Written by Kate Hallewell
People are increasingly looking at electric heating due to the Government’s plans to phase out gas boilers. A popular choice for electric heating has always been storage heaters as they can be efficient and make the most of cheaper electricity during lower-demand times (at night usually).
If you are looking to install storage heaters, before paying full price you could check if you qualify for Government grants to install new high heat retention storage heaters. Brands such as Dimplex or Elnur are installed under storage heater grant schemes and the grants can slash the cost of installation and in some cases free storage heaters can be installed.
There Energy Company Obligation includes fully funded grants to upgrade inefficient heating systems. The heating options under the scheme include boiler upgrades (upgrading non-condensing boilers), installing a new central heating system (provided the property has a gas connection), heat pumps and electric storage heaters. You could get insulation installed alongside the heating upgrade as the grant requires grants to upgrade the property by a minimum amount.
What follows is an explanation of 14 things to know about storage heater grants before applying!
1. Storage heater grants are available throughout England, Scotland and Wales
You can apply whether you are in London, Swansea or Edinburgh and there are installers accepting applications right now throughout England, Scotland and Wales. If you live in a busier or highly populated area there are often more installers to choose from and the more remote locations tend to have longer wait times. The grants are only available to eligible people though so please check if you qualify (there’s more about that below).
2. Homeowners are eligible for grants
Storage heater grants are available to homeowners where there are inefficient storage heaters. If you own your home you will need to have an “EPC” rating of E, F or G under ECO4 rules. Band D properties are expected to be eligible later in the scheme as energy companies can only spend 15% of their funding on Band D properties. Private tenants can also qualify for storage heater grants but they also have to have a solar PV installed alongside the electric storage heaters.
3. The type of heating you have (or have had) will determine how much funding you'll get
The grant rules place an emphasis on existing heating and the most inefficient properties get the most funding. Unfortunately, properties that have had a mains gas boiler previously aren’t eligible for grants for storage heaters. However, a quirk of the scheme is that if your previous heating such as a gas boiler has been completely removed leaving nothing at all you could still qualify for a grant. You won’t qualify if the boiler and/or radiators are still present at your home though.
4. What is your wall type? Walls are important when the installer works out funding for your property
When you apply you’ll be asked if you know your wall type so it will be handy to know what type of walls your home has. For example, cavity walls or solid walls. The reason you are being asked about your walls is that the funding calculation uses the wall type to work out how much grant money your home will get. If you don’t know your wall type you can search the EPC Register at https://find-energy-certificate.digital.communities.gov.uk or the Scottish EPC Register at https://www.scottishepcregister.org.uk if you are in Scotland.
5. You might get free storage heaters and insulation or solar PV too!
The scheme rules require a minimum increase in energy efficiency. This means that in addition to storage heaters applicants can also get Solar PV and sometimes insulation as part of the same application (free if viable!) . You can use our storage heater grant checker to see if you are eligible.
6. Free insulation often accompanies free storage heaters - win/win!
In many storage heater grant cases, free insulation is included in the installation. This means that your storage heaters will be installed alongside insulation which can often help you to save more money on heating bills and reduce your carbon footprint by reducing energy use even further! In some cases Solar PV can be installed alongside the storage heaters!
7. Only Trustmark Registered Installers can accept and process storage heater grants - check your installer's Trustmark status now!
If you want to make sure that you are getting a grant-worthy installation, then you should check your installers Trustmark status. This is important as it shows they have been vetted and approved by The Government Endorsed Body for the grant scheme. You can search for companies on the TrustMark website or use our grant checker to be connected with trustworthy installers in your area.
8. You don't need to. claim benefits to qualify
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is the scheme that provides storage heater grants. The Government decided that low-income, vulnerable and inefficient homes should be able to access the grants.
The first (and fastest) way to be eligible for a storage heater grant is through receiving an eligible benefit.
Eligible benefits include:
- Child Benefit (if this is the only benefit you receive you will also need to meet the income rules here)
- Child Tax Credits
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) – income-based (not contribution-based ESA)
- Housing Benefit (new eligible benefit from July 2022)
- Income Support
- Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) – income-based (not contribution-based JSA)
- Pension Guarantee Credit
- Pension Savings Credit (new eligible benefit from 1 April 2022)
- Universal Credit
- Working Tax Credits
(You don’t need to be currently claiming the benefit, but you need to have received the benefit within 12 months prior to the installation)
If you claim any of the following benefits you could qualify through the health flexible energy route:
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Mobility Supplement
- Personal Independence Payment
- Severe Disablement Allowance
If you don’t claim benefits, you might be eligible for a storage heater grant under new rules up to half of applications can come from people that don’t claim benefits.
