Guide · Grants
ECO4 heat pump grants
The scheme that can cover the whole install — if you qualify.
ECO4 is a UK obligation on larger energy suppliers to fund energy efficiency measures, including heat pumps, for low-income households and homes with poor EPC ratings. Unlike the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, ECO4 can cover the full cost of an install, and it is delivered through supplier-appointed installers rather than claimed as a fixed grant amount.
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Who typically qualifies
- Households receiving qualifying means-tested benefits.
- Homes with a low EPC band, usually D to G depending on tenure.
- Households referred by their local authority under flexible eligibility rules.
- Both owner-occupiers and, with landlord consent, private tenants in some cases.
How ECO4 differs from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a fixed £7,500 grant available regardless of income in England and Wales. ECO4 is means-tested, can fund the whole project, and usually takes a whole-house approach: insulation first, then heating.
The two are administered separately, and a property funded through ECO4 would not normally also claim the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for the same measure.
How to start
- Contact your energy supplier’s ECO team, or a supplier participating in the scheme.
- Ask your council about flexible eligibility referrals.
- Have your benefit evidence and EPC to hand.
- Expect a home assessment covering insulation as well as heating.
Frequently asked questions
- Can ECO4 pay for a heat pump in full?
- It can. Funding levels depend on the measures package, property and supplier, and there is often no contribution required from eligible households.
- Can I get ECO4 and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
- Not for the same measure. The schemes are separate funding routes.
- Does ECO4 cover private tenants?
- In some cases, with landlord consent and subject to tenure rules and contribution requirements.
- Energy Saving Trust — Heat pump efficiency, running cost and SCOP benchmarks (UK).
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme — GOV.UK — Official guidance on the £7,500 BUS grant in England and Wales.
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