ECO4 Heating 2026: First-Time Central Heating & Heat Pumps

Q: Can I get a free boiler on ECO4?

Not as a like-for-like swap of a working gas boiler. ECO4 funds first-time central heating, heat pumps and controls within assessed packages; narrow repair/replace cases exist but universal 'free boiler' offers are marketing, not the scheme.

Q: ECO4 heat pump or the £7,500 BUS grant — which should I use?

You can't stack both on one installation. Eligible ECO4 households usually do better under ECO4 because insulation and controls come bundled; BUS is the route for everyone else.

Q: What counts as 'no central heating' for FTCH?

Homes without a wet central heating system — heated by individual room heaters, electric panels, or nothing. A broken-beyond-repair legacy system can also qualify under assessment.

Q: Does ECO4 fund heating controls alone?

Controls typically ride within multi-measure packages rather than standalone — but they're near-universal inclusions because they score efficiently. See our heating controls guide for what good looks like.

Facts checked against official GOV.UK sources — 27 August 2026

Two pathways — both keep you moving

✓ If you qualify

Follow the funded route before the December 2026 deadline — packages are surveyed, funded and installed at no or low cost.

Check heating eligibility →

If you don’t qualify

You still have strong routes: Warm Homes: Local Grant (England), £7,500 BUS, 0% VAT to Mar 2027 and competitive private installation with one matched installer.

Check My Home →

First-time central heating — the flagship

Homes heated by room heaters, plug-in electrics or nothing at all can receive a complete first central heating system — heat source, radiators, pipework, controls. It’s among ECO4’s highest-scoring measures because the EPC jump is enormous. Off-gas homes typically receive heat-pump-led systems; on-gas FTCH remains possible where assessment supports it.

Heat pumps under ECO4

Air-source heat pumps are core ECO4 measures for eligible households — funded within the package rather than via the separate £7,500 BUS grant (one route per installation, and ECO4 usually wins for eligible households because fabric measures come bundled). Electric and oil/LPG homes score best. Running-cost reality check: our honest maths guide.

The boiler question, straight

Working gas boiler? ECO4 won’t swap it like-for-like — replacement gas boilers only feature in narrow broken-and-inefficient repair/replace circumstances within qualifying projects. Ads promising universal free boilers describe a scheme that no longer exists. What eligible households actually get is better: fabric + controls + modern heat sources chosen by assessment.

Routes and the deadline

Benefits route or council Flex, EPC D–G, close of scheme 31 December 2026, no successor. After that, heating support consolidates on BUS (to March 2027) and the wider grants landscape. FTCH candidates especially should move now — those installs take the longest.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a free boiler on ECO4?

ECO4 heat pump or the £7,500 BUS grant — which should I use?

What counts as 'no central heating' for FTCH?

Does ECO4 fund heating controls alone?

Sources & MethodologyVerified 27 Aug 2026

OFGEMOfgem — ECO4 measures↗OFGEMOfgem — Boiler Upgrade Scheme↗ENERGY SAVING TRUSTEnergy Saving Trust — Heating your home↗

Facts checked 21 August 2026. We link to official sources and show when facts were last verified. If a scheme changes, we update the page.

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