Central Heating Grants are available to pay for the installation of a new gas central heating system or an air source heat pump in homes which have never had central heating before.
If your home does not have mains gas supply you may qualify for a grant to have an air source heat pump installed instead of gas central heating.
Central Heating Grants are available if:
Your home has never had Central Heating fitted before AND
You, or someone living permanently with you, receives State Benefits, Tax Credits or Other Allowances,
OR
If your Local Authority approves your application under ECO Flex Rules.
To qualify for central heating grants, the new central heating system must provide space heating through a mains gas boiler or an air source heat pump, connected to radiators.
Central Heating Grants Qualifying Criteria requires that the new central heating system is installed in a residential property which has never had any type of central heating system installed before..
There are two ways to qualify:
Central Heating Grants are available in England, Scotland and Wales but we only cover central and northern England and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own scheme.
1. You must live in your own home or one which you rent from a private landlord
IMPORTANT – Changes introduced by ECO4 from 1st April 2022 now mean that your home MUST HAVE an existing mains gas supply to qualify for a grant to install gas central heating. If you do not have a mains gas supply you can apply for a grant to install an air source heat pump.
For homeowners, homes must have an EPC rating of D, E, F or G to be eligible for Central Heating Grants. However, some homes in the higher part of band D will not qualify.
For private tenants, homes must have an EPC rating of E, F or G to be eligible for Central Heating Grants.
You can see the EPC rating of your home by clicking HERE for England and Wales or HERE for Scotland.
You will not qualify for central heating grants if you rent your home from a local council or a housing association or if you live in a shared ownership home.
Landlords can apply for central heating grants on behalf of their tenant HERE.
2. Your home must currently have one of the following heating systems OR no heating at all.
The heating system used to determine whether you qualify for Central Heating Grants is the one which appears as the ‘Main Heating’ system on the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for your home. You can see your EPC if you live in England or Wales HERE or if you live in Scotland, HERE.
3. You, or someone living permanently with you, must receive one of the following benefits OR qualify under Local Authority ECO Flex Rules
To qualify for Central Heating Grants, either you or someone living permanently with you, must receive one of the following State Benefits, Tax Credits or Other Allowances. That is, unless you qualify under ECO Flex Rules:
ECO Flex Rules: This allows your Local Authority to authorise your application for the central heating grants scheme without the need to receive one of the qualifying benefits above. You still need to complete the form on this page and we will liase with your Local Authority.
Liverpool City Council’s Sustainable Warmth Fund Grants:
If you do not receive one of the qualifying benefits and your local council is not part of the ECO Flex scheme you may still qualify for a grant to install an air source heat pump. You must live in the Liverpool city council area. Please click HERE for more information.
Central Heating Grants Scheme can help fund the installation of the following central heating systems:
The central heating grants scheme provides funding to help install the following types of central heating boiler plus radiators, pipework and a room thermostat:
However, most installers only offer mains gas or LPG central heating systems under the Central Heating Grants Scheme.
Central Heating Grants are available to householders who own their own homes or who rent it from a private landlord.
Tenants who live in local council owned properties or in housing association homes and householders who live in shared ownership homes will not qualify for a Central Heating Grant.
You also need to receive one of the qualifying benefits for central heating grants unless you qualify under ECO Flex rules.
Your home must have an existing mains gas supply and either no heating at all or one of the following heating systems:
Types Of Installations:
There are two types of systems under the First Time Central Heating (FTCH) scheme that we can install, “FTCH – Gas” or “FTCH – ASHP”.
Your property must have a live gas supply present which has been live prior to 1st April 2022. If there is no live gas live then unfortunately the property does not qualify for any gas measure.
FTCH – Gas
If you do have a live gas supply to your home, the FTCH system will consist of a brand new A Rated energy efficient boiler, all associated materials and radiators, each radiator size is calculated by the required KW Heat output to heat each individual room in your home.
If you do not have a live mains gas supply to your home, you could still qualify for a free central heating system which has an Air Source Heat Pump & Cylinder rather than a gas boiler. This is fueled by electricity only.
FTCH – ASHP (Air Source Heat Pump)
The air source heat pump absorbs heat from the outside air and converts this into a liquid refrigerant at a low temperature. Using electricity, the pump compresses the liquid to increase its temperature. It then condenses back into a liquid to release its stored heat. Heat is sent to your radiators or underfloor heating.
