Grants and discount schemes

On this page you can find out about grants, discounts and schemes such as the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) that can help you with paying your energy bills or help you to pay for improvements to your home to make it more energy efficient.

In addition help may be available from your existing energy suppliers.

For FREE and impartial advice on how to save energy in your home contact the Energy Saving Advice Service phone 0300 123 1234 (you just pay the price of a national rate call) or Online: Contact the Energy Advice Service.

Scheme	Details
Green Deal	The Green Deal launched in 2012. The scheme enables people to pay for energy saving improvements. Instead of paying for the full cost of the improvements up front, you pay over time through a charge added to your electricity bill. green-deal-energy-saving-measures.
ECO (Energy Company Obligation)	Funding from the big six energy suppliers to support energy improvements for people on certain benefits, for those in solid wall properties and for households in the poorest parts of the Country. There are three parts to the obligation: A) Affordable Warmth Obligation which provides heating and insulation improvements for low income and vulnerable households (but social housing tenants are not eligible for affordable warmth B) Carbon Saving Obligation which provides funding to insulate solid walled properties (internal and external wall insulation) and those with 'hard to treat' cavity walls C) Carbon Saving Communities Obligation which provides insulation measures to people living in the bottom 15% of the UK's most deprived areas
Green Deal Home Improvement Fund	The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF) was a new energy efficiency scheme from the government which was open to all householders from early June 2014. The scheme closed for new applications on 25 July 2014.
Winter Fuel Payments Government Funded	The Winter Fuel Payment is a tax free payment worth up to £300 to help older people pay their fuel bills. If you have reached the qualifying age (born on or before 5 January 1952) and lived in Great Britain or Northern Ireland on any day between 16-22 September 2013 you may qualify. To find out whether you are eligible and get a claim form from the Pension Service winter-fuel-payment.
Warm Home Discount Scheme	The Warm Home Discount Scheme provides a rebate on your electricity bills (£140 in winter 2014/15). The Scheme helps some older people with their winter energy bills. Participating energy companies provide a rebate to eligible pensioners to help them with their energy bills. Some energy suppliers also offer the rebate to other customers in vulnerable groups. The payment may not come automatically. For further information see Warm Home Discount Scheme the-warm-home-discount-scheme.
Renewable Heat Incentive	The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) provides financial support for the installation of renewable heat technology. The financial support covers solar thermal hot water systems, heat pumps and biomass boiler in homes, with payments ranging from £300 to £1250 depending on the technology Renewable-Heat-Premium-Payment-Phase-2.
Feed in Tariffs (Clean Energy Cashback Scheme)	This scheme was introduced on 1 April 2010. It provides financial support for anyone installing an electricity generating technology from a renewable or low carbon source. Your energy supplier will pay you for the electricity you generate, even if you use it yourself, and for any surplus electricity you export to the grid. To find out more visit feed-in-tariffs Feed-In-Tariffs-scheme-FITs.
Cold Weather Payments	These payments are made during periods of particularly cold weather to people receiving certain benefits (eg: Pension Credit). These payments are made automatically and you do not have to do anything in order to receive them cold-weather-payment.
Landlord's Energy Saving Allowance	The Landlord's Energy Saving Allowance is a tax allowance for landlords making energy efficiency improvements to a property that they rent out in the UK or abroad. Landlords can claim the allowance (of up to £1500 per tax year) when filling in their annual tax return green-deal-energy-saving-measures.
Priority Services Register	Ask your energy supplier if you are on their Priority Services Register. Everyone on pensionable age (or with long term health problems) is entitled to be on the register. You could get free services including a password protection scheme, regular meter readings and an annual gas safety.
Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT)	The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) has now officially closed. Some companies may still be offering free or subsidised loft and cavity wall insulation in some areas, but most schemes are no longer operating. CERT has now been replaced by the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation.
Warm Front Scheme	The Warm Front Scheme ended on 19 January 2013. Contact the Warm Front Care and Repair Team if you have problems with a heating system installed by Warm Front that is still covered by the aftercare service. Contact Warm Front Care and Repair 0800 408 1437 open 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Social tariffs and fuel debt advice	Many energy suppliers have social tariffs for those on lower incomes. This means that you may not have to pay as much for the fuel you use. If you have got into difficulties paying your fuel bills there may be help to get your back on track. For advice contact the Home Heat Helpline www.homeheathelpline.org.uk.