An old insulation-grant headline can send owners and tenants towards a scheme that is no longer open. The Great British Insulation Scheme began in April 2023 and ended on 31 March 2026, according to Ofgem. Its launch terms should not be presented as a current offer.
[Check Ofgem's scheme record](https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes/great-british-insulation-scheme).
A current route in England
The Warm Homes: Local Grant may support improvements to privately owned homes in England, including rented homes. GOV.UK lists EPC ratings D to G and says household income should usually be £36,000 or less. Certain benefit or postcode routes may allow eligibility above that income figure.
Funding availability at the local council matters. Where a household qualifies and funding is available, the council arranges a survey to identify suitable measures. These can include insulation, heating controls, heat pumps or solar panels. The council organises agreed work; a landlord may need to contribute, even where the resident does not pay.
[Check eligibility through the official application route](https://www.gov.uk/apply-warm-homes-local-grant).
Ask before commissioning work
Treat an eligibility check as the start of a conversation, not confirmation that a particular installation will be funded. Ask the council which measures it can support, whether funds remain available, what approval is needed and whether the landlord must pay a contribution. Do not build an investment budget around a grant until the relevant terms are clear.
For a rented home, identify who will arrange access and who will keep the approval documents. It is helpful to agree how the resident will be informed about survey appointments and any proposed disruption. Record the final specification rather than relying on a verbal description such as “energy improvements”.
Keep the property assessment central
Our practical suggestion is to put the survey findings beside the property's maintenance plan. Discuss how a proposed measure interacts with existing repairs and future work before choosing an installation date. A grant label does not itself explain whether a measure suits a particular building.
This guide was checked on 6 November 2026. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different support routes, linked from GOV.UK. Availability and contributions must be confirmed locally; neither the old scheme's announcement nor this article guarantees funding.