Which? published its response on 30 April 2025 to government plans to expand the options available under home heating grants1. The consumer body said the proposals could help more households move to sustainable heating and could increase the supply of qualified and trustworthy traders able to carry out the work1.
Sue Davies, Which? Head of Consumer Rights and Food Policy, said the barriers identified in the organisation's research were cost, awareness and finding reliable installers1.
"It is clear from Which?'s research that there is more work to be done to combat the issues preventing consumers from switching to sustainable heating alternatives, with many people put off by high costs, lack of awareness and difficulties finding reliable and trusted installers."
Which? said the proposals "could therefore help more consumers make the leap, while ensuring that there are more qualified and trustworthy traders available to fulfil demand"1. It also called for the government to improve consumer awareness and advice, address affordability barriers further and introduce mandatory accreditation for installers1.
The statement does not set out the detail of the government's proposals, the value of any grant, the technologies covered or a timetable. Those points have not been reported in the material published by Which?1. The response covers home heating grants generally, so it does not distinguish between the separate boiler and heating grant schemes in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, each of which has its own rules and rates1.
Why it matters for households
Grants for heating are one of the main routes by which a household can cut its reliance on a single fuel and a single supplier, because the cost of a new heating system is the point at which most decisions are made or abandoned. Which? identifies three obstacles that stop people acting: the upfront cost, not knowing what is available, and difficulty finding an installer they trust1. Its argument is that widening the options and tightening who may carry out the work addresses the third of those directly, and may indirectly affect the first if more installers compete for the work1.
For a household, the practical questions are which measures qualify, what the grant covers and who is allowed to install them. Which? states that mandatory accreditation for installers is not yet in place and is something it is asking the government to introduce1. Households weighing up home energy grants can check which benefits qualify, and should be alert to approaches from traders claiming grant funding, as set out in the guidance on energy grant scams. The wider relationship between grant funding and a home's energy independence is covered in the site's guide.
What happens next
No dates for consultation, publication of final rules or the start of any expanded scheme are given in the Which? statement1. The government's proposals themselves are not set out in the material, so the scope and timing of any change have not been reported1.