Renovation Grants and Funding UK 2025

Renovating a property in the UK is expensive — but there is a substantial amount of government and local authority funding available in 2025 that many homeowners either don't know about or fail to apply for. The landscape has shifted significantly in the last 12–18 months, with the Warm Homes Plan replacing several previous schemes and new local authority delivery mechanisms coming online.

This guide covers every major grant programme available in 2025, who is eligible, how much you can receive, and how to apply — along with renovation-specific mortgage products and the cautionary tale of the Green Deal.

The Main Grant Programmes in 2025

1. Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS)

Status: Live but transitioning

GBIS provides free or heavily subsidised insulation — cavity wall, loft, and solid wall — to households that are either on a low income or live in a property with an EPC rating of D or below.

Eligibility: EPC band D, E, F, or G; OR household income below approximately £31,000 per year (group 1 — highest subsidy) / EPC D–G with any household income (group 2 — partial subsidy)
Maximum value: Full installation cost (cavity wall insulation typically £400–£1,000; solid wall insulation £8,000–£25,000)
How to apply: Contact your energy supplier or use the Great British Insulation Scheme installer search on gov.uk
Note: GBIS is being absorbed into the Warm Homes Local Grant in 2025–2026. Existing delivery continues, but new applicants should also check the WHL Grant (see below)

2. Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)

Status: Live until March 2026

ECO4 is delivered by the UK's larger energy suppliers, who are legally required to fund energy efficiency improvements for low-income and fuel-poor households.

Eligibility: Must be on certain means-tested benefits (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit, etc.) OR referred by local authority under the flexible eligibility route
Maximum value: Full cost of eligible measures — insulation, heat pumps, boilers, heating controls, solar PV
How to apply: Contact your energy supplier directly, or use the ECO4 checker on the Simple Energy Advice website (gov.uk/simple-energy-advice)
Flexible eligibility: Important route for those not on benefits — your local council can refer households they consider to be in fuel poverty, so contact your local authority's energy team

3. Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)

Status: Live — running until March 2028

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides a grant towards the cost of replacing an old gas or oil boiler with a low-carbon heating system.

Eligibility: Owner-occupiers in England and Wales with a valid EPC and no outstanding insulation recommendations (or valid reasons why they cannot be installed)
Eligible technologies: Air source heat pump, ground source heat pump, biomass boiler (rural areas only)
Grant amount: £7,500 for air or ground source heat pumps; £5,000 for biomass boilers
How to apply: Apply via a registered MCS-certified installer — they apply on your behalf before the installation. Do not install first and apply later.
Important: The grant is claimed by the installer and passed on to you as a reduction in the quoted price. Get multiple quotes from MCS-certified installers and confirm the grant will be applied.

4. Warm Homes: Local Grant (Replacing ECO4 / GBIS from 2025)

Status: Rolling out from 2025

The Warm Homes Local Grant (WHLG) is the replacement for both GBIS and ECO4, administered through local authorities rather than energy suppliers. It offers a wider range of measures than its predecessors.

Eligibility: Owner-occupiers and private renters in properties EPC band D–G, with household income below £36,000 per year
Eligible measures: Insulation, heat pumps, solar panels, double glazing, ventilation, heating controls, hot water cylinders
Maximum value: Up to £15,000 per home for owner-occupiers; up to £15,000 for private renters (landlords must co-fund above a threshold)
How to apply: Via your local authority — check the GOV.UK Warm Homes page for your area's delivery timeline. Many areas were in pilot phase in 2024–2025 with national rollout in 2025–2026

This is the most significant new scheme in the 2025 landscape and the one most likely to benefit homeowners who previously did not qualify for ECO4.

5. Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG)

Status: Established — ongoing

The Disabled Facilities Grant is one of the most valuable and least well-known grants available. It funds adaptations to help disabled people live independently in their home.

Eligibility: Disabled person living in the property (owner-occupier, private tenant, housing association tenant). Subject to means test for adults (children are automatically eligible)
Eligible works: Level access shower, stairlift, ramps, widened doorways, ground-floor WC, kitchen adaptations, heating improvements
Maximum value: Up to £30,000 in England; up to £36,000 in Wales
How to apply: Contact your local authority housing or adult social care team. They will carry out a care needs assessment (via an Occupational Therapist) before authorising the grant.
Timeline: Can take 3–12 months from application to works completion; plan ahead

6. Home Upgrade Grant (HUG2)

Status: Phase 2 completed March 2025 — check local authority for successor funding

The Home Upgrade Grant funded energy improvements in off-gas-grid properties (i.e. not connected to mains gas). Phase 2 ran from 2023 to March 2025.

Eligibility: Off-gas properties with EPC D–G; low income or local authority referred
Eligible measures: Heat pumps, insulation, solar, heating controls
How to find successor funding: Local authorities administering HUG2 are now transitioning to WHLG delivery. Contact your local authority energy team.

