It’s important to note that grants and schemes today are different to previous versions, and the main difference nowadays is that the grants and schemes available care far less about the benefits you receive and far more about your household income and the energy efficiency of your home.
That means receiving Universal Credit alone probably isn’t enough for you to qualify for a free boiler. But receiving Universal Credit, having a low annual income as a household and living in an energy-inefficient home probably is enough.
The following grants could support you in getting a free boiler on Universal Credit:
ECO4 is probably the most relevant grant scheme available to you as somebody who receives Universal Credit. The main goal of ECO4 is to support the lowest-income households living in the most energy-inefficient homes to better improve their home’s energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and bring down their energy bills.
The government’s ECO Scheme is funded by the government, but delivered by the largest energy companies in the UK in order to support their most vulnerable customers.
A boiler grant through the ECO Scheme would allow you to get a replacement boiler for free, or at the very least, considerably cheaper – but only if you qualify.
One way they determine eligibility is by you or someone in your household (or a private tenant if you’re a landlord) being in receipt of one of several qualifying benefits. One of which is Universal Credit. But there are additional eligibility criteria you ought to be aware of too.
Before we look at a free boiler grant or two to upgrade your old central heating system to a modern boiler, let’s look at why you might want to in the first place:
Many homeowners and private tenants are unaware that they’re entitled to support for free boilers under certain circumstances. And if you’re in receipt of Universal Credit, then you might just qualify for support.
The quickest way to find out if you’re eligible for support is to fill out our quick form. It’ll take less than 60 seconds, and then we’ll be back in touch to let you know if you qualify for a free boiler on Universal Credit or not, you may still be able to qualify even if you’re not on benefits!
At Eco Grants by ZOA Energy Solutions, we have been installing the latest eco home improvements for years (including boiler upgrades and replacements), and in that time we’ve developed a keen understanding of the various grants and schemes that are available. In order to support our customers, we created Eco Grants. Work with us, and we can help you determine if you qualify for support or not for a free boiler upgrade or replacement.
To qualify you will need to be considered a low-income household below £31,000 and meet one of the following criteria:
If you receive Child Benefit and have a household income below the numbers underneath, then you could also qualify for support for a free boiler under ECO4.
Not necessarily. First you’ll have to qualify for support, and then you’ll need to receive your grant. That grant can cover all or part of the cost of your boiler, depending on how much you’re entitled to and the cost of your installation.
However, plenty of people receive a full grant under ECO4 to cover the full cost of their boiler installation. Meaning, yes, you can get a free boiler on Universal Credit – but not everybody will.
LA Flex works much like ECO4 does, only there are a few differences with the eligibility criteria. With LA Flex, local authorities and councils can extend the eligibility criteria to help them offer more targeted support to the households in their area that need the most support with controlling their energy bills and reducing the carbon emissions their home produces.
In order to qualify for LA Flex you’ll need to live in a home with an EPC rating of E-G:
You’ll notice that LA Flex doesn’t actually talk about Universal Credit or benefits at all. The focus here is on energy performance and household income. However, if you receive Universal Credit, then it’s very likely that you’ll meet some of the criteria above, too.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is a central heating grant designed to replace old boilers. Although you won’t typically get a replacement boiler with this grant – instead, you’ll qualify for a heat pump instead.
Under this scheme any household in the UK can receive a heat pump grant worth up to £7,500, regardless of household income or whether or not someone in the household receives Universal Credit.
To see if you qualify, fill out our form today.
Fill out our quick form today, and we’ll be able to tell you if you qualify for full or partial funding for your boiler installation. The process takes less than 60 seconds, and then our expert team will be back in touch to let you know which grants, if any, you qualify for.
And better yet, as expert boiler installers, you can then work with us over at ZOA Energy Solutions to carry out the work for you.
Get in touch today to head towards a more comfortable home with better savings – for FREE (potentially..)!
Yes, but being on Universal Credit alone isn’t enough to receive support. Your household income and your energy performance certificate will also be taken into account to ensure you’re only receiving support when you really need it. Work with Eco Grants today, and we’ll help you access the funding you’re entitled to.
Some estimates suggest that a new, efficient boiler can greatly reduce your energy bills – making savings up to around £300 per year. Those savings are simply because your new boiler will be able to heat your home more efficiently than your old one, and your house will hold on to that heat for longer, too. Contact Eco Grants today to find out if you’re eligible for a free boiler and to start making savings now.