Government Grants to Replace Storage Heaters

Government Grants to Replace Storage Heaters in the UK

Government grants to replace storage heaters may be available through ECO4, local council programmes and devolved schemes. Eligible homes can sometimes receive modern high heat retention heaters or another heating upgrade. Funding depends on your location, household circumstances, existing heating and an assessment. There is no automatic payment for owning old heaters.

InstantGrant is an independent grant information and application support service. We are not the government, Ofgem, an energy supplier or an installer. We do not award funding or guarantee approval. The relevant provider must confirm your eligibility, proposed improvements and any contribution before work begins.

Last checked: 5 October 2026.

The most useful starting point is to decide whether you want replacement storage heaters or a different heating system. These are separate funding questions. A programme supporting a heat pump does not necessarily pay for new electric storage heaters.

Government grants to replace storage heaters: your options

The main routes are ECO4 in England, Scotland and Wales, council funding in England, and Scottish or Welsh support programmes. Each has different rules. Some support replacement storage heaters; others may recommend a heat pump or insulation instead. Household eligibility is only the first stage of approval.

ECO4 is a government energy efficiency programme funded through obligations on energy suppliers. It is not a fixed government cash grant paid to the applicant. Suppliers decide which projects they support and the funding offered.

ECO4 currently runs until 31 December 2026. Individual providers may stop accepting projects sooner. Ask about current availability rather than relying on an old application form or a general scheme deadline.

Who can qualify through ECO4?

Under the usual ECO4 benefits route, homeowners need a home rated EPC D, E, F or G. Private tenants need an eligible household, an EPC rating of E, F or G and landlord permission. The proposed heating work must also meet the rules for that property and tenure.

The current qualifying benefits include:

• Universal Credit.

• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit.

• Pension Credit Savings Credit.

• Income Support.

• Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance.

• Income related Employment and Support Allowance.

• Housing Benefit.

• Child Benefit, subject to household income limits.

Receiving State Pension, Personal Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance alone does not establish eligibility through this list. Another route may still apply.

Our guide to the improvements ECO4 can fund explains the wider home upgrade approach. Your assessment may consider insulation as well as heating.

Can private tenants get replacement storage heaters?

Private tenants should not assume that qualifying benefits and landlord consent guarantee replacement storage heaters. ECO4 generally restricts ordinary storage heater replacement in rented properties. An eligible renewable heating package or another permitted improvement may be considered instead. Ask the provider to explain how its proposed work meets the tenancy rules.

If you rent from a council or housing association, report failed heaters to your landlord and ask about its repair service and planned energy upgrades. Homeowner grant advertising may not apply to your tenancy.

Government grants to replace storage heaters without benefits

Not receiving benefits does not rule out every funding route. ECO4 Flex can include eligible households through income, vulnerability or health referral routes. England’s Warm Homes: Local Grant has separate eligibility rules. Scottish homeowners can also investigate Home Energy Scotland funding without needing to receive benefits.

ECO4 Flex’s household income route requires combined gross annual income below £31,000 for permanent adult residents. This includes adult relatives and lodgers. It is not a threshold that councils can freely raise to £36,000.

The health and vulnerability routes require specified evidence. A diagnosis or a low income claim alone does not guarantee a declaration or installation.

Ask your council whether it currently accepts ECO4 Flex referrals. Even with a declaration, a supplier must agree to support an eligible project.

Does your existing storage heater qualify for replacement?

ECO4 distinguishes inefficient heaters from efficient heaters that have broken down. An inefficient system may be considered for an upgrade even while working. A broken efficient heater needs a repairability assessment, and replacement rules are more restrictive. The assessor must establish the correct route rather than rely on age alone.

There is no universal grant rule saying every heater installed before 2018 must be replaced. Record model details, any service history and the problem you experience. Do not dismantle a heater to investigate it yourself.

For off gas homes, ECO4 requires consideration of heating options in a set order, with a water based heat pump considered first. This can affect whether replacement storage heaters are offered.

What do high heat retention storage heaters improve?

High heat retention storage heaters store heat with better insulation and more controlled release than older models. Automatic charging, thermostats and programmers can help match heating to your routine. They remain electric heating appliances, so comfort and running costs still depend on correct sizing, settings, tariffs and the home’s heat loss.

