UK 2026 / Reviewed October 2026
ECO4 free boiler grant
ECO4 funds energy efficiency work, sometimes including a new boiler, for low-income and vulnerable households. It is paid for by an obligation on energy suppliers and administered by Ofgem, and it runs until 31 December 2026. A free boiler is possible but not automatic: the rules on boiler replacements are narrow.
Eligibility: the two tests
Test 1: Qualifying benefits
Someone in the household receives at least one of these (Ofgem's list):
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Housing Benefit
- Child Benefit (within income caps)
Test 2: EPC rating
Owner-occupied homes: EPC band D, E, F or G. Privately rented homes: E, F or G, with the landlord's consent. The work has to lift the home: D and E homes to band C, F and G homes to band D.
Check your EPC at gov.uk/find-energy-certificate using your postcode.
Not on a qualifying benefit? Your council may still refer you under ECO4 Flex, where local authorities identify eligible households on income or health grounds.
The boiler rules
- Broken, not just old. A boiler replacement needs the existing boiler to have broken down and be beyond economic repair.
- Capped. Replacements of broken efficient heating systems count against a cap. First-time central heating, heating upgrades, renewable heating and district heating sit outside it.
- Rented homes. In a privately rented home the package must include at least one of solid wall insulation, first-time central heating, a district heating connection or renewable heating.
- Contributions. Ofgem says energy companies decide how much funding they provide, so you may be asked to pay towards the work. Get any contribution in writing before you agree.
How to apply
- Check the two tests above (benefit + EPC band).
- Contact an obligated energy supplier directly and ask about ECO4, or ask your council about ECO4 Flex. Simple Energy Advice can also point you to the right route.
- A retrofit coordinator assesses the home and plans the measures; installers must be TrustMark registered, and gas work needs a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- Leave time: the scheme ends on 31 December 2026, and work has to be installed by then.
Watch-outs
- Cold-callers: don't agree to anything on the phone or doorstep. Check an installer's TrustMark and Gas Safe registration yourself.
- "Free" is not guaranteed: you may be asked to contribute. Ask for the contribution, if any, in writing.
- Landlord consent: tenants in privately rented homes need the landlord's agreement.
Source: Ofgem, ECO FAQs for domestic consumers and landlords, and Ofgem, Energy Company Obligation, checked October 2026.
FAQ
What is ECO4?
ECO4 is the fourth phase of the Energy Company Obligation: a requirement on larger energy suppliers to fund energy efficiency measures in the homes of low-income, fuel-poor and vulnerable households. Ofgem administers it. It applies to measures installed from 1 April 2022 and runs until 31 December 2026, after a nine-month extension that did not raise delivery targets. It covers England, Scotland and Wales.
Who is eligible for ECO4 in 2026?
Ofgem lists receipt of at least one qualifying benefit, including income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, or Child Benefit within income caps. Owner-occupied homes must be EPC band D to G; privately rented homes E to G, with the landlord's consent. Councils can also refer households under ECO4 Flex.
Will ECO4 replace my boiler for free?
Not automatically. A boiler replacement requires the existing boiler to have broken down and be beyond economic repair, and replacements of broken efficient heating systems are capped. Ofgem says energy companies decide how much funding they provide, so you may be asked to contribute. In privately rented homes the package must include at least one of solid wall insulation, first-time central heating, a district heating connection or renewable heating.
What happens after ECO4 ends?
ECO4 runs until 31 December 2026. The government's Warm Homes Plan moves low-income support to a new Warm Homes Fund from 2027-28; details of that scheme are not yet final, so apply under ECO4 now if you qualify and need the work.
Not eligible for ECO4 but want low-carbon? See BUS £7,500 heat pump grant. Otherwise see finance options for spread-cost replacement.