What the Warm Homes Plan actually is
In January 2026 the government set out the Warm Homes Plan, the umbrella programme that now sits over almost every home energy efficiency scheme in the UK. The headline figure is just under £15bn of capital investment, which ministers describe as the biggest energy efficiency programme in British history. Within that total sits £1.5bn of additional grant funding aimed squarely at low-income households in fuel poverty, money that replaces the old supplier-obligation model rather than topping it up.
For homeowners the practical question is narrower than the headline. The plan does not hand out cash for double glazing to anyone who asks. It reshapes how the existing schemes work, and it moves the money around. If you want the full picture of what is on offer right now, our guide to double glazing grants sets out every scheme by nation.
ECO4 extended, but with no replacement
The biggest change for installers is the future of ECO4. Under the plan, ECO4 was extended to 31 December 2026, and the government confirmed at the November 2025 Budget that there will be no successor scheme once it ends. The separate Great British Insulation Scheme closes as planned on 31 March 2026. We have covered the detail and the eligibility rules in our piece on the ECO4 extension to December 2026, which is the route most low-income households still use.
The takeaway is that supplier-funded help is winding down rather than growing. If your circumstances fit ECO4, applying sooner rather than later is the safe move.
Where the money goes instead: the Warm Homes Local Grant
Funding is shifting towards the council-run Warm Homes: Local Grant in England. This is where double glazing fits. The grant covers up to £15,000 for fabric measures, including double or triple glazing, with a separate pot of up to £15,000 towards a low-carbon heating system such as a heat pump. To qualify you need a household income under £36,000 or to be on benefits, a home rated EPC band D to G, and you need to live in a participating local authority. The scheme is open to 2028. Our dedicated page on the Warm Homes Local Grant walks through how to apply.
The honest framing for homeowners
Here is the part the press releases skip over. Only around 15% of households qualify for grant funding of any kind. The plan also set the path to tougher energy standards for rented homes, with a target of EPC band C by 2030, which we examine in our coverage of the EPC C requirement for landlords by 2030. That target matters for landlords, but it does not put money in the average owner-occupier's pocket today.
I have fitted windows for over twenty years, and grant headlines never match what lands on most doormats. If you are in the 85% who do not qualify, do not put the job off waiting for funding that is not coming. Price it privately, get three written quotes, and treat any grant you do get as a bonus rather than the plan.
Tom Bradley, FENSA-registered installer
If you are unsure which side of the line you fall on, our grant eligibility checker runs through the income, benefit and EPC rules in a couple of minutes so you know whether it is worth starting an application at all. Source: GOV.UK, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (23 January 2026).
Frequently asked questions
Not directly across the country. The plan channels money through the council-run Warm Homes: Local Grant in England, which covers up to £15,000 for fabric measures including double or triple glazing. You must live in a participating local authority, have a household income under £36,000 or be on benefits, and own a home rated EPC band D to G.
Yes. ECO4 was extended to 31 December 2026, but the government confirmed at the November 2025 Budget that there will be no successor scheme after it ends. The Great British Insulation Scheme closes as planned on 31 March 2026.
Only around 15% of households qualify for grant funding of any kind. For everyone else the work is paid for privately, so it is sensible to price a job on that basis rather than wait for funding.
The plan set the path to tougher energy standards for rented homes, with a target of EPC band C by 2030. Landlords will need to factor glazing and insulation upgrades into their plans well before that date.