A modern heater may hold warmth for later in the day more effectively. That is useful if your existing heater releases heat too early and you rely on extra heating in the evening.

Ask the installer to explain the proposed heater’s controls and expected operation. A grant should lead to a system you can use comfortably, not just a different appliance on the wall.

Check the electricity tariff before accepting new heaters

Storage heating relies on charging during suitable electricity periods. Confirm your meter, cheaper rate hours and circuit arrangements with the supplier and installer before work begins. ECO4 storage heater installations require an off peak tariff. A new heater alone cannot correct an unsuitable tariff or an incorrectly configured charging schedule.

• Which tariff will apply after installation?

• What are its daytime and cheaper rate prices?

• When will each heater charge?

• Does the meter need changing or reprogramming?

• Will using the boost function draw electricity at the daytime rate?

• Who will demonstrate the controls after installation?

Compare the whole household bill, not just the overnight rate. Cooking, appliances and hot water can affect whether a tariff suits your home.

How much can a storage heater grant cover?

The amount depends on the programme and approved work. ECO4 has no fixed payment per household or heater. Council programmes fund the improvements they agree to deliver. Scotland’s grant and loan scheme publishes specific limits. Confirm the grant, any loan and your own contribution separately before accepting an offer.

A loan is repayable. The Scottish scheme’s combined £8,000 storage heater funding limit is not an £8,000 grant.

Ask for a written scope covering:

• The number, model and size of heaters.

• Removal and disposal of existing units.

• Necessary installation work and electrical checks.

• Any meter or tariff changes.

• Associated insulation or other improvements.

• Making good, exclusions and any additional charges.

• Warranty, controls demonstration and aftercare contacts.

If a provider requests a contribution, compare the complete offer with another suitable provider where possible. A headline promise of “free storage heaters” does not explain every job or cost.

Check Your Storage Heater Funding Options

InstantGrant provides independent information and application support. An initial enquiry does not confirm funding approval.

How to apply for storage heater replacement funding

Start with your location, household circumstances and current heating details. Contact the appropriate supplier, council or devolved advice service before commissioning work. The provider will need evidence and an assessment before confirming an offer. Keep a copy of the proposed installation, funding decision and agreed costs.

1. Describe your heating. Note how many storage heaters you have, their model details if visible and whether they work. Explain any panel heaters, hot water system or other heating in use.

2. Gather household evidence. Prepare ownership or tenancy details, relevant benefit or income information and an EPC if available. Ask which documents the provider actually requires.

3. Choose the funding route. Contact an ECO4 supplier or delivery provider, your council for local funding or Flex, or the appropriate national advice service.

4. Review the assessment. Ask why the proposed heating suits your property and whether the offer includes insulation, replacement heaters or a different system.

5. Check the written offer. Confirm the grant, any repayable loan, contribution, exclusions, installation arrangements and aftercare.

6. Agree the work and handover. Arrange access, discuss any interruption to heating and request the applicable electrical documents, warranty and controls demonstration.

Read our ECO4 application guide for more detail about that route. Confirm current requirements with the provider handling your case.

Do not buy heaters assuming a programme will reimburse you later. Check the funding offer and permitted timing first.

Storage heater support across the UK

National boundaries matter because the programmes have different eligibility and delivery arrangements. England has council funding alongside ECO4, Scotland has its own grant and loan support, and Wales has Nest. Northern Ireland operates separately. Check the current programme for your location before completing a commercial application form.

In England, Warm Homes: Local Grant usually requires household income of £36,000 or less and a privately owned home rated EPC D to G. Certain postcode or benefit routes can include higher incomes. This is separate from ECO4 Flex’s income threshold.

In Scotland, the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan is for eligible homeowners living in their main home. Storage heater applications need the relevant EPC recommendation and evidence that a heat pump is unsuitable. Contact Home Energy Scotland before starting the work.

Could a heat pump grant be an alternative?

A heat pump grant may help if you want to replace storage heating with a different system. In England and Wales, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme can support eligible property owners without a benefits test. The installer must confirm eligibility and suitability; the scheme does not pay for replacement storage heaters.

For qualifying electric heating replacements, current grant values include £7,500 towards an air to water or ground source heat pump, or £2,500 towards an eligible air to air heat pump. The £9,000 oil and LPG rate does not apply simply because your home uses electricity.

