Funding for the Warm Homes: Local Grant became available through Oxfordshire County Council on 25 June 2025, according to the Low Carbon Hub, an Oxfordshire community energy organisation. The scheme provides fully funded energy efficiency upgrades for homeowners and private tenants on a low household income who are at risk of fuel poverty1.
"Funding is now available via Oxfordshire County Council through the Warm Homes: Local Grant."
Eligibility requires an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D, E, F or G, and either a total household annual income of £36,000 or less before housing costs and bills, or receipt of a means-tested benefit subject to approval. Landlords, private tenants and owner occupiers can all apply1.
| Eligibility condition | Detail |
|---|---|
| EPC rating | D, E, F or G |
| Household income | £36,000 or less before housing costs and bills |
| Alternative route | Means-tested benefit, subject to approval |
| Who can apply | Landlords, private tenants, owner occupiers |
Funding allows up to £15,000 towards low carbon heating upgrades, such as switching from fossil fuel systems to a heat pump or high-efficiency electric storage heaters, plus a further £15,000 for other energy efficiency improvements. These include fabric upgrades such as insulation and ventilation, and solar PV. Battery storage is not currently supported, though the Low Carbon Hub states this may change later in the financial year if MCS accreditation routes are expanded1.
The Low Carbon Hub's funding news page also lists a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant rise to £9,000 for oil and LPG households, and a Community Energy Fund share offer that surpassed its initial £500,000 target, remaining open for over-raising up to £1.2 million2. Neither item is dated to the same announcement as the Oxfordshire grant opening.
Why it matters for households
For a household in Oxfordshire with a low income and a home rated D or below, the grant covers the full cost of measures that would otherwise be paid for privately. Insulation, ventilation and solar PV reduce the energy a home needs to buy, while a heat pump or storage heaters change how it is heated. Together these affect how much a household depends on purchased gas or electricity and how exposed it is to price changes. The £15,000 heating cap and separate £15,000 cap for other improvements mean a single property could in principle receive up to £30,000 of funded work, though the Low Carbon Hub does not state how awards are prioritised or whether every applicant receives the maximum. Battery storage, which would let a household store solar generation for later use, is excluded for now1.
The scheme sits alongside other routes to funded upgrades, including the Energy Company Obligation and, in other parts of the UK, Home Energy Scotland and Nest Wales. Households in England can compare routes through the Home Energy Grants in England guide, and Help for Low-Income Households in England sets out the wider support landscape. Landlords considering upgrades can find the relevant rules in Funding Energy Upgrades as a Landlord.
What happens next
The Low Carbon Hub directs interested households to register their interest through Oxfordshire County Council's online form1. No closing date, application deadline or processing timescale is given in the published material, and no allocation total for Oxfordshire has been reported. Whether battery storage is added later in the financial year depends on MCS accreditation routes being expanded, which the Low Carbon Hub describes as a possibility rather than a commitment1.
Sources2 cited
- Make your home more energy efficient with the Warm Homes: Local Grant - Low Carbon Hub, lowcarbonhub.org
- Funding Archives - Low Carbon Hub, lowcarbonhub.org