Loft insulation, cavity walls, mould and damp, painting and EPC improvements across Luton and Bedfordshire 020 8090 9481 WhatsApp 07456 394024 info@ecobuild-contractors.co.uk
Call now020 8090 9481 Get a Free Quote
Two ways to pay

Private installations and funded improvements

We carry out both. Most customers pay privately for a quoted job, and some households qualify for help through a government-backed scheme. We will tell you honestly which applies to you.

Private, customer-funded installations

Any of our services, with a free written quotation and no obligation. Insulation, heat pumps, solar panels and batteries carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027.

Eligible government-funded improvements

Lower-income households may get insulation, heat pumps or solar funded through their council, and any homeowner replacing fossil fuel heating can get £7,500 towards a heat pump.

Updated October 2026

Schemes you can still use

Closing soon

Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)

What it can pay for
Energy suppliers fund insulation and heating upgrades, including some boiler replacements and first-time central heating, for eligible low-income homes. Measures are agreed after a survey and are often a package rather than a boiler on its own.
Who can apply
Homeowners and private tenants on certain means-tested benefits (such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit) living in a home rated EPC D to G, or households referred by their council through LA Flex.
Good to know
Extended from 31 March 2026 to 31 December 2026 only so suppliers can finish existing targets. Targets were not increased and there will be no ECO5, so many suppliers have stopped taking new cases. Work must be installed by 31 December 2026; a new enquiry in October 2026 may not get approved and fitted in time.

Official scheme details

Closing soon

ECO4 LA Flex (local authority flexible eligibility)

What it can pay for
Lets councils refer households who are not on benefits into ECO4 funding, using the council's own published criteria such as low income or health conditions made worse by a cold home.
Who can apply
Owner-occupiers and private tenants who meet their council's Statement of Intent criteria. Social housing is not included.
Good to know
Part of ECO4, so it ends on 31 December 2026 and is subject to the same supplier funding limits. Councils publish their own criteria and some have already stopped issuing referrals.

Official scheme details

Open

Warm Homes: Local Grant

What it can pay for
Council-run grants for insulation, air source heat pumps, solar panels and smart heating controls, decided after a home survey. It is aimed at low-carbon upgrades and is not a gas boiler replacement grant.
Who can apply
Homeowners and private tenants in England whose home is rated EPC D to G and whose household income is usually £36,000 a year or less (or who receive certain benefits or live in a qualifying postcode).
Good to know
Runs from April 2025 to March 2028, with funding set per council area, so some councils are oversubscribed or keeping a waiting list. Apply through the GOV.UK service or your council, not through an installer.

Official scheme details

Open

Warm Homes Plan (including Warm Homes loans)

What it can pay for
The government's £15 billion programme to 2030 that replaces ECO. It includes around £5 billion of grants for low-income households and new low or zero interest loans for heat pumps, solar panels and batteries.
Who can apply
Low-income households get grant-funded upgrades through the Warm Homes: Local Grant now and a single low-income scheme from 2027/28. Loans are for homeowners and private landlords who pass a lender's affordability checks, with no income limit.
Good to know
Loans roll out in phases through participating lenders, with the first consumer phase planned from September 2026. Gas boilers are not an eligible measure for the loans. Details of the 2027/28 low-income scheme are still to be confirmed.

Official scheme details

Open

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

What it can pay for
A grant taken off the installer's quote: £7,500 for an air source or ground source heat pump, £5,000 for a biomass boiler or £2,500 for an air-to-air heat pump. Off-gas-grid homes heated by oil or LPG can get £9,000 for a heat pump on applications from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Who can apply
Property owners in England and Wales, including landlords, replacing fossil fuel or electric heating. There is no income test. Social housing and most new builds are excluded.
Good to know
Funded to 2029/30. It does not pay for gas, oil or hybrid boilers. The installer must be MCS certified and applies for the voucher on your behalf.

