Government loft insulation schemes: what is open in 2026

The schemes side by side

ECO4: the supplier obligation

The Energy Company Obligation places a legal duty on medium and large energy suppliers to fund energy-saving work in lower-income and vulnerable households. ECO4 is its fourth phase. Ofgem says it runs until 31 December 2026 following a nine-month extension, and suppliers must complete their obligations by then. It funds insulation, including lofts, and heating upgrades.

For private housing, GOV.UK lists the qualifying benefits and the EPC rules (D to G for owners, E to G for private tenants with the owner’s permission). ECO4 is fabric-first: in a poorly rated home, the roof and walls must be insulated before a new heating system can be funded, which is why so many ECO4 packages start in the loft. Full detail: ECO4 loft insulation.

LA Flex: councils opening the door wider

Flexible eligibility lets councils refer households who are not on a qualifying benefit but are on a low income or vulnerable to a cold home. Ofgem’s guidance sets four routes, and Route 1 is a combined gross household income under £31,000. Your council must have published a statement of intent to take part. See LA Flex loft insulation.

The Warm Homes: Local Grant (England)

This is government-funded, not supplier-funded, and delivered by councils. GOV.UK says household income must usually be £36,000 a year or less (or you may qualify through your postcode or benefits), the home must be in England, privately owned and rated EPC D to G, and loft insulation is among the improvements. Crucially, GOV.UK says your council “will then organise and pay for any improvement work they’ve agreed with you. You will not need to pay for it.” The scheme window runs from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2028, and your council must be taking part.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Each nation runs its own programme, and they are often more generous than people expect.

• Scotland: Warmer Homes Scotland offers support worth £10,000 or more, and “in most cases, the Scottish Government will meet all the costs”. The Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan adds a loft insulation grant of up to £1,500 for homeowners with no benefit test. Scotland routes.
• Wales: Nest provides free improvements to owners and private tenants who meet its benefit or income-after-housing-costs test in homes rated EPC E or lower. Wales routes.
• Northern Ireland: ECO4 does not apply. The Affordable Warmth Scheme helps households with gross income under £23,000, with loft insulation installed or topped up to 300mm. Northern Ireland routes.

The Great British Insulation Scheme: closed

GBIS ran from 25 July 2023 to 31 March 2026. Its appeal was the “general group”: homes in EPC bands D to G in lower council tax bands qualified without a means test, usually for a single measure such as loft or cavity wall insulation. GOV.UK’s page now says the eligibility service has closed and that installations had to be complete by 31 March 2026. If a site or caller invites you to apply for GBIS, the information is out of date.

What the Warm Homes Plan changes

The Warm Homes Plan, published in January 2026 and updated on 18 March 2026, commits about £15 billion to upgrade up to 5 million homes by 2030. It says the Energy Company Obligation “will be coming to an end”, and it puts over £5 billion into low-income support, delivered first through the Warm Homes: Local Grant and Social Housing Fund and then consolidated into a single scheme with area-based delivery from 2027/28. It also plans low and zero-interest loans for homeowners, with details to follow. Our guide to loft insulation after ECO4 tracks this.

Choosing your door

If you are on a qualifying benefit in Great Britain, ECO4 is the obvious first call, while it lasts. If you are not, ask your council about LA Flex and, in England, the Warm Homes: Local Grant. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, start with your nation’s scheme. Not sure? The one-minute checker on who qualifies points you to the right one, and the cost guide tells you what it costs if none fits.