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UK Government Scheme · ECO4 (until 31 December 2026)

Free Boiler Grant — Check Your Eligibility

If you're on a qualifying benefit and your boiler is old or broken, ECO4 can replace it with a new A-rated boiler for nothing. The energy suppliers pay, not you.

Last checked: August 2026

InstantCost is not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting on behalf of HM Government, Ofgem or DESNZ. Final eligibility is decided by a registered installer or your local authority.

100% funded

For most fully-eligible households

£6,000 – £14,000

Typical value of the measures installed

Whole-house

Boiler, insulation and controls together

What you get, and what it costs you

ECO4 doesn't hand you cash. A TrustMark-registered installer surveys your home, designs a package of measures, and claims the funding from an energy supplier. Most eligible households pay nothing at all.

Sometimes the measures cost more than the funding available. When that happens you'll be asked for a contribution — usually £100 to £500. You'll be told the figure before anyone starts work, and you can walk away.

ECO4 was extended in January 2026 and closes on 31 December 2026. No replacement supplier obligation is planned, so from 2027 the Warm Homes Local Grant run by councils becomes the main route for low-income households.

Don't qualify, or want to know the full price first? Try the boiler installation cost calculator or the solar panel cost calculator.

Free boiler (ECO4) eligibility checker

Answer a few questions to get an instant indicative result.

Step 1 of 5 · Benefits received in your household20%

Benefits received in your household

InstantCost is not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting on behalf of HM Government, Ofgem or DESNZ. Final eligibility is decided by a registered installer or your local authority.

1. Eligibility check

Answer a few questions to see if you likely qualify under ECO4.

2. Free home survey

A TrustMark-registered installer confirms it and picks the right boiler.

3. Free install

One-day fit by a Gas Safe engineer, funded for eligible households.

No qualifying benefits? The LA Flex route

Local Authority Flex (LA Flex) lets your council declare you eligible for ECO4 even when nobody in the house claims benefits. It isn't a separate scheme — it's a side door into the same funding.

Every council publishes a Statement of Intent setting out the routes it accepts. The common ones are a gross household income under about £31,000, living in a low-income area, a health condition made worse by a cold home, or a referral from the NHS or a support organisation. Health routes usually ignore the income cap.

Once the council signs the declaration, an installer treats you exactly like a benefit-qualifying household. The measures are the same — insulation, boilers, heat pumps, controls, sometimes solar — and the energy supplier pays, not the council.

LA Flex runs in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has the Affordable Warmth Scheme instead. Declarations are always free: never pay a company to "secure" one for you.

  1. Search your council's site for "ECO4 Flex" or "Statement of Intent".
  2. Get proof of income together, or evidence of the health condition.
  3. Ask the council or an installer to complete the declaration.
  4. A retrofit assessment follows under the standard ECO4 process.

How to apply

  1. Check which benefits anyone in the household receives.
  2. Look up your EPC rating on the free government register.
  3. Contact your energy supplier or a TrustMark-registered ECO4 installer.
  4. A retrofit assessor surveys the home and designs the package.
  5. Work is installed and signed off under PAS 2035 — most households pay nothing.
Official gov.uk: Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)

Frequently asked questions

ECO4 (Energy Company Obligation 4) is a UK government scheme paid for by the largest energy suppliers. It funds energy-efficiency upgrades — free boilers, insulation and heating controls — for low-income and vulnerable households. It was extended in January 2026 and now runs to 31 December 2026.

No successor supplier obligation has been announced. From 2027 the Warm Homes Local Grant, delivered by councils, becomes the main route for low-income households. If you qualify now, apply before 31 December 2026.

Homeowners and private tenants who receive a qualifying benefit (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, ESA, JSA, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Housing Benefit and others), live in a home rated D to G on EPC, and have a boiler that is broken or over 10 to 15 years old.

A whole-house package rather than a single item: a replacement boiler or heat pump, loft, cavity and solid wall insulation, heating controls and sometimes solar panels. The aim is to lift the property's EPC rating.

Yes, through LA Flex. Your council can declare you eligible for ECO4 on low income (usually under about £31,000 gross), living in a deprived area, or a health condition made worse by a cold home. Declarations are free.

For most fully-eligible households, yes. Occasionally — often on the LA Flex route or with partial qualification — a contribution of £100 to £500 is asked for. Your installer confirms this before any work starts.

An A-rated boiler from an approved brand such as Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Ideal or Baxi. The installer picks the best fit for your home and pipework.

Private tenants can, where the landlord consents and applies alongside them. Social housing qualifies only for properties rated EPC E, F or G.

Usually 4 to 10 weeks from check to installation: a callback, a free home survey, a retrofit assessment, then a one-day boiler install.

No. InstantCost connects you to TrustMark and Gas Safe registered ECO4 installers. We are independent and charge homeowners nothing.