Someone emailed us last month asking a simple question: "Can I get a grant for a new boiler?" The answer took longer than expected, because it depends entirely on what kind of boiler you mean.
If you want a heat pump to replace your gas boiler, the government will hand you £7,500 through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. If you're on benefits, ECO4 might cover the whole thing. But if you just want a new gas boiler, the honest answer is that no government scheme will help you. Not one. That's the bit most guides bury at the bottom. We're putting it up front.
Can I Get a Free Boiler?
This is the question people actually type into Google, so let's answer it directly.
Yes, but only through ECO4, and only if you meet the eligibility criteria. The Energy Company Obligation scheme can fund a complete heating system replacement, including a heat pump, for households on qualifying benefits. Your energy supplier arranges everything. You don't pay a penny.
The qualifying benefits include Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Income Support, income-based JSA and income-related ESA, according to GOV.UK. Your property also needs an EPC rating of D or below. If your home is close to the band C boundary, our guide on how to improve your EPC rating shows which upgrades move the needle fastest. About a third of UK households meet the income criteria. Most never check.
If you don't qualify for ECO4, a free boiler replacement isn't available. The old boiler scrappage schemes ended years ago. What you can get is £7,500 off a heat pump through the BUS grant, which for many homes brings the net cost below what a new gas boiler would have been anyway.
The BUS Grant: £7,500 Towards a Heat Pump
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is the main route for most homeowners. It provides up to £7,500 off the cost of an air source or ground source heat pump in England and Wales. Biomass boilers get £5,000. Air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries get £2,500 each.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a free boiler on the NHS or through my council?
The NHS doesn't fund boilers. Some councils offer heating grants through the Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme, but these fund heat pumps and insulation, not gas boilers. If you're on benefits, ECO4 through your energy supplier is the most likely route to a free heating upgrade.
Is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme means-tested?
No. The BUS grant has no income test. Any homeowner in England or Wales with an existing fossil fuel heating system and a valid EPC can apply. Your MCS-certified installer handles the application through Ofgem.
Can I get a grant for a combi boiler?
No. There is no government grant for gas, oil or LPG boilers in 2026. Every current scheme funds low-carbon alternatives like heat pumps. If you want a new combi boiler, you'll pay the full cost of £2,000 to £3,500 yourself.
How long does the BUS grant take to process?
Your installer applies for the voucher before starting work. Ofgem typically processes applications within 3 to 4 weeks. The grant comes off your final invoice, so you never handle the money yourself. The whole process from quote to installation usually takes 6 to 12 weeks.
Can landlords claim boiler grants?
Yes. Landlords can apply for the BUS grant on rental properties. ECO4 also covers rental homes if the tenant meets the benefit criteria. The Warm Homes: Local Grant varies by council, but many include privately rented properties.
Check if you qualify
Answer a few quick questions to see which government energy grants you're eligible for. Free, instant results.
£7,500. That's enough to bring a typical air source heat pump installation down from £10,000 to £16,000 to roughly £4,000 to £8,500 after the grant, according to MCS installer data. For context, a new gas boiler costs £2,000 to £3,500 installed. So the gap between a gas boiler and a grant-funded heat pump is smaller than most people think.
Your MCS-certified installer applies for the voucher on your behalf through Ofgem. You don't fill in a single government form. The grant comes straight off your invoice. The scheme has processed over 100,000 vouchers since 2022, per Ofgem quarterly statistics.
To qualify you need:
A property in England or Wales
A valid EPC on record (no minimum band required since 2024)
An existing fossil fuel heating system (gas, oil, LPG, electric, or coal)
An MCS-certified installer to do the work
The scheme is open now and funded until at least March 2028, per GOV.UK. There's no income test. Homeowners, landlords and social housing providers can all apply.
Want to know which brands to consider? Our guide to the best heat pump brands in the UK compares the top five on efficiency, noise and cost after the grant.
ECO4: Potentially Free for Eligible Households
ECO4 is the big one for lower-income households. It can fund a complete heating system upgrade, insulation, or both, at no cost to you.
