Old Boiler Replacement Grant: Full Guide for 2025

Old Boiler Replacement Grant: Full Guide for 2025

Efficient heating of a home is more crucial than ever. Particularly with energy costs rising and winter temperatures becoming more brutal. If your boiler is over 20 years old, it’s likely costing you far more than necessary. 

Both in terms of energy bills and lost heat. The good news is that the Old Boiler Replacement Grant from the ECO4 scheme can assist in replacing it for free, ensuring your home is warmer and less expensive to maintain.

Here in this comprehensive guide, we’ll tell you everything you should know regarding the Old Boiler Replacement Grant 2025.

What Is the Old Boiler Replacement Grant?

The Old Boiler Replacement Grant is included in the government-funded ECO4 (Energy Company Obligation) scheme. It aims to get UK houses more energy efficient and cut down on carbon emissions.

In this scheme, low-income families and fuel poverty households can have a new A-rated condensing boiler fitted free of cost in place of old, inefficient, or faulty boilers, which waste energy in abundance.

This program helps both homeowners and tenants cut down on heating bills alongside supporting the UK’s Net Zero 2050targets.

Why the Government Is Providing Free Boiler Upgrades

Older non-condensing boilers (usually fitted prior to 2005) may have an efficiency rating as low as 65%. That is to say that almost half of the energy you pay for is wasted via the flue.

The ECO4 Free Boiler Scheme addresses these older boilers with the aim of reducing energy bills for poor families. 

Who Is Eligible for the Boiler Replacement Grant?

Eligibility for the Boiler Replacement Grant 2025 relies on two key factors. Your home and your individual circumstances.

Your Home Must Be Eligible

Your house must:

  • Be privately owned or privately rented in England, Scotland, or Wales
  • Have an existing non-condensing gas boiler (usually fitted before 2005)
  • Have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of lower D, E, F, or G (less efficient properties get priority)
  • If you already have a new A-rated condensing boiler, you probably won’t get one replaced.

You Must Get Certain Benefits

You can get a replacement boiler if someone in your home receives one of the following benefits:

  • Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit or Savings Credit)
  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Universal Credit
  • Child Tax Credit
  • Working Tax Credit
  • Housing Benefit
  • Child Benefit (subject to income threshold)

If you do not receive any of the above, do not worry. You may still be eligible through your local authority’s LA Flex route, which gives councils permission to approve deserving households on the basis of income or medical conditions.

How the Old Boiler Replacement Grant Works

This is how the system operates under the ECO4 Free Boiler Scheme:

Apply Online or via a Registered Installer

You’ll need to fill out a quick eligibility form with details about your property, current boiler, and benefits.

Home Energy Assessment

If you’re eligible, a retrofit assessor will inspect your property to confirm energy ratings, insulation levels, and heating system condition.

Approval and Grant Allocation

Once approved, your energy supplier allocates funding for your property under the ECO4 scheme.

Free Boiler Installation

A qualified fitter installs your new boiler in place of your existing boiler, free or very cheaply, depending on your situation.

The whole process takes a maximum of 1 week from applying to being installed. Much quicker if your papers and benefits are in order.

Boilers Available Under the ECO4 Scheme

With the Boiler Replacement Grant, you’re able to have a new gas A-rated boiler. Although what you’re given will depend on the configuration of your home.

The usual types are:

  1. Combi Boiler: Suitable for small to medium-sized homes. Domestic hot water is heated directly without a storage tank.
  2. System Boiler: Great for larger families needing greater hot water consumption.
  3. Regular Boiler: Replaces old systems that already have a separate hot water cylinder and cold-water storage tank.

All the boilers supplied under the Free Boiler Scheme are condensing, which reuses heat that would otherwise be wasted. Thus, reaching efficiencies of more than 90%.

What If You Don’t Have a Gas Connection?

If your property is not connected to the gas grid, do not worry. The ECO4 scheme can still help.

Homes without gas are typically offered renewable heating options, such as:

  • Air Source Heat Pumps
  • Ground Source Heat Pumps
  • Biomass Boilers

These systems use electricity or natural resources like air or wood pellets to heat your home efficiently, cutting carbon emissions even further.

What Brands Are Offered Under the Free Boiler Scheme?

The ECO4 Old Boiler Replacement Grant provides boilers from top UK brands known for efficiency and reliability, such as:

  • Worcester Bosch
  • Vaillant
  • Baxi
  • Ideal Heating
  • Viessmann

All replacements are A-rated with a guarantee, so you’ll receive a long-lasting and energy-efficient replacement.

Can You Select the Installer?

Yes, but you should select an approved and TrustMark-registered installer like ECO Energy Services working under the ECO4 scheme.

Using a registered installer ensures:

  • Compliance with building and safety standards
  • Access to government money
  • Professional installation

How to Get the Old Boiler Replacement Grant

It is easy to apply and can be completed in a few steps:

  1. Check if You Are Eligible: Ensure you get eligible benefits and have an old non-condensing boiler.
  2. Look for a Qualified ECO4 Installer: Look for a TrustMark-approved company local to you.
  3. Enter Your Details: Complete your details online or over the phone.
  4. Assessment & Approval: Wait for your property to be valued and approved.
  5. Installation Day: Your new boiler is fitted free of charge or at a greatly reduced price.

The Bottom Line

You don’t have to pay a fortune to replace an old boiler. With the Old Boiler Replacement Grant through the ECO4 Free Boiler Scheme, you can get a brand-new A-rated condensing boiler – fitted completely for free or at a small charge.

It’s an easy, efficient way to reduce your bills, enhance home comfort, and increase your EPC rating. And it will benefit the environment too.

So if your boiler is more than 20 years old, clanking, or breaking down all the time, don’t wait until it packs up. Get your Old Boiler Replacement Grant today and save energy and money straight away.