An MCS certified installer applies and deducts the approved grant from the installation price. You pay any remaining agreed balance.

Ask how the proposal will provide both space heating and hot water. Air to air systems need particular attention to the hot water arrangement. Do not assume a heat pump grant will cover every associated job or make the project free.

Do not arrange overlapping funding for the same installation without confirmation that the relevant schemes permit it.

Safe removal and installation of storage heaters

Use a registered electrician with suitable experience for storage heater replacement. These appliances are heavy and connected to electrical circuits, so removal is not a routine DIY job. Some older heaters may contain asbestos. Tell the installer what you know about the units before agreeing to dismantling or disposal.

If asbestos is suspected, the work needs appropriate assessment and specialist handling. Do not open the casing, break up the internal materials or put suspect waste in a normal household bin.

Read the HSE guidance on asbestos in the home. Ask the provider who will manage any specialist work and whether its cost is included in the offer.

For a heater that appears unsafe, arrange professional advice rather than waiting for a grant decision. Funding approval and an urgent repair assessment are separate matters.

Common misunderstandings about storage heater grants

Grant advertising often makes eligibility look simpler than it is. Old heaters, qualifying benefits or a low EPC rating do not independently guarantee an installation. A credible provider identifies the scheme, checks the household and property, assesses the heating and confirms the proposed work and costs in writing.

• “Any heater over seven years old qualifies.” There is no universal age based entitlement.

• “A private tenant qualifies on the same terms as a homeowner.” The permitted ECO4 heating measures differ.

• “Every applicant receives solar panels too.” The assessed package determines the measures offered.

• “New heaters guarantee a particular bill saving.” Tariffs, settings, heat demand and installation design affect the outcome.

• “Every website using a scheme name is official.” Check the organisation and funding route before providing sensitive information.

Frequently asked questions

These answers cover common application questions, including pensioners, flats and replacement choices. They explain what to investigate before an assessment. They cannot confirm an individual award, because the provider must check the household, property, existing heating and proposed work against the current programme rules.

Can pensioners get grants to replace storage heaters?

Pensioners may qualify through Pension Credit, another relevant benefit, ECO4 Flex or a separate programme. Being over 60 or receiving State Pension alone does not establish entitlement. Give the provider the actual benefit and household details so it can identify the appropriate route for your circumstances.

Can I apply if I live in a flat?

A flat is not automatically excluded from every funding programme. Eligibility depends on tenure, energy rating, household circumstances and the proposed work. Access, electrical arrangements and building permissions may affect the project. Ask whether the provider supports your type of flat before gathering a full set of documents.

Will the funding replace every heater in my home?

Only the agreed scope confirms which heaters will be replaced. Ask for the number of units, room locations and proposed models in writing. The assessment may recommend a different package or retaining some equipment. Do not assume a successful household check means every room receives a new heater.

Can a grant replace storage heaters with gas central heating?

This is a different project from replacing individual heaters. ECO4 first time central heating rules depend on the home’s heating history and existing equipment, while off gas rules restrict new gas heating. Ask the assessor to identify an eligible route rather than assuming storage heating automatically qualifies for gas installation.

How long does a storage heater grant application take?

There is no single timetable covering all providers and programmes. Evidence checks, surveys, technical decisions, funding approval and installation capacity affect the schedule. Request separate dates for the assessment and installation. For ECO4, also ask whether the provider can accept and complete the project before the scheme ends.

Why might an eligible household receive no offer?

A household can meet an eligibility route while the proposed work remains unsuitable or unfunded. A provider may lack local coverage or capacity, or the assessment may identify a different improvement. Ask for the reason, then investigate another appropriate provider or programme rather than assuming every route is closed.

How InstantGrant can help

InstantGrant can help you understand possible storage heater funding routes and prepare for an eligibility enquiry. Start with your postcode, household circumstances and current heating details. We provide independent information and application support; the relevant scheme provider must confirm the assessment, funded work and any costs.

Start Your Heating Grant Check

About this guide

Published by InstantGrant. Information was checked on 5 October 2026 against Ofgem’s ECO4 Delivery Guidance version 4.0 and consumer guidance, GOV.UK funding guidance, Home Energy Scotland, Welsh Government Nest guidance, council programme pages, Energy Saving Trust and HSE. Funding availability and individual offers must be confirmed with the provider.