The Warm Homes Plan Explained
The government's £15 billion plan to upgrade 5 million homes by 2030, what it actually pays for, and which of its grants you can claim for a heat pump.
The Warm Homes Plan is the government's £15 billion programme for upgrading British homes, aimed at up to 5 million of them by 2030. You cannot apply for it. It is the money behind the schemes you can apply for, and knowing that is the difference between reading a headline and claiming something.
The short version
The Plan is the budget. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme and the Warm Homes: Local Grant are what you actually claim. If you want to know which of those applies to you, our comparison of every UK heat pump grant answers it in a table.
What the money is for
| Where it goes | Amount |
|---|---|
| Warm Homes Fund: consumer loans and investment in the sector | £5.3bn |
| Grants for lower-income households, including the Warm Homes: Local Grant | £4.422bn |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme | £2.687bn |
| Heat networks | £1.063bn |
What it means if you own your home
Three routes come out of the Plan, and most households qualify for one of them.
- The Boiler Upgrade Scheme. £7,500 off a heat pump for most homeowners in England and Wales, with no income test, or £9,000 if your property is off the gas grid. Claimed for you by an MCS-certified installer. Read the guide.
- The Warm Homes: Local Grant. If your household income is usually £36,000 or less and you are in England, your council may pay for the work outright rather than discounting it. Read the guide.
- Low and zero-interest loans. The Plan sets aside up to £1.7 billion to help cover the part of the cost a grant does not reach.
Dates worth knowing
- April 2026. An average reduction of around £150 on energy bills takes effect. The government expects an average heat pump user to save over £200 from the same point.
- 31 December 2026. ECO4 ends, extended by nine months, with no successor supplier obligation to replace it.
- 2030. The target is over 450,000 heat pump installations a year, and up to 5 million homes upgraded.
- October 2030. Privately rented homes must meet EPC Band C.
The Plan was published in January 2026 and last updated on 18 March 2026. Figures and dates here come from the published Plan on GOV.UK.
Why an MCS-certified installer matters
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme can only be claimed through an installer certified by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. That is the reason this directory lists MCS-certified installers and nobody else: without one, the £7,500 is not available to you at all.
Find an MCS-certified installer near you →
Applications are made on GOV.UK or through an installer, never through us. Every figure on this page links back to the source.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Warm Homes Plan?
It is the government's programme for upgrading British homes, worth £15 billion across this parliament and aimed at up to 5 million homes by 2030. It is not something you apply for directly. It is the funding behind the schemes you do apply for, chiefly the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and the Warm Homes: Local Grant.
Can I apply for the Warm Homes Plan?
No, and that is the most common misunderstanding about it. The Plan is government policy and a budget. What you apply for is one of the schemes it pays for: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme through an MCS-certified installer, or the Warm Homes: Local Grant through your council.
What does the Warm Homes Plan pay for?
£2.687 billion for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, £4.422 billion for grants aimed at lower-income households including the Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Social Housing Fund, £5.3 billion through the Warm Homes Fund for consumer loans and investment in the sector, and £1.063 billion for heat networks.
How does the Warm Homes Plan affect my energy bills?
The government expects an average reduction of around £150 on energy bills from April 2026, and says an average heat pump user should see savings of over £200 from the same point, helped by changes to electricity pricing alongside the Plan.
What happened to ECO4?
ECO4 was extended by nine months and ends on 31 December 2026, with no successor supplier obligation. For lower-income households in England, the Warm Homes: Local Grant is the main route after that.