What Is the Warm Homes Plan?
The Warm Homes Plan is a government-backed initiative aimed at improving the energy efficiency of homes across the UK, particularly those that are expensive to heat or have a low EPC rating. It is designed to support eligible households in accessing funded or supported energy efficiency upgrades that deliver long term improvements in warmth, comfort, and energy performance. The plan focuses on whole-property improvement, meaning measures are designed to work together to deliver meaningful and sustainable energy savings rather than isolated, short-term fixes. You can apply for the Warm Homes Local Grant directly on gov.uk or use the government's energy grants calculator to check what you may be eligible for.
What Does the Warm Homes Plan Offer?
Through the Warm Homes Plan, eligible properties may be able to access support for a range of energy efficiency measures, including:
- ✓ Cavity wall insulation (CWI)
- ✓ Internal wall insulation (IWI)
- ✓ Loft insulation
- ✓ Roof insulation
- ✓ Room-in-roof insulation
- ✓ Heating upgrades to replace inefficient or outdated systems
- ✓ Air source heat pumps (ASHP)
- ✓ Solar PV panels where suitable
- ✓ High Heat Retention (HHR) storage heaters for eligible electrically heated homes
- ✓ Smart heating controls to improve efficiency and temperature management
All measures must meet strict scheme criteria and are installed by accredited professionals in accordance with current government requirements.
Who Is Eligible?
The Warm Homes Plan is primarily aimed at households and properties that meet the following criteria:
- ✓ Homes with a low EPC rating, typically D to G
- ✓ Properties that are expensive to heat or poorly insulated
- ✓ Households meeting certain income or benefit-related criteria
- ✓ Private rented sector (PRS) properties where the landlord consents
- ✓ Owner-occupied properties where the household meets eligibility requirements
- ✓ In some cases, social housing properties
Eligibility depends on several factors, including property type, existing heating system, energy performance rating, and household circumstances. Each property is assessed individually against current scheme rules.
Whole House Approach
The Warm Homes Plan promotes a whole house approach to energy efficiency. Rather than installing single measures in isolation, improvements are often designed to complement each other. For example:
- ✓ Insulation upgrades may be installed before heating improvements
- ✓ Heating controls may be added to maximise efficiency
- ✓ Low carbon technologies may be introduced once heat loss has been reduced
This coordinated strategy helps ensure that improvements deliver measurable and sustainable EPC gains.
How Cucumber Eco Helps
Navigating government schemes can be complex. Eligibility criteria, documentation requirements, and technical assessments can vary depending on property type and household circumstances. Cucumber Eco helps by:
- ✓ Checking eligibility under the Warm Homes Plan
- ✓ Explaining which improvements may be available
- ✓ Managing assessments and required documentation
- ✓ Coordinating installation through approved installers
- ✓ Providing clear, honest guidance throughout the process
Our role is to make accessing government-backed support as straightforward and stress free as possible.
Apply for Warm Homes Plan FundingUseful Government Resources
The following official gov.uk pages provide further detail on the schemes and funding that Cucumber Eco helps you access:
- Apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant ↗
Official government application portal for the Warm Homes Local Grant for low income households.
- Find Ways to Save Energy in Your Home ↗
Use the government's free tool to find personalised energy saving recommendations and grant eligibility for your property.
- MEES Landlord Guidance ↗
Official guidance on Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for landlords in England and Wales.
Warm Homes Plan FAQs
How much funding is available under the Warm Homes Plan?+
The Government has committed £15 billion to the Warm Homes Plan to upgrade 5 million homes to EPC C or above by 2030. The amount available per property varies depending on the measures needed and the specific scheme route. Some properties can receive up to £30,000 of improvements under the Warm Homes Local Grant.
What is the difference between the Warm Homes Plan and ECO4?+
ECO4 closed to new applications in March 2026. The Warm Homes Plan is its Government-funded successor with a £15 billion budget. Unlike ECO4, the Warm Homes Plan also allows an area-based eligibility route, meaning households in lower-income areas may qualify even without receiving benefits. The Warm Homes Plan offers higher funding caps and a whole-house approach.
