Funding for energy efficiency in homes

Insulating your home and installing renewable measures can make your home warmer, use less electricity and make your bills cheaper.

Depending on your situation, you might qualify for a grant or loan from:

• the Scottish government

• the UK government

• your local council

• an energy supplier.

To find out what funding you might qualify for, you can use the funding finder tool on the Home Energy Scotland website.

This page includes information on some of the main funding schemes.

Check what energy efficiency improvements you need

You should contact Home Energy Scotland for a free assessment.  

They might suggest improvements like:  

• insulation - cavity wall insulation, external wall cladding, or loft insulation 

• an efficient boiler - this can make your home warmer and lower your bills 

• a smart meter - this can help you see your energy usage and make changes 

• double glazing  

• LED lighting 

You might be able to get extra support from Home Energy Scotland, for example if someone in your home is disabled. 

Once your home is well insulated you might be able to install renewable energy measures like: 

• solar panels or a wind turbine - to generate electricity 

• air source or ground source heat pumps - these need some outside space and electricity to run. They renew the heat they extract from the ground or air.

How to contact Home Energy Scotland

Warmer Homes Scotland

If you’re a homeowner or you rent privately, you might be eligible for funding from the Scottish government for home energy improvements such as:  

• wall insulation  

• loft insulation  

• draught-proofing  

• central heating – including new gas boilers or air source heat pumps  

• renewables  

The Scottish government will usually meet all the costs. If you need to pay some of the costs, you can apply for an interest-free loan to cover them.  

You cannot get funding for work that’s already been done. 

Who can apply for Warmer Homes Scotland

You can apply if your home meets all following criteria:  

• it’s in Council Tax Band A to F  

• it's your main home  

• it has a poor energy rating – Warmer Homes Scotland can check this for you  

• it has a floor area of 230m2 or less  

• it’s fit to live in – it has to meet the ‘tolerable standard’. Read more about the tolerable standard on mygov.scot. 

You must also have someone in your household who is either:  

• over 75 and has no central heating  

• terminally ill  

• receiving certain benefits.  

Read more about how to apply for Warmer Homes Scotland on the Home Energy Scotland website.

Home Energy Scotland grant and loan

If you’re a homeowner, you can apply for the Home Energy Scotland grant and loan. You do not need to receive benefits. 

You could get up to £15,000 as a grant. You could get:  

• up to £7,500 for energy efficiency improvements, for example insulation  

• up to £7,500 for clean heating systems, for example heat pumps. 

The amount you can get depends on what improvements you want to make. For some improvements the maximum grant is less. 

You do not have to pay the grant back.  

You could also get an interest-free loan if the grant does not cover the full cost.

If you live in a rural area

You could get:  

• up to £1,500 extra for energy efficiency improvements  

• up to £1,500 extra for clean heating systems. 

If you’re not sure, Home Energy Scotland can tell you if you live in a rural area.

What you can get funding for

You can get a grant or loan for improvements that are recommend in your:

• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)  

• Home Energy Improvement Report  

• Home Renewable Selector Report. 

Home Energy Scotland can help you get these if you do not have them.  

You can find your Energy Performance Certificate on the Scottish EPC register.  

You can check how much you might get on the Home Energy Scotland website.

Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme

You might be able to get help with things like insulation, boilers and improving your heating.

Who is eligible

If you own your own home or you rent from a private landlord, you might be eligible for the ECO scheme if:

• you get benefits that are based on your income

• you get Child Benefit

• you owe money to your supplier

• you are a prepayment customer and you run out of money.

How to apply

There are different ways to apply to the ECO scheme - it depends on which conditions you meet. Home Energy Scotland can tell you if you're eligible and how you can apply.

You can read more about the ECO scheme on GOV.UK.

Great British Insulation Scheme

If you own your home or you rent privately, you might be able to get help insulating your home. The Great British Insultation Scheme could help you to insulate:

• your walls

• your loft or roof

• your floors.

You can only get help to insulate one of these.

If you live in a mobile home on a park home site, you might get insulation for your whole home.

In some cases, you might be offered new heating controls - for example, thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) which automatically switch off the radiator when the room is warm enough.

New heating controls are fitted at the same time as the insulation.

Who is eligible

You can get help from the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) if:

• your home is in council tax band A, B, C or D  or E - check your council tax band on the Scottish Assessors website

• your home has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D, E, F or G - you can find your home's EPC on the Scottish EPC register.

You could still apply for GBIS if your home does not have an EPC - your home must need insulation to improve its energy efficiency.

GBIS will usually cover the cost of the insulation. If it's a more expensive type of insulation, you might need to pay something towards the cost. The amount depends on your local council or energy supplier and what they fund. They should tell you how much you'll have to pay before you agree to the work.

Home Energy Scotland can tell you if you are eligible and how to apply for the Great British Insulation Scheme. Find contact details for Home Energy Scotland.

Read more about the Great British Insulation Scheme on GOV.UK.

Get paid for installing energy improvements or generating electricity

The UK and Scottish governments sometimes offer incentives to households who reduce energy or create their own renewable energy. The schemes might be open for limited periods of time and you usually need to apply. 

The Smart Export Guarantee  

You can apply to get paid for the electricity you generate and export back to the National Grid. Check your energy supplier's website for information on how to apply. 

Choosing an installer

Once you know what energy improvements you need, you should get quotes from at least 3 different installers. This will help you know if you’re getting a fair price.

Look for installers who are members of a quality scheme that's recognised by the government, like MCS or TrustMark. Find out how to find a trustworthy trader. 

If you’re applying for funding for energy improvements, there might be rules about the type of installer you use. Your funding provider should give you more information about how to choose an installer.

If you get cold calls from an installer, don’t let them rush you into making any decisions. It's better to find an installer yourself. Don’t use an installer you haven’t had time to check.

If a salesperson asks you to sign something you should: 

• take time to read through the document in full - not just the first or last page. If you need more time to read it, ask them to wait or come back later 

• take a copy of anything you sign - if the sales person isn’t willing to give you a copy, don’t sign it 

• watch out for high-pressure selling – if a salesperson says things like “This deal is only available today" or "You’ll lose out if you don’t sign now” or “I can’t leave your house unless you sign”. This is a criminal offence. Call the police if they won't leave your house unless you sign something. 

Watch out for scams and false advertising

For example, an installer might make false promises about how much energy you’ll save or how much you’ll need to pay. 

Check if something might be a scam.

Before you get work done on your home

As well as finding a good installer and getting at least 3 quotes, you should:

• check if you need permission or approval

• check you and your installer have insurance

• get a written contract

• know what to do if there are any problems.

Read our advice about preparing to get work done on your home.