Double Glazing News and Policy Updates
Grants, building regulations and energy standards move quickly, and they change what double glazing costs and who can get help with it. We track the updates that matter to UK homeowners and landlords, with every figure checked against GOV.UK and the major cost guides.
The biggest shift in 2026 was the government's Warm Homes Plan, which extended ECO4 to the end of the year, confirmed there will be no replacement, and set out the route to tougher energy standards for rented homes. For the current state of every funding route, see our double glazing grants guide.
The October price cap rose 4%, and it is nearly all gas
A typical household is put at £1,723 a year. Gas bills rise 8% while electricity barely moves, and gas is the fuel windows work on.
Warm Homes Local Grant: the first delivery figures
11,247 measures in 5,469 English homes, of which 216 were double or triple glazing at an average job cost of £6,800.
0% VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026
Worth around £45 a year and applied automatically. It covers electricity only, so it does not change what glazing saves.
Social housing must hit EPC C by 2030
England's social rented homes face a 1 April 2030 deadline, six months before private rentals, but fabric first was dropped.
The Future Homes Standard is law from 2027
The regulations come into force on 24 March 2027. They govern new dwellings, not the windows you are replacing.
The energy price cap rose for July 2026
Electricity at 26.11p per kWh and gas at 7.33p. Higher unit rates make a fixed cut in heat loss worth more each year.
EPC reform: four new metrics, now due in 2027
Reformed EPCs replace the single cost metric with four, one of them fabric performance. The launch moved to the second half of 2027.
Landlords must hit EPC C by 2030
A dual-metric standard with fabric first, a £10,000 cap and a £30,000 maximum fine. Where double glazing fits.
The Warm Homes Plan 2026 explained
The government's roughly £15bn home-energy programme, plus the £130m devolution and £300m loan scheme delivered since.
ECO4 extended to December 2026
ECO4 gets a nine-month extension to 31 December 2026, but there will be no successor scheme after it.
NI Affordable Warmth is being replaced
A Warm Healthy Homes Fund takes over from April 2027, and the current scheme is referred to as running to March 2028.
Why we track this
A window quote is a decision you make against the rules of the day: the grant you might claim, the U-value your replacement has to meet, and the EPC band your home needs to reach. When those rules move, the right answer moves with them. Each update here links back to the relevant calculator or guide so you can act on it, not just read it.