Do I need to be on benefits to qualify for the Warm Homes Plan?+
Not necessarily. The Warm Homes Plan has two eligibility routes. The means-tested route requires you to receive a qualifying benefit such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The area-based route looks at your household income relative to your local area and may allow you to qualify without receiving benefits. Contact us for a free eligibility check to find out which route applies to you.
What measures are included in the Warm Homes Plan?+
The Warm Homes Plan covers a wide range of measures including loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, internal wall insulation, solid wall insulation, air source heat pumps, solar PV panels, high heat retention storage heaters, smart heating controls, first time central heating, room-in-roof insulation, and draught proofing. The specific measures for your property depend on its construction, current EPC rating, and heating system.
Is the Warm Homes Plan available to private renters?+
Yes. Private tenants in receipt of qualifying benefits can access Warm Homes Plan funding. Your landlord's consent is required, as the work is done to the property. The landlord may need to make a contribution depending on the scheme route, but in many cases improvements can be fully funded. We manage the conversation with landlords on your behalf where needed.
Can landlords access the Warm Homes Plan?+
Yes. Landlords can access Warm Homes Plan funding through eligible tenants. If your tenant receives a qualifying benefit and the property is rated EPC D to G, grant funding may be available to cover the cost of improvements. This can help landlords meet the EPC C target by 2030 at little or no personal cost. We assess landlord portfolios and manage the entire process.
How does the whole-house approach work?+
The Warm Homes Plan promotes a whole-house approach, meaning multiple measures are coordinated to work together rather than being installed in isolation. For example, insulation may be installed first to reduce heat loss, followed by a heating upgrade sized appropriately for the better-insulated property. This strategy delivers greater EPC improvements and better long-term energy savings than single-measure installations.
How long does the Warm Homes Plan process take?+
From initial eligibility check to completed installation typically takes 4 to 12 weeks, depending on the specific measures, local installer availability, and scheme approval timescales. We manage the entire process and keep you updated at every stage so there are no surprises.
Will Warm Homes Plan funding run out?+
The Warm Homes Plan is a time-limited Government programme. While £15 billion has been committed, funding is allocated in phases and may not be available indefinitely. Properties that apply earlier are more likely to receive full grant coverage. We strongly recommend acting now rather than waiting to ensure you access the best available funding.
What happens after installation is complete?+
After installation, a new EPC is commissioned and lodged to formally record your property's improved energy rating. All works are completed to PAS 2030 and TrustMark standards and full documentation is provided. You will immediately benefit from lower energy bills and improved thermal comfort. Our team is available to answer any follow-up questions after completion.
Related Services and Useful Pages
Get In Touch
Contact us today and we will assess your property and eligibility completely free, no obligation.
Who Can Apply?
Support under the Warm Homes Plan may be available to:
- ✓ Homeowners
- ✓ Tenants (with landlord permission)
- ✓ Private landlords
- ✓ Letting agents managing eligible properties
Eligibility is always assessed individually and based on current government criteria at the time of application.
Apply for Warm Homes Plan FundingThe Warm Homes Plan in Numbers
The Warm Homes Plan is the largest single investment ever made into UK domestic energy efficiency. The scale of the programme reflects the scale of the task: roughly 19 million UK homes sit at or below EPC D, and almost every one of them will need some form of upgrade before the 2030 EPC C target for the rental sector comes into full effect. The figures below are drawn from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Ofgem and the official Warm Homes Plan scheme documentation on gov.uk.
Warm Homes Plan Timeline and Phases
The Warm Homes Plan evolved from a series of earlier UK energy efficiency schemes including ECO, the Green Homes Grant and the Home Upgrade Grant. Understanding where the Warm Homes Plan sits in that timeline helps applicants act at the right moment and in the right phase of the programme.
- 2024: Warm Homes Plan announced
The UK government confirms £13.2 billion (later uplifted to £15 billion) of funding across the Parliament to upgrade the UK's least efficient homes.
- 2025: Warm Homes Local Grant opens
Local authorities begin delivering Warm Homes Plan funding directly to households using both means-tested and area-based eligibility.
- March 2026: ECO4 closes
The obligation-based ECO4 scheme closes to new applications and the Warm Homes Plan becomes the primary route for funded domestic energy upgrades.
