Grants and funding for landlords in 2026

Most landlords will pay for at least some of the work to reach EPC C themselves, but several schemes can cut the bill. Some can cover it entirely. Here's what's open to private landlords right now.

Warm Homes: Local Grant (England)

The main grant for rented homes. Councils run it until 31 March 2028, using government funding. It pays for insulation and low-carbon heating in homes where the tenants are on low incomes.

Who qualifies

• The property must be rated D or E. F and G homes qualify only if they already have a registered exemption, because the grant can't be used to meet the legal minimum. A–C homes don't qualify.
• The tenants must meet one of three tests: they receive a means-tested benefit (such as Universal Credit or Housing Benefit), their gross household income is under £36,000, or they live in one of England's most deprived postcodes.

How much

• Your first property can be fully funded, with an average cap of £16,600 for insulation and £16,600 for low-carbon heating. The tenants pay nothing.
• Every property after that gets 50%: up to £8,300 + £8,300, with you paying the other half.

What you agree to

• A landlord declaration (the council checks it against the title register) and your tenants' consent.
• Not to raise the rent because of the upgrades.
• Staying under the £315,000 limit on public financial help over three years, counting all sources.
• Work done under PAS 2035 by TrustMark-registered installers, so a retrofit coordinator manages it.

How to apply: online at GOV.UK (helpline 0800 098 7950) or through your council. Funding is limited and some councils' pots have run out, so apply early.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England & Wales)

• £7,500 off an air or ground source heat pump, £2,500 off an air-to-air heat pump, and £5,000 off a biomass boiler (rural, off-grid homes only).
• Extra £1,500 (so £9,000) for homes heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas, until March 2027.
• Landlords can apply for homes they rent out. There's no income test.
• Since 28 April 2026 you don't need a valid EPC, and the old rule about outstanding loft and cavity insulation has gone. Many websites haven't caught up.
• Your MCS-certified installer applies, and the grant comes off the invoice. The scheme runs to 2030.

Warm Homes Loan Scheme (England)

New low-interest loans for owner-occupiers and private landlords, available through participating lenders from September 2026, with more lenders joining in early 2027. No income test or minimum EPC. You can take a loan per property. The loans cover heat pumps (including the cost above the Boiler Upgrade grant), solar panels, batteries and heat networks. They don't cover insulation, windows or doors.

0% VAT on energy-saving materials

Installed insulation, heat pumps, solar panels, batteries, heating controls and draught-proofing carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027. Then it goes back to 5%. It must be supplied and installed; materials bought on their own pay the full rate. If you're planning work anyway, finishing it before April 2027 saves money.

Wales

Warm Homes: Local Grant doesn't run in Wales. Instead, Warm Homes Nest offers free improvements to low-income households, private tenants included, with the landlord's permission. The property must score 54 (E) or less on its EPC, or 68 (D) or less if someone in the home has a qualifying health condition. You must be registered with Rent Smart Wales. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme applies in Wales too.

What's ended

The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026. ECO4 runs until 31 December 2026 with no new targets, and nothing replaces it as a supplier scheme. From 2027/28 the government plans to merge Warm Homes: Local Grant and the social housing fund into one scheme for low-income areas.

More guides

• The 2030 EPC C rules, explained
• Exemptions: when you don't have to reach C
• The new EPC metrics, and why gas-heated homes are exposed