Warm Homes Scheme Northern Ireland

Warm Homes Scheme Northern Ireland 2026: What Is Actually Available

Northern Ireland runs its home energy grant system entirely separately from Great Britain. The Warm Homes Plan you may have seen referenced in UK-wide news coverage is a programme for England, Scotland, and Wales. It does not apply in Northern Ireland, where energy policy is devolved. Searching for it at a Northern Ireland address will send you down the wrong path.

Important: InstantGrant is an independent grant information and application-support service. We are not the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the Department for Communities, or any energy company. We do not administer any Northern Ireland grant scheme. All information on this page is verified against NIHE, nidirect, and the Utility Regulator NI as of August 2026. Scheme eligibility and availability can change. Always confirm current details directly with the NIHE or NI Energy Advice line before applying.

What is actually available in Northern Ireland in 2026 comes down to two main routes. The Affordable Warmth Scheme covers households with income under £23,000. NISEP covers households above that threshold, with priority access for vulnerable customers. A third route, the Warm Healthy Homes Fund, is being developed as a successor scheme from 2027 but cannot be applied for yet.

Why Northern Ireland Is Different From Great Britain

Before looking at individual schemes, it helps to understand why NI's energy landscape looks different from England, Scotland, or Wales.

Around 61 percent of Northern Ireland homes run on oil-fired central heating. In Great Britain, mains gas dominates. That fundamental difference shapes which heating upgrades are practical, what installers quote, and which schemes prioritise which measures.

Mains gas is available in greater Belfast and some larger towns through Phoenix Natural Gas, but most of rural Northern Ireland has no gas network. A household in Fermanagh, Tyrone, or rural Down relies on oil deliveries. Oil prices are volatile, unregulated, and not subject to the Ofgem price cap that protects GB households. This makes fuel poverty in rural NI a genuine and ongoing challenge in a way that differs structurally from fuel poverty in, say, Leeds or Cardiff.

NI also has a higher proportion of detached rural properties than most regions of England. Detached rural homes with solid walls, oil heating, and single glazing are exactly the properties that benefit most from insulation and heating upgrades — and exactly the homes that NI grant schemes are designed to serve.

The GB Warm Homes Plan: Why It Does Not Apply in Northern Ireland

This is worth addressing directly because it causes significant confusion.

The Warm Homes Plan is the UK government's £13.2 billion energy efficiency programme for England, Scotland, and Wales, announced at the Autumn Budget in October 2024. It funds schemes including the Warm Homes: Local Grant, successor programmes to ECO4 and GBIS, and related measures.

Energy policy is devolved in Northern Ireland. The Westminster government does not control energy efficiency programmes in NI. The Warm Homes Plan has no Northern Ireland equivalent. Several websites published content in 2025 and early 2026 describing the Warm Homes Plan as applying in Northern Ireland or as having replaced the Affordable Warmth Scheme. This was incorrect. Some of those sites issued corrections.

If you have been told to search for the Warm Homes Plan in Northern Ireland, the correct route is the Affordable Warmth Scheme or NISEP, both described below.

The Affordable Warmth Scheme: Northern Ireland's Main Energy Grant

The Affordable Warmth Scheme is the primary government-funded home energy grant for lower-income households in Northern Ireland. It is funded by the Department for Communities and delivered by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. The scheme is open and currently running until March 2028.

What the Affordable Warmth Scheme Covers

The scheme takes a whole-house approach, prioritising insulation before heating measures. Common funded improvements include:

• Loft insulation

• Cavity wall insulation

• Solid wall insulation

• Replacement oil boiler or heating system

• First-time central heating installation

• Double glazing in some circumstances

• Draught-proofing measures

The grant is worth up to £7,500 for most eligible properties. For detached properties needing solid wall insulation, the cap rises to £10,000. This higher figure reflects the greater cost of solid wall insulation compared with cavity wall treatment — particularly relevant for older rural NI properties.

Who Qualifies for Affordable Warmth

To be eligible, all three of the following must apply:

Residency and tenure: You own and occupy the property as your main home. Private renters can also apply with their landlord's written consent. The scheme does not cover social housing tenants.

Income threshold: Your gross annual household income is under £23,000.

Property condition: Your home has an identifiable heating or insulation deficiency that the scheme can address.

The Disability Benefit Income Exclusion

This is the detail that makes the biggest practical difference for many NI households, and it is missing from most guides.

Disability-related benefits are not counted as income when assessing the £23,000 threshold. This applies specifically to:

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

• Attendance Allowance

• Carer's Allowance

A household with £20,000 in employment income and £4,000 in PIP has a total income of £24,000 but an assessed income of £20,000 for Affordable Warmth purposes, because PIP is excluded. This significantly widens who qualifies in a region where health-related benefit receipt is relatively high.

How to Apply for the Affordable Warmth Scheme

Contact the Northern Ireland Housing Executive directly. The NIHE will arrange an initial eligibility check and, if confirmed, a home survey to assess which measures are appropriate for your property.

NIHE main line: 03448 920 900 NI Energy Advice line (free): 0800 111 44 55

The NI Energy Advice line is staffed by impartial advisers who cover all energy support available in Northern Ireland, not just Affordable Warmth. This is often the most useful first call because advisers can identify every route that applies to your circumstances.

The Closed NI Boiler Replacement Scheme: What You Need to Know

Several websites, including some with high traffic, still describe a Northern Ireland Boiler Replacement Scheme as available in 2026. This scheme closed to new applications on 21 September 2023 due to budgetary constraints. It offered up to £1,000 toward replacing a boiler more than 15 years old.