The scheme is delivered through energy suppliers (British Gas, EDF, OVO and others) and runs until December 2026, according to GOV.UK. Your supplier sends an assessor, they evaluate your home, and if you qualify, the work gets done. You don't pay upfront. You don't pay afterwards.
The thing about ECO4 is that it sounds almost too good to be true, which is exactly why so many people assume they won't qualify and never bother checking, when in reality about a third of UK households meet the income criteria.
ECO4 can fund:
Air source heat pumps
Loft and cavity wall insulation
Solid wall insulation
Heating controls
Solar panels (some suppliers)
The scheme aims to bring homes up to at least band C where practical. If your home is rated D, E, F or G and you're on qualifying benefits, contact your energy supplier directly. Don't pay anyone an "admin fee" to check your eligibility. Legitimate ECO4 assessments are always free.
Warm Homes: Local Grant
Part of the government's £13.2 billion Warm Homes Plan, this scheme is delivered through local authorities across England. It targets homeowners with household income under £36,000 and a property rated D or below on the EPC scale.
Some councils fund heat pumps. Others focus on insulation. The measures available depend on your local authority's priorities. Cornwall funds generously. Other councils barely participate. There's no way to know without checking your council's website or calling their energy team.
The scheme runs from 2025 to 2028, per GOV.UK. It's separate from ECO4, so you might qualify for one, both, or neither. Search for "energy efficiency grants" plus your council name to find your local programme.
What About a Like-for-Like Gas Boiler Replacement?
Here's the honest bit that most boiler grant guides dance around.
There is no government grant for replacing your gas boiler with another gas boiler. Not in 2026. Not through any scheme.
The old boiler scrappage scheme ended in 2011. Every current programme, BUS, ECO4, Warm Homes, is designed to move homes away from fossil fuel heating. If your gas boiler has broken down and you just want a new one, you're paying the full £2,000 to £3,500 yourself.
That's not necessarily bad news. A new gas boiler is still cheaper upfront than a heat pump, even after the BUS grant. And if your home isn't well insulated, a heat pump won't perform at its best anyway. But the direction of travel is clear. Gas boiler grants aren't coming back. The government wants heat pumps in 600,000 homes a year by 2028, per the UK Net Zero Strategy.
If your boiler is on its last legs and you're not ready for a heat pump, a new gas boiler is a perfectly reasonable choice. Just know that no grant will help with the cost, and the next time you replace it, the pressure to go low-carbon will be stronger still.
The air source heat pump line is the one to focus on. After the BUS grant, many installations cost less than £6,000. That's roughly double a gas boiler, but a heat pump lasts 20 to 25 years, cuts heating bills by 20% to 30% compared to gas (more if replacing oil), and future-proofs your home against tightening regulations. If you have garden space or land, it's also worth considering ground source heat pumps, which run at higher efficiency and qualify for the same £7,500 BUS grant.
Running costs matter too. A heat pump on a dedicated tariff like Octopus Cosy costs roughly the same to run as a gas boiler at current prices, according to Ofgem modelling. If gas prices rise faster than electricity, the heat pump wins outright.
How to Apply
Check your eligibility. Use our free eligibility checker to see which schemes apply to your household. Two minutes. Covers BUS, ECO4, Warm Homes and local schemes.
Get three quotes from MCS-certified installers. MCS certification is non-negotiable for the BUS grant. Per MCS data, there are over 3,500 certified heat pump installers across the UK. Ask each one to include the BUS grant application in their quote.
If you think you qualify for ECO4, contact your energy supplier. Call the number on your bill and ask about ECO4 heating upgrades. They'll arrange a free assessment. Don't go through a third-party company that charges a fee.
Check your local council for Warm Homes funding. Search your council's website for energy grants. Some councils have waiting lists, so apply early.
Compare the numbers. Once you have quotes, compare the net cost of a heat pump (after BUS) against a new gas boiler. Factor in running costs over 15 years, not just the upfront price. The heat pump usually wins on total cost of ownership.