.

I’m not receiving one of these benefits, can I be helped?

Up to 50% of energy efficiency measures installed in England, Wales and Scotland can be completed through the ECO4 Flex scheme and is for households whose combined gross income is below £31,000 per year or if you have certain health conditions which would make you vulnerable to the cold.

The ECO4 Flex scheme is administered by Local Authorities who are responsible for rolling it out in your area and they will verify your income or health eligibility. It is rolling out slowly and is expected to be fully live by April 2023.

We will check as part of your application if your area is now open for applications.

Are there any other criteria?

As well as being in receipt of a qualifying benefit or qualify through the Flex route (more on that below), your home must also be in one of the lower energy efficiency bands as follows:

• Owner Occupier: Your home must be in an EPC Band D, E, F or G
• Rented Property: Your home must be in an EPC Band E, F, or G
• Social Housing: Your home must be in an EPC Band E, F or G although there are some measures available if you are in a Band D property

I don’t know my EPC band

Don’t worry, if you don’t know your EPC band we can check it for you very quickly or you can visit the GOV.UK website which keeps a central register by clicking here.

If your home doesn’t have an EPC one will be completed as part of the application process for free.

I’m a Landlord, can I get any help?

The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) came in to effect in April 2018 and means that all rented properties must now have a minimum energy efficiency rating of band ‘E’ unless exempted.

However, from 2025, all properties rented on new tenancies must meet a minimum energy efficiency rating of Band ‘C’ and properties with existing tenants must be brought up to this standard by 2028. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to £30,000.

These changes are in line with the Government’s net zero emissions by 2050 targets and will also apply to properties which are being sold from 2035.

How can we help?

If your tenant is receiving one of the benefits listed above your property will be eligible for a grant to install First Time Central Heating with either a gas boiler or an environmentally friendly Air Source Heat Pump along with solar panels to further increase the efficiency of your property.

In fact, the ECO4 scheme says that all Band ‘E’ rated properties must reach a minimum Band ‘C’ after installation of energy efficiency measures.