Official scheme details

Open

0% VAT on energy-saving materials

What it can pay for
No VAT on installing insulation, heat pumps, solar panels, batteries, heating controls and draught proofing in homes in Great Britain.
Who can apply
Any homeowner or landlord paying for qualifying work on a home. It is applied by the installer on the invoice.
Good to know
Applies until 31 March 2027, then reverts to 5%. A new gas boiler bought privately is charged at the standard 20% rate.

Official scheme details

No longer available

Schemes that have closed or been replaced

You may still see these advertised. They are no longer taking new applications in the form they used to.

Closed to new applications

Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS)

What it can pay for
Energy supplier funding for single insulation measures such as cavity wall or loft insulation.
Who can apply
Was open to homes in council tax bands A to D (A to E in Scotland) rated EPC D to G, and to lower-income households.
Good to know
Ended on 31 March 2026 and was not extended. Insulation for lower-income homes in England now goes through the Warm Homes: Local Grant.

Official scheme details

Replaced

Home Upgrade Grant (HUG2)

What it can pay for
Council-run funding for insulation and low-carbon heating in off-gas-grid homes.
Who can apply
Was for low-income households in homes not heated by mains gas, rated EPC D to G.
Good to know
Delivery ended in 2025 and the scheme has been replaced by the Warm Homes: Local Grant.

Official scheme details

Free check

Check what funding your home could get

Answer a few questions and we will look at which schemes could apply to your home, then call you to talk it through. It takes about two minutes and there is no obligation.

Please note: Grant funding is not guaranteed. Whether you receive any funding, and how much, depends on your circumstances, a survey of your home, the rules of each scheme and whether the scheme still has funding when you apply. Schemes are run by the government, Ofgem, energy suppliers and councils, not by EcoBuild Contractors, and their rules and deadlines can change. Some households will be asked to contribute towards the cost. Information correct as of October 2026.

Check what funding you could get

Do you own or rent your home?
Does anyone in the home get means-tested benefits, such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit?
Is your household income under £36,000 a year?

Funding depends on your circumstances, a survey and each scheme's rules, so it is never guaranteed. See our privacy policy.

FAQ

Grant and funding questions

Can I still get a free boiler in 2026?

Possibly, but it is now rare. Free gas boiler replacements came almost entirely from ECO4, which ends on 31 December 2026 with no replacement scheme. Some energy suppliers have already met their targets and stopped taking new cases, and any work must be fitted before the deadline. We can check whether funding is still available for your home, but we cannot promise it.

Is there a British Gas boiler replacement grant?

No. There is no grant called the British Gas Boiler Replacement Grant. British Gas, like other large suppliers, has funded work through ECO4, which closes on 31 December 2026. Be wary of anyone using a supplier's name to promise a free boiler.

What replaces ECO4 from 2027?

The government's Warm Homes Plan. Lower-income households in England can apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant through their council until March 2028, and a single low-income scheme is planned from 2027/28. Warm Homes loans for heat pumps, solar panels and batteries are rolling out through lenders from September 2026. These schemes focus on insulation and low-carbon heating rather than new gas boilers.

How much is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant?

£7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump, £5,000 for a biomass boiler and £2,500 for an air-to-air heat pump, in England and Wales. Off-gas-grid homes heated by oil or LPG can get £9,000 for a heat pump until 31 March 2027. There is no income test, but it does not cover gas boilers.

Who qualifies for the Warm Homes: Local Grant?

Homeowners and private tenants in England whose home has an EPC rating of D to G and whose household income is usually £36,000 a year or less. You may also qualify through certain benefits or by living in a qualifying postcode. Funding is limited by council area and some councils have waiting lists.

Do I pay VAT on insulation or a heat pump?

Not until 31 March 2027. Installing insulation, heat pumps, solar panels, batteries and heating controls in a home is zero rated for VAT in Great Britain until then, after which it is due to return to 5%. A privately paid gas boiler is charged at 20% VAT.