7. Historic England Repair Grants for Listed Buildings

Status: Live — cyclical bidding rounds

Historic England administers grant funding for urgent repairs to Grade I and Grade II* listed buildings at risk of deterioration. This is not for ordinary renovation — it targets buildings of the highest significance where fabric loss would be irreversible.

Eligibility: Grade I and Grade II* listed buildings on the Historic England At Risk Register
Maximum value: Variable — typically 40–75% of eligible repair costs; major projects can be hundreds of thousands of pounds
Eligible works: Structural stabilisation, roof repair, masonry consolidation, window repair — not internal refurbishment
How to apply: Contact your Historic England regional office; applications require a conservation architect's report and a schedule of works

For Grade II listed buildings (the most common listing), funding is much more limited — check with your local authority conservation officer for Historic Environment Fund or local authority grants.

Summary Table: Renovation Grants 2025

Grant	Eligibility	Max Value	How to Apply
Great British Insulation Scheme	EPC D–G or low income	Full insulation cost	Via energy supplier or GBIS installer search
Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)	Benefits recipient or LA-referred	Full cost of measures	Via energy supplier or SEA website
Boiler Upgrade Scheme	Owner-occupier, England/Wales	£7,500 (heat pump)	Via MCS-certified installer
Warm Homes: Local Grant	Income less than £36k, EPC D–G	Up to £15,000	Via local authority
Disabled Facilities Grant	Disabled occupant	Up to £30,000	Via local authority housing/social care
Historic England Repair Grant	Grade I / II* listed at risk	Variable (40–75%)	Via Historic England regional office

Common Eligibility Traps

Income Thresholds

The WHLG uses a £36,000 household income threshold. This sounds straightforward, but "household income" typically means total gross income for all adults in the property. A couple both earning £20,000 would be over the threshold. Check the exact definition used by your local authority's delivery programme.

EPC Band Requirements

Several schemes require an EPC rating of D or below. If your property is currently rated C, you will not qualify — even if the proposed works would make financial and environmental sense. Some local authorities allow a "deemed score" based on surveyor assessment if the existing EPC is out of date.

Owner-Occupier vs Tenant

Most grants require you to own and occupy the property. Private landlords can sometimes access WHLG for rental properties, but only up to a certain value and with a co-funding requirement. Check the specific rules for rental properties in your local authority area.

Post-Occupancy Works

Some grants (particularly BUS) require works to be carried out while the property is occupied. Empty properties typically do not qualify.

Renovation Mortgages

For larger renovation projects, a standard residential mortgage may not be sufficient. Renovation-specific mortgage products can release funds in stages as works are completed.

Ecology Building Society

One of the few UK lenders specialising in sustainable renovation and self-build. Ecology lends on the end value of a renovated property, allowing you to borrow against what the property will be worth after renovation — not just its current value. Useful for derelict or structurally compromised properties that mainstream lenders won't touch.

Buildstore

A specialist mortgage broker that works with multiple lenders offering self-build and renovation mortgages. Products include stage-release mortgages where funds are drawn down as each phase of work is verified and signed off.

Mainstream Renovation Mortgages

A growing number of high-street lenders (Halifax, Nationwide, Virgin Money) now offer "renovation" or "refurbishment" mortgage products that allow additional borrowing above the purchase price to fund works. Conditions vary, but typically require a schedule of works and may require sign-off by a surveyor at each stage.

Local Authority Loans

Many local authorities offer interest-free or low-interest loans for energy efficiency works, particularly where the household does not qualify for grants. These are often delivered through the same team as the DFG or WHLG. Loan amounts vary from £2,000 to £25,000, repaid over 5–10 years and sometimes secured as a charge on the property (repaid when the property is sold).

Contact your local authority housing team to ask whether a local improvement loan scheme operates in your area.

The Green Deal: A Cautionary Note

The Green Deal was a government-backed scheme that offered loans for energy efficiency improvements, repaid through electricity bills. It was withdrawn in 2015 after widespread criticism of its high interest rates and mis-selling. However, Green Deal charges may still be attached to properties sold since 2015 — these are charges secured against the property, repayable by whoever occupies it through their energy bills.

Before buying a property, ask your solicitor to check whether a Green Deal charge exists. If it does, it should be disclosed in the property information form and you should factor the outstanding balance and repayment terms into your offer.

Make Your Grant Budget Work Harder

Grants reduce the upfront cost of renovation — but they don't remove the need for a clear plan about what to prioritise, in what order, and which contractor to use. Renovate Me helps you map out a complete renovation roadmap that integrates your grant-funded works with the rest of your project — so you're not inadvertently installing a heat pump into a poorly insulated house, or tiling a bathroom that needs re-plastering first.