The system installed would be radiators, an ASHP Unit and a cylinder, there is no gas boiler at all in the property. The ASHP Unit works alongside the new cylinder which we would install.
The link below describes how the ASHP system works in your home:
To apply for a central heating grant please complete the form on this page.
We will telephone you to let you know whether you qualify or not, to arrange your free home survey and to answer any questions you may have.
If your home has never had a central heating system installed but you don’t receive benefits, you may qualify for central heating grants under ECO Flex rules.
ECO Flex rules or LA Flex rules allow Local Authorities to recommend that householders qualify for central heating grants without the requirement to receive benefits.
Each local authority can set its own rules but generally it would apply to households who spend a high proportion of their income to heat their homes.
In many cases, Central Heating Grants cover the full cost of installing a central heating system in your home.
However, this is subject to a survey and some applicants in smaller homes may have to contribute. You will not know this until after a survey of your home has been carried out but the survey is free.
ECO4 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2026
Unfortunately, due to changes to the ECO scheme from 1st April 2022, only properties which have an existing mains gas supply will qualify for Central Heating Grants to have a gas central heating system installed.
Those without an existing mains gas supply may qualify for a grant to install an air source heat pump and radiators.
To apply for a central heating grant you should first complete the form on this page.
If we cover your area and you qualify, we will telephone you to let you know and to answer any questions you may have.
A free survey of your home and its existing heating system will be carried out and with your permission an electronic check will be made with the DWP to confirm that you receive the correct benefits. You will need to sign a declaration that your home has never had central heating installed before.
Your ECO accredited installer will make a formal central heating grant application on your behalf and once the grant has been confirmed, they will arrange installation of your new central heating system.
Your new central heating system will include an A rated gas boiler or an air source heat pump, radiators, all of the necessary pipework and a room thermostat.
Central heating grants pay towards the cost of supplying and installing an A rated central heating boiler or an air source heat pump, all of the associated pipework, central heating radiators and a room thermostat.
Any plaster work which is damaged during the installation of your new central heating system will be repaired but central heating grants do not include the cost of re-decoration.
The central heating grants scheme is to install first time central heating systems only.
If your home has had central heating fitted before but it has been removed, you will not qualify.
All householders applying for central heating grants must sign a declaration with the following wording:
“I, the owner of the premises, declare that to the best of my knowledge, at no point prior to the installation of the first time central heating, first time district heating system or first time renewable heating system, did the premises have a central heating system, district heating system, or renewable heating system nor, immediately prior to the installation, did the premises did have a working, efficient electric storage heater(s).”
Your home needs to be well insulated before you can have central heating installed if it is funded by central heating grants. This is to save energy and make the new central heating system more effective in heating your home. However, in most cases the installer of your central heating system may be also be able to install the necessary insulation.
Adequate insulation in the walls and roof of your home will ensure that you avoid unnecessary heat loss from your new central heating system.
The central heating grants scheme is part of the Affordable Warmth Scheme section of the Government’s ECO Scheme. This is funded by a small levy on the electricity bills of every household in England, Scotland and Wales.
More information about the Affordable Warmth Scheme can be found HERE.
Central heating grants are paid directly to the installer once your new central heating system has been installed.
As part of the ECO4 scheme we are required to meet Ofgem’s Minimum Energy Requirement. This means that following the installation of the proposed Energy Saving Measures, the Retrofit Assessment (RA) Energy Rating of the property must increase in accordance with the following rules in order for us to proceed with any measures under the scheme.
In order to meet the minimum requirement (MR), we may need to install additional measures, usually insulation.
Once the client has qualified, the funding is determined by the Increase in the Retrofit Assessment Energy Rating by comparing the Pre-Retrofit Assessment Energy Rating with the Post-Retrofit Assessment Energy Rating.
Boiler Upgrade Grants – For owners of domestic properties and small non-domestic properties
You are eligible if you:
How much are boiler upgrade grants?
For more information, please go to: https://www.airsourceheatpumpgrants.co.uk/boiler-upgrade-scheme-grants/
Also, from 1st April 2022, for a period of five years, air source heat pumps will be zero rated for VAT.
The central heating grants scheme is part of the Affordable Warmth Scheme section of the Government’s ECO4 Scheme. ECO4 started on 1st April 2022 and is expected to run until 31st March 2026.
It is important therefore, that if you think you may qualify for a central heating grant, you should apply without delay as funds could be used up prior to March 2026.
