Grants and Schemes News: page 5
- November 2025
Autumn Budget confirms end of green levy and ECO4 funding
The 2025 Autumn Budget confirmed the end of the green levy and with it ECO4 funding, closing council-run ECO4 Flex schemes and stopping new applications.
Budget 2025 announces end of ECO funding in March 2026
The government announced at Budget 2025 that funding for the Energy Company Obligation would end in March 2026, with ECO measures continuing until the end of 2026.
Budget scraps ECO funding mechanism and adds Warm Homes Plan funding
The Budget ended the levy that funded the Energy Company Obligation and added £1.5 billion to the Warm Homes Plan, taking the parliamentary commitment to £14.7 billion.
Cold Weather Payment winter period opens
The 2025 to 2026 Cold Weather Payment period has opened, running from 1 November 2025 to 31 March 2026 and paying £25 for each seven-day spell of very cold weather.
Connected for Warmth insulation programme ran from March 2023 to November 2025
Agility has reported that its Connected for Warmth insulation scheme, backed by the National Grid energy efficiency fund, ran from March 2023 to November 2025 and insulated thousands of homes in England and Wales.
Electric car grant extended to 2030 with extra funding
The electric car grant has been extended to 2030 with an extra £1.3m of funding, alongside £200m for chargepoint roll out, as a pay-per-mile charge for electric vehicles was announced from 2028.
Full Business Case for Boiler Upgrade Scheme extension approved by InvestCo
The full business case for extending the Boiler Upgrade Scheme was approved by the Project Investment Committee in November 2025, with Treasury approval following in January 2026.
Government consultation response sets out BUS changes
Ofgem's annual report on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme confirms the April 2026 rule changes that followed the government's November 2025 consultation response, alongside £560.3 million paid since launch.
Government response confirms £2,500 grants for air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries under the BUS
The Government has confirmed £2,500 grants for air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, with applications expected to open from 2026.
OVO customers receive Warm Home Discount payments 19 months late
Thousands of OVO customers waited more than 19 months for Warm Home Discount payments for winter 2023/24, with the supplier paying £2,765,200 in compensation to affected households.
StepChange responds to DESNZ consultation on continuing the Warm Home Discount scheme
StepChange has welcomed government plans to extend the Warm Home Discount for five more winters from 2026/27, while warning that the payment has barely risen since 2011 and calling for a national energy debt relief scheme.
Warm Home Discount scheme opens for 2025-26 winter
The Warm Home Discount has opened for winter 2025-26, giving eligible households in England, Wales and Scotland a one-off £150 reduction on their energy bill.
- October 2025
Government confirms MCS as sole certification scheme for clean heat measures under five schemes
DESNZ has confirmed it plans to mandate MCS as the sole certification scheme for clean heat measures across five government schemes, with MCS installers moving to a redeveloped scheme during 2026.
Government response to Part 2 of the consultation published
The government has confirmed that MCS will become the sole certification scheme for clean heat installations under four grant schemes, publishing its response to Part 2 of a consultation on 31 October 2025.
IMD data update creates new eligible postcode list
An October 2025 update to the Indices of Multiple Deprivation has produced a new set of eligible postcodes for the Warm Homes: Local Grant, with the previous 2019-based list retained until the end of the first delivery year.
Citizens Advice publishes research on low-income homeowners and retrofit
Citizens Advice research published on 23 October 2025 finds upfront cost and perceived risk deter low-income homeowners in England and Wales from energy efficiency upgrades, and sets out design considerations for future schemes.
Which? urges government to remove heat pump adoption barriers
Which? has published Sustainability Tracker findings showing heat pump ownership among homeowners at three per cent and called on the government to remove the barriers holding consumers back.
Let's Talk Energy Fund opens for 2025-26
Charis has opened the Let's Talk Energy Fund for 2025-26, offering up to two free energy-efficient appliances and advice to households struggling with energy bills.
NAO publishes report on energy efficiency installations under the Energy Company Obligation
The National Audit Office has published a value for money report finding clear failures in the design and consumer protection system of ECO4 and GBIS, covering faulty wall insulation and suspected fraud.
Which? responds to NAO report on faulty insulation
Which? has called the National Audit Office's findings on faulty insulation a damning indictment of a failed scheme, urging government action to remedy damage and prevent a repeat.
National Insulation Association publishes response to ECO4 extension consultation
The National Insulation Association has told a government consultation that an ECO4 extension should only proceed with a matching rise in supplier targets, and that the Great British Insulation Scheme should end as planned.
British Gas Energy Support Fund reopens on day of 2% price cap rise
The British Gas Energy Trust has reopened its largest energy debt fund, offering grants of up to £2,000 to British Gas customers, on the day energy bills rose by 2%.
Energy Saving Trust responds to Treasury consultation on VAT relief for energy saving materials
The Energy Saving Trust has told the Treasury that battery storage retrofitted to existing solar should be zero-rated for VAT, and that the relief should extend to EV chargepoints, thermal storage, water source heat pumps and smart heating controls.
Great British Insulation Scheme closed to new applicants
The Great British Insulation Scheme, which offered free or discounted insulation to households, closed to new applicants in October 2025, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
MCS responds to DESNZ consultation on extending ECO4
MCS has published its response to the government consultation on extending ECO4, backing a nine-month extension with stronger consumer protections, as Consumer Scotland also files its own supportive response.
Most Child Winter Heating Payments made automatically from early October 2025
Most Child Winter Heating Payments in Scotland are being made automatically from early October 2025, with the one-off payment set at £255.80 for winter 2025/26.
NAO report uncovers serious failings in ECO and GBIS
The National Audit Office found serious failings in home insulation funded by the Energy Company Obligation and the Great British Insulation Scheme, with external wall insulation the worst affected.
National Audit Office releases report on energy efficiency installations under the Energy Company Obligation
The National Audit Office has published a report on failures with solid wall insulation installed under the Energy Company Obligation, drawing a call from the Energy Saving Trust for stronger consumer protection.
Warm Home Discount letters to be posted between October and December 2025
Energy UK has told households that eligible people will receive a physical letter between October and December 2025 confirming a £150 Warm Home Discount, and warned against scam texts and emails.
Warm Homes Plan full details expected from DESNZ
The full Warm Homes Plan is not expected from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero until October 2025, with £13.2 billion committed across this parliament.