Your Type of Home news in 2026
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- September 2026
Coalition sets out seven-point winter rescue plan for the Chancellor's Budget
The End Fuel Poverty Coalition has sent the Chancellor a seven-point Budget submission centred on writing off energy crisis arrears, as gas unit rates are forecast to double by January 2027.
Reformed EPC regulations to be brought into force in autumn 2026
Reformed Energy Performance Certificate regulations in Scotland are due to come into force in autumn 2026, introducing a new Heat Retention Rating on domestic certificates.
- August 2026
Amendments to Class A made by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/896) come into force
Amendments to Class A permitted development rights for solar equipment in England came into force on 27 August 2026, adding separate rules for dwellinghouses and a new restriction on plug-in solar fixed to timber.
New permitted development rules for domestic solar come into force
Amended permitted development rights for domestic solar in England took effect on 27 August 2026, splitting rules for houses and blocks of flats and clarifying plug-in solar, with a 12-month transition to 27 August 2027.
Warm Home Discount eligibility statement for England and Wales published for 2026 to 2027 scheme year
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has published the Warm Home Discount eligibility statement for England and Wales for the 2026 to 2027 scheme year.
Citizens Advice publishes overheating research and calls for Warm Homes Plan to cover cooling
Citizens Advice research finds 44% of UK adults feel they lack control over home overheating, and the charity wants the Warm Homes Plan to fund summer cooling as well as winter heating.
UK Government to consult on raising minimum rented EPC rating to C by 2030
The UK Government will consult on raising the minimum energy efficiency rating for privately rented homes in England and Wales to EPC C or its equivalent by 2030, up from the current minimum of E.
- July 2026
British Gas Energy Trust calls on Prime Minister to back plan to end fuel poverty
The British Gas Energy Trust has written to the Prime Minister setting out five national priorities it says are needed to end fuel poverty across Britain.
£5 million allocated to Nest scheme, taking total to £37 million this year
The Welsh Government has added £5 million to the Nest scheme, taking its total to £37 million this financial year, as part of a £17 million injection into housing retrofit.
£8 million added to Optimised Retrofit Programme, total £106.75 million in final year
Welsh Government adds £8 million to the Optimised Retrofit Programme, taking its budget to £106.75 million in the scheme's final year, as part of a £17 million retrofit funding package.
Welsh Government publishes Warm Homes Programme review report and response
The Welsh Government has published its review of the Warm Homes Programme and committed a further £17 million to retrofit schemes, including £5 million more for the Nest scheme.
Future Homes Hub and Good Homes Alliance launch renter customer journey guide
The Future Homes Hub and Good Homes Alliance have published a free guide for landlords and letting agents on supporting renters through low energy, all-electric homes from first enquiry to future tenancies.
Government announces summer consultation on permitted development rights for heat pumps
The government has announced a summer consultation on permitted development rights for heat pumps, as analysis suggests households have spent up to £8 million on planning applications that are mostly approved.
Publication of research on heat pump transition for households at risk of fuel poverty
Research commissioned for the Committee on Fuel Poverty and published on GOV.UK examines how households at risk of fuel poverty can be supported through the transition to heat pumps.
Warm Homes Plan to invest close to £15 billion in UK homes
The Warm Homes Plan will direct close to £15 billion into UK home improvements, with fully funded heat pumps for low income households and low or zero interest loans for homeowners.
- June 2026
IAA raises repair cover for ECO4 and GBIS solid wall insulation to £25,000
The Installation Assurance Authority has raised its repair cover for faulty ECO4 and GBIS solid wall insulation to £25,000, up from £20,000, as ministers consult on a new consumer protection service.
NAO report finds millions unaware of support with household bills as debt soars
The National Audit Office has found that debt to water and energy companies has passed £7 billion while millions of households remain unaware of social tariffs and repayment plans.
New figures released on energy debt among UK households
Opinium research for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition finds 31% of UK adults are in energy debt or worried about falling behind, with a median debt of £750 among those owing money.
Survey finds 15 million UK adults unwell during June heatwave
Opinium research for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition found 28 per cent of UK adults, around 15 million people, felt unwell because of the heat during June's record-breaking heatwave.
- May 2026
House of Commons Library publishes home energy support briefing
The House of Commons Library published a briefing on 13 May 2026 setting out the financial support available across the UK for home energy efficiency, heating and renewable energy.
Energy Saving Trust updates cavity and solid wall cost and savings figures
The Energy Saving Trust's cavity and solid wall guides, updated May and June 2026, put average cavity wall insulation at £2,700 with £200 annual savings on a semi-detached home.
Public consultation on Warm Healthy Homes Fund opens
Northern Ireland's Department for Communities has opened a public consultation on the Warm Healthy Homes Fund, its planned replacement for the Affordable Warmth Scheme, running until 19 August 2026.