It is not available. If a company contacts you claiming to process applications for the NI Boiler Replacement Scheme, that is either outdated information or fraud. Verify any contact through the NIHE directly before providing personal details.

NISEP: The Second Route for Households Above £23,000

The Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme is a levy-funded scheme overseen by the Utility Regulator. Energy suppliers operating in Northern Ireland — SSE Airtricity, Power NI, Budget Energy, and others — contribute to the fund through their licence obligations. NISEP funds a different range of measures each programme year, and at least 80 percent of funding is ring-fenced for priority or lower-income customers.

NISEP Income Thresholds

NISEP uses higher income thresholds than Affordable Warmth. Typical eligibility is under £28,000 for a single-person household and under £35,000 for families, though the exact figures are set for each scheme year by the scheme managers.

What NISEP Covers

NISEP schemes vary each year. In recent years, commonly funded measures have included:

• Loft insulation

• Cavity wall insulation

• Oil boiler upgrades and replacement in some scheme years

• Heat pump installations in some scheme years

• First-time heating systems

How to Apply for NISEP

Contact one of the current NISEP scheme managers directly. In 2026 these include Bryson Energy, SSE Airtricity, Power NI, and Budget Energy. The availability of specific measures depends on each scheme manager's current programme and remaining allocation.

NISEP operates on a first-come, first-served basis within each scheme year. Early application in a new scheme year gives the best chance of accessing available measures before allocations are exhausted.

Bryson Energy: brysonenergy.org NI Energy Advice line: 0800 111 44 55

The Warm Healthy Homes Fund: What Is Coming in 2027

The Department for Communities launched the Warm Healthy Homes Strategy 2026 to 2036 in February 2026. The strategy sets out a ten-year framework for tackling fuel poverty in Northern Ireland.

The main delivery vehicle under the new strategy is the Warm Healthy Homes Fund, expected to launch in April 2027. The fund is backed by approximately £150 million over its first five years and will replace the Affordable Warmth Scheme when it opens.

The public consultation on the fund's design closed on 19 August 2026. Detailed eligibility criteria had not been published at the time of writing. The fund is expected to have wider eligibility than the current Affordable Warmth Scheme and to cover a broader range of measures, including solar PV.

You cannot apply for the Warm Healthy Homes Fund now. Until it opens, the correct route is the Affordable Warmth Scheme. If you qualify for Affordable Warmth, do not wait for the new fund to launch — apply through the current scheme now and benefit sooner.

0% VAT on Energy-Saving Materials

This is a saving that most NI households overlook when budgeting for energy improvements.

Since April 2022, a zero rate of VAT applies to the installation of qualifying energy-saving materials across the UK, including Northern Ireland. This means installations of insulation, solar panels, heat pumps, and related measures are VAT-free when fitted by a registered installer.

For a household paying privately for a heat pump installation costing £12,000 before tax, zero-rate VAT represents a saving of £2,400 compared to the previous 5 percent rate. The saving applies automatically — you do not need to apply for it — but it is worth confirming with your installer that they are applying the zero rate correctly on their invoice.

Summary: Which NI Scheme Applies to You

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Warm Homes Plan apply in Northern Ireland? No. The GB Warm Homes Plan covers England, Scotland, and Wales only. Energy policy is devolved in Northern Ireland. The equivalent schemes in NI are the Affordable Warmth Scheme and NISEP.

What is the warm homes scheme in Northern Ireland? The main home energy grant scheme in Northern Ireland is the Affordable Warmth Scheme, delivered by the NI Housing Executive for households with income under £23,000. NISEP is the second route for households above that threshold. A new Warm Healthy Homes Fund is expected from April 2027.

How much can I get from the Affordable Warmth Scheme in Northern Ireland? Up to £7,500 for most eligible properties. Detached properties needing solid wall insulation can receive up to £10,000.

Is the NI Boiler Replacement Scheme still open? No. The NI Boiler Replacement Scheme closed to new applications on 21 September 2023. It is not available in 2026. Some websites still describe it as open but this information is out of date.

Do disability benefits count toward the £23,000 Affordable Warmth income threshold? No. PIP, DLA, Attendance Allowance, and Carer's Allowance are all excluded from the income assessment. Only earned income and most non-disability benefits count toward the threshold.

What is the Warm Healthy Homes Fund? A new NI government scheme backed by approximately £150 million over five years, expected to launch April 2027, replacing the Affordable Warmth Scheme. The public consultation closed August 2026. You cannot apply for it now.

How do I access NISEP in Northern Ireland? Contact a current NISEP scheme manager directly: Bryson Energy (brysonenergy.org), SSE Airtricity, Power NI, or Budget Energy. The NI Energy Advice line on 0800 111 44 55 can also guide you to the right scheme manager for your circumstances.

Does VAT apply to energy improvements in Northern Ireland? A zero rate of VAT applies to qualifying energy-saving materials installed by registered installers in Northern Ireland, as in the rest of the UK. This applies to insulation, solar panels, heat pumps, and related measures automatically, but confirm the rate with your installer before work begins.

Can private renters access the Affordable Warmth Scheme? Yes, with their landlord's written consent. The landlord pays nothing, but their permission is legally required before any work can proceed.

How InstantGrant Can Help

Working out which NI scheme applies to your household and how to navigate the application process, particularly when several well-known guides have published wrong information about what is and is not available in Northern Ireland, takes time to piece together from authoritative sources.

InstantGrant is an independent grant information and application-support service. We help UK households in all four nations understand which scheme applies to their specific situation and how to approach the eligibility process with accurate information.

We are not the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the Department for Communities, or any energy company. We do not administer any scheme and we do not guarantee any outcome. We help you start the right process with clear information.

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