You can also qualify through meeting any of the following criteria:
- A health condition made worse by living in a cold home
- Being vulnerable
- Having a household annual income of less than £31,000 per year
Our grant checker will determine if you are one of the lucky ones and meet the criteria (it takes 60 seconds or less).
9. Timing could be everything to get electric storage heater grants
The current phase of the scheme is called ECO4 and it started in 2022 and it is expected to run until March 2026. The rules can change at any time and because of this, our advice is not to wait to apply and to check eligibility as soon as you can. You can register for alerts when you apply so if you don’t qualify now you could in the future.
10. You will need to apply for a dual tariff before the storage heaters are installed
Storage heaters use off-peak energy and are most efficient when operated with a dual tariff electricity meter such as Economy 7 or Economy 10. They use the cheapest electricity rates, usually at night, when power demand is lower.
So before your new storage heaters can be installed you will need to have a dual tariff, Economy 7 or Economy 10 meter installed. You can arrange for the dual tariff or meter from your energy supplier and it shouldn’t incur a cost. The installer will ask for details of your tariff for the grant application paperwork that they’ll submit for you to make sure that the storage heaters will give you the best result when your electricity bill arrives.
11. Installers are in demand - get your application to the top of their queue
Installers get a large volume of enquiries and heating grants are in demand in the colder months. The installer might ask you for documentation such as energy bills or benefits evidence as they have to submit an application to Ofgem (the scheme regulator). If you can, we suggest providing documentation as soon as you can to make it easy for the installer to submit the grant application. Additionally, it’s worth checking what installers wait times are (we check with our network regularly and take the hassle out of this process) so you proceed with an installer that has capacity in your area. The easier you make it for the installer the quicker they’ll be able to install your new storage heaters.
12. Extra "Rule" if you already have storage heaters (old ones have to be removed)
If you already have storage heaters at your home and they are being upgraded with a storage heater grant there is a rule that says the existing storage heaters have to be removed as part of the funding rules. These rules are set by Ofgem rather than the installer but the installer has to evidence removing any old storage heaters. If you have other heating that doesn’t need to be removed (only if you currently have storage heaters that are being upgraded).
13. You can't apply twice for the same measure (unless you move)
The scheme rules specify that you can’t apply for the same measure twice at the same property. So if you had heating installed previously under the ECO grants you couldn’t apply again at the same property. But if you move home the good news is that you can apply again at a new property if you move!
14. How and where to apply for a storage heater grant
The initial application is online and very quick. You will need to answer some questions about your existing heating and after you have applied you might be asked to upload some documents such as energy bills, tenancy agreement or benefits evidence. If you’re eligible for a storage heater grant we’ll match you with a trusted and reliable installer that is accepting applications in your area. We’ll send an email with further instructions on the next steps and fingers crossed your new storage heaters will be installed within a week or two.
FAQs about UK Government Boiler Upgrade Scheme
How much will I get?
While the grants are very generous not all properties qualify and you don’t get the grant money directly as it is paid to the installer. The grant funding is calculated by the installer and the amount that the property gets is based on annual bill savings estimates. The grant is paid to the installer after they complete the installation.
How long does it take to get the grant?
It can be very quick to process providing the installer has all the evidence needed to submit to Ofgem (who administer the scheme). We have found that for electric storage heater grants applications can be delayed by the installation of the dual tariff as Ofgem require evidence that the day/night tariff is in place to accept the application.
Where can I find out more about these electric storage heater grants?
You can use our free grant checker to see if your property qualifies for a storage heater grant. There’s also information on the Ofgem website (the Energy Company Obligation is the name of the grant scheme).
What counts as inefficient heating?
The main types of heating specified under the grant rules as being inefficient include:
- Back boilers
- Electric room heaters
- Gas room heaters
- LPG heating
- Non-condensing gas boilers
- Oil heating
- Old electric storage heaters
- Solid fuel heating
If you aren’t sure if your heating is inefficient you can email us or use the free grant checker.
Can tenants or landlords get electric storage heater grants?
Yes rented properties can qualify for electric storage heater grants but the tenants must qualify through either being vulnerable, having a health condition, low income or receiving benefits. In rental properties under the current rules solar PV must also be installed alongside the storage heaters for the property to qualify.
What is a measure?
The Energy Company Obligation class each grant included in a grant offer as a measure so the electric storage heaters would be one measure and if you had solar installed aswell that would be a separate measure that is part of the same grant application. Multiple measures being installed at a property usually increases the annual bill savings which increases the funding the property receives.
What is the process of applying for a storage heater grant?
The first step is to complete the free grant checker (it’s online and will give you an immediate result). If your property qualifies you’ll be connected with an installer with a contract with one or more of the obligated energy suppliers. The installer will initially carry out a desktop survey and if they think the property qualifies they’ll arrange a home survey where they’ll look at funding allowances and inclusions for your property for you to agree.