- 2026 onwards: delivery phase
Measures are delivered through accredited installers under PAS 2030 and TrustMark. Funding is allocated in waves; earlier applicants typically see faster installation.
- 2030: EPC C target
Most private rented sector homes must reach EPC C. The Warm Homes Plan is the primary funding route for landlords meeting this obligation.
Warm Homes Plan vs Other UK Grant Schemes
The Warm Homes Plan does not operate in isolation. It sits alongside the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, the Great British Insulation Scheme and the tail end of ECO4 commitments. The table below shows how the Warm Homes Plan compares so you can see which route fits your property.
| Scheme | Funding Cap | Who It Covers | Key Measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm Homes Plan | Up to £30,000 per property | Homeowners, landlords, tenants (means-tested or area-based) | Whole-house retrofit: insulation, heating, solar, heat pumps |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) | £7,500 per home | Homeowners and small non-domestic properties | Air source and ground source heat pumps only |
| Great British Insulation Scheme | Varies by measure | EPC D to G households in Council Tax bands A to D | Single-measure insulation upgrades |
| ECO4 (closed March 2026) | Varies by measure | Low income and vulnerable households | Replaced by the Warm Homes Plan |
In practice, the Warm Homes Plan is usually the most generous route for a typical UK household because it funds the full whole-house package rather than a single measure. Cucumber Eco cross-checks every applicant against all active schemes to make sure you capture the maximum funding available.
How to Apply for the Warm Homes Plan
The Warm Homes Plan application process follows a tightly defined pathway. Every step is designed to protect the homeowner or tenant and to make sure the property genuinely benefits from the funded measures. Cucumber Eco acts as your single point of contact across all five stages.
- 1Check your Warm Homes Plan eligibility
Use our free eligibility checker or call 0333 038 8113. We assess both the means-tested and area-based Warm Homes Plan routes against the current gov.uk criteria.
- 2Free property survey
A qualified retrofit assessor visits your property to identify the energy efficiency measures that qualify under the Warm Homes Plan whole-house approach.
- 3Approve your Warm Homes Plan improvement plan
We present a tailored plan covering insulation, heating and low-carbon technologies funded through the Warm Homes Plan. You approve the measures before anything is installed.
- 4Accredited installation
All Warm Homes Plan works are completed by MCS, TrustMark and PAS 2030 accredited installers. Cucumber Eco manages scheduling, access and quality control throughout.
- 5New EPC lodged
After installation, a new EPC is commissioned and lodged to formally record the uplift in your property's energy rating. Full scheme documentation is provided.
A Trusted Warm Homes Plan Consultancy
Selecting the right consultancy to handle your Warm Homes Plan application is as important as the funding itself. Every measure installed under the scheme must meet strict accreditation standards, and every eligibility decision must be defensible against the current gov.uk criteria. Cucumber Eco is built around those standards.
All heat pump and solar PV installations under the Warm Homes Plan are delivered by MCS certified installers, protecting your grant and your warranty.
TrustMark is the government-endorsed quality scheme for home improvements. Every Warm Homes Plan job we coordinate is logged and protected under it.
All retrofit work under the Warm Homes Plan is delivered to PAS 2030 standards, the technical benchmark for UK domestic retrofit.
Cucumber Eco is CHAS verified for health and safety, a requirement for large-scale landlord Warm Homes Plan rollouts.
Every piece of Warm Homes Plan eligibility advice we give is cross-referenced against gov.uk and Ofgem publications. No guesswork, no shortcuts.
From first eligibility check to post-installation EPC, Cucumber Eco owns the whole Warm Homes Plan journey so you do not have to.
Why Households and Landlords Trust Cucumber Eco for Warm Homes Plan Applications
We handle Warm Homes Plan eligibility checks, paperwork and installer coordination from start to finish. Every measure is delivered through accredited partners and every piece of eligibility guidance is cross-referenced to official UK government publications.
Our eligibility guidance is cross-referenced against official UK government publications including the gov.uk Improve Energy Efficiency guidance, Warm Homes Plan policy paper, Ofgem, and Energy Saving Trust. Advice on this page is reviewed by the Cucumber Eco energy efficiency team. For MEES landlord duties see gov.uk MEES landlord guidance.