- April 2026
Four million UK homes now use air conditioning as temperatures forecast to hit 26°C
Uswitch research puts UK air conditioning ownership above four million homes, double the level of three years ago, as temperatures reach 26°C and fans add millions to weekly running costs.
Warm Home Discount (Scotland) Regulations 2026 consented
Treasury consent was given on 29th April 2026 to regulations continuing the Warm Home Discount in Scotland to 31st March 2031, with a £150 rebate and supplier obligations set out in law.
- March 2026
DWP to amend Crisis and Resilience Fund scheme guidance for heating oil price crisis support
The Department for Work and Pensions will amend Crisis and Resilience Fund guidance so councils can help households in crisis from rising heating oil prices, backed by £53 million across the UK.
Affordable Warmth Scheme extended to March 2026
The Affordable Warmth Scheme in Northern Ireland has been extended for a further two years, continuing until March 2026, with £14m available this year for energy efficiency works.
Government publishes response to Approved Document O call for evidence
The Government has published its response to a call for evidence on Approved Document O, which covers overheating in homes, and announced a review of Part O alongside new building standards for England.
Household Support Fund extended to end of March 2026
The Household Support Fund, extended in the Spring Budget, will run until the end of March 2026, with councils deciding how the money is spent locally.
- February 2026
Warm Healthy Homes Strategy announced for Northern Ireland
The Department for Communities has announced a Warm Healthy Homes Strategy 2026 to 2036 for Northern Ireland, intended to help address fuel poverty in a housing stock where oil is the dominant heating fuel.
Uswitch reports two-thirds of UK households struggling with condensation, damp and mould
Uswitch research finds 18 million UK homes affected by condensation, damp and mould this winter, with high energy costs driving households to cut heating and keep windows shut.
Northern Ireland announces Warm Healthy Homes Fund launching 2027
Northern Ireland's Department for Communities has opened a consultation on a Warm Healthy Homes Fund, due to launch in 2027 with £150 million of investment over its first five years.
- January 2026
Warm Home Discount expanded to more people on means-tested benefits this year
The Warm Home Discount has expanded this year to include more people on certain means-tested benefits, the consumer body Which? has reported, setting out the £150 payment and other winter support.
House of Lords debates the Warm Homes Plan Statement
Peers debated the Warm Homes Plan on 27 January 2026, questioning its effect on bills, a six-month gap between schemes, solar supply chains and the running costs of heat pumps.
Future Homes Standard publication confirmed for Q1 2026
The Warm Homes Plan confirms the Future Homes Standard will be published in the first quarter of 2026, alongside £15 billion to upgrade five million homes by 2030.
BUS funding for 2026-2030 announced
Ofgem has confirmed the Boiler Upgrade Scheme will run to 2030, with funding for 2026 to 2030 announced on 21 January 2026 under the Warm Homes Plan and rule changes in force from 28 April 2026.
Fuel Poverty Strategy for England first published
The government has published its Fuel Poverty Strategy for England, setting out six priority outcomes for tackling fuel poverty, with a correction to Figure 9 made five days later.
New warm homes agency to be established and Salix abolished
The government has set out a Warm Homes Plan allocating £15 billion, abolishing the ECO scheme and Salix, and creating a new warm homes agency to consolidate delivery functions.
Warm Homes Plan first published
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero published the Warm Homes Plan on 21 January 2026, a policy paper setting out how it intends to cut energy bills and upgrade homes.
Government launches £15 billion Warm Homes Plan
The government has launched a £15 billion Warm Homes Plan to upgrade up to five million homes, cut bills and lift up to a million families out of fuel poverty by 2030.
Nesta analysis finds Warm Homes Plan could save households up to £1,000 on bills
Nesta analysis published on 20 January 2026 projects that a household adding a heat pump, solar panels and a battery under the Warm Homes Plan could cut its annual energy bill by about £1,000.
Warm Homes Plan launched
The UK's Warm Homes Plan launched in January 2026 with £15 billion of public investment, covering grants, loans and supplier-funded schemes to upgrade homes across the UK.
ECO4 end date extended to 31 December 2026 with no additional funding
The Warm Homes Plan confirms ECO4 will run until 31 December 2026 rather than ending on 31 March, with no additional funding attached to the extension.
Funding confirmed to 2029/30 through the Warm Homes Plan
Government statistics confirm Boiler Upgrade Scheme funding runs to 2029/30 under the Warm Homes Plan, with £400 million allocated for 2026/27 and over £560 million paid out in the first four years.
Government publishes Warm Homes Plan covering off-gas-grid homes
The January 2026 Warm Homes Plan set out its approach to homes off the gas grid under a rural communities heading, with Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants at the centre of the discussion.