Help to fund your home energy improvements
Working together to become one of London’s most sustainable boroughs, join us on our journey.
If you're looking to make your home more energy efficient, there are several schemes and options available to help cover the cost. With these funding opportunities, you might be able to save on energy, keep warm for less and join us on our journey to become a net zero carbon borough.
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Funding schemes
These are some of the schemes we are aware of that may help fund your energy saving journey. Although, we cannot guarantee funding.
Apply for a government funded grant to help with energy efficiency
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
The Government's Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers grants to install low carbon heating systems.
These grants can help with the upfront cost of low carbon heating.
The scheme is open to homes and small non domestic properties in England and Wales.
Great British Insulation Scheme
The Great British Insulation Scheme delivers improvements to the least energy efficient homes. The scheme aims to tackle fuel poverty and help reduce energy bills.
The Energy Company Obligation phase 4 (ECO4) Scheme
About the ECO4 Scheme
The ECO4 Scheme offers free grants for a range of energy-saving upgrades. Whether you need better heating, loft or cavity wall insulation, smart heating controls, solar panels, or even an air source heat pump, this scheme can cover the costs.
Upgrades available
What upgrades you will receive are dependent on an assessment of the property but can include measures such as:
Heating measures:
- Solar Panels
- Air Source Heat Pumps
- Electric Storage Heaters
- First Time Central Heating
- Boilers (Non-condensing gas boiler to condensing boiler upgrade, like for like swaps)
Insulation:
- Cavity wall insulation
- Cavity wall extraction (in certain circumstances)
- Loft insulation
- Internal Wall Insulation (solid wall insulation)
- Room in Roof Insulation
Who can apply
The grant is primarily aimed towards homeowners and private tenants in properties (including flats) with EPC ratings of D and lower (E, F, G) who claim income-related benefits such as income-related employment and support allowance.
ECO 4 scheme qualifying benefits:
- Child Tax Credits (CTC)
- Child Benefits – depends on income threshold* (see thresholds)
- Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
- Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support (IS)
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Universal Credit (UC)
- Warm Home Discount Rebate
- Working Tax Credit (WTC)
- Housing Benefit
- Pension Credit Saving Credit
| Number of children | Single claimant | Member of a couple |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £19,900 | £27,500 |
| 2 | £24,800 | £32,300 |
| 3 | £29,600 | £37,200 |
| 4+ | £34,500 | £42,000 |
Home Upgrade Grant - phase 2
The Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 is a government-funded local authority scheme for properties that are off gas heating. The scheme delivers energy-saving improvements to the homes of people who are struggling to pay their heating bills and keep their homes warm in the winter.
Works may include low-cost measures including low energy lighting, draught proofing and CWI, to higher cost measures including wall, loft or floor insulation and solar PV.
The Greater London Authority successfully applied for the Home Upgrade Grant Phase Two across the London area, and are co-ordinating delivery of the scheme with their partner Everwarm, who may contact eligible homeowners within Barnet.
If you’ve not been contacted already and are interested and eligible to participate through the scheme, please apply directly with Everwarm: Greater London Authority - Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 Scheme
Who is eligible for the grant?
To qualify for the scheme residents must live in a home not on mains gas and:
- have a household income of £36,000 or less, OR
- be living in a Lower Super Output Area with an income-decile of 1-3
Properties being prioritised are:
- EPC D or below
- owner occupied
- houses
- have poor quality insulation or inefficient heating systems
- live in a home with no gas central heating
Other eligibility criteria may also apply.
The smart export guarantee
If you generate more energy than you use (for example, if you have solar panels), you can export it to the national grid and get paid for it through the Smart Export Guarantee.
The guarantee requires larger energy suppliers to offer this.
You could earn between £75 and £110 a year.
Compare offers from different energy companies to get the best price.
Green mortgages
You may be able to get a green mortgage if you are buying or own a home with an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of A or B.
A green mortgage is where the lending bank rewards the homeowner with a lower interest rate, or cashback upon sale of the home.
Another alternitve is that the bank lends at discounted rates to help the homeowner to pay for green home improvements.
Many providers offer Green Mortgages, for example:
Tax relief on retrofit costs
If you’re making long lasting improvements to your property, such as adding insulation or installing energy efficient features, you might qualify for Capital Gains Tax relief when you sell the property.
This applies if the improvements count as "capital expenditure," which refers to permanent upgrades like adding a room or improving energy efficiency
Speak to a tax professional for advice.
VAT exemption
The cost of supply and installation of some measures may be VAT exempt until April 2027. This should lower the cost of these improvements by between 5 and 20%.
Contractors get the exemption when they are:
- installing energy saving materials (such as insulation)
- installing grant funded heating equipment
A full list of exempt measures is not yet published. There are some exemptions such as double glazing and domestic battery energy storage.
Visit Gov.uk to understand How to apply for the VAT exemption and the improvements covered.