Government Grants for Windows 2026: The Honest UK Answer

Adverts for "free government windows" are everywhere, and we regularly take calls from homeowners who have seen them. The honest answer for 2026 is that most UK homeowners cannot get a government grant for new windows. The help that exists is mostly for households on low incomes or benefits in homes with a poor energy rating, windows are funded only in limited cases, and applications start with your council or an energy supplier (or Nest in Wales). In Scotland, Home Energy Scotland offers a loan for glazing rather than a grant.

Vitrum Solutions does not offer, arrange or administer grants. Our quotes are the full price, with no grant deduction. This guide sets out what the schemes really cover, checked against gov.uk, Ofgem and HMRC in September 2026, so you can see where you stand before you spend time on an application. If you are replacing windows without a grant, our uPVC and aluminium window pages show what we fit, and you can request a free quote.

Who can get help towards windows in 2026

ECO4 (England, Scotland and Wales)

ECO4, the Energy Company Obligation, was extended to 31 December 2026. The government has confirmed there will be no replacement supplier obligation after that date.

• Who qualifies: households on means-tested benefits, or households referred by their council under the ECO4 Flex route.
• Which homes: owner-occupied homes rated EPC D to G.
• Windows and doors: glazing and high-performance external doors are eligible measures, but glazing must replace single glazing, or double glazing that does not meet current Building Regulations. The whole project must also lift the home's rating (F or G up to at least D, D or E up to at least C).
• How to apply: through an energy supplier or your council. Suppliers choose which projects they fund, and Ofgem notes you may be asked to contribute.

Warm Homes: Local Grant (England)

The Warm Homes: Local Grant runs from April 2025 to March 2028 and is delivered by councils.

• Who qualifies: a privately owned home in England rated EPC D to G, plus one of: household income below the scheme's limit (check the current figure on GOV.UK), a means-tested benefit, or living in one of the most deprived postcodes.
• Windows and doors: double or triple glazing and energy-efficient doors are on the list of eligible measures, but a retrofit assessor chooses the package on value for money. The measures installed most often so far are solar panels, insulation and batteries.
• London: replacement of timber sash windows is excluded; secondary glazing is offered instead.
• How to apply: through your council, starting at gov.uk/apply-warm-homes-local-grant.

Scotland: Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan

In Scotland, Home Energy Scotland offers glazing as a loan only, not a grant: a capped loan towards double, triple or secondary glazing, and only where it replaces single glazing. Insulated doors are also loan-only, with their own cap; check the current limits with Home Energy Scotland. You must call Home Energy Scotland and have a written offer before any work starts.

Wales: Warm Homes Nest

Nest can include windows and doors where a whole-house assessment recommends them. It is for owner-occupiers and private tenants on means-tested benefits or a low income, in homes rated EPC E or below (D or below with a qualifying health condition). Applications go through Nest directly.

Schemes that do not cover windows

• Great British Insulation Scheme: closed on 31 March 2026, and never covered windows or doors.
• Boiler Upgrade Scheme: grants towards heat pumps and biomass boilers only.
• Warm Homes Loan Scheme: the government-backed loans launched in September 2026 cover heat pumps, solar and batteries; the scheme rules list insulation, windows and doors as costs that are not covered.
• Home Upgrade Grant (HUG2): closed.
• Green Homes Grant: closed in March 2021, though some websites still advertise it.

Is there 0% VAT on new windows?

No. HMRC treats double glazing, secondary glazing and low-emissivity glass as standard-rated at 20%. The 0% rate on energy-saving materials covers insulation, heat pumps, solar panels and draught stripping, not glazing, and it runs until 31 March 2027.

Listed buildings and conservation areas

There is no general public grant for replacing windows in a listed building or a conservation area. Historic England funds private homes only in exceptional cases, and for repair rather than replacement. Council heritage grants, where they exist, are limited, and some explicitly exclude replacement windows and double glazing. What these homes do need is the right consent, which our conservation-area planning guide explains.

Why so many websites say otherwise

Some of what appears online about "free windows" comes from lead-generation sites, and at least one states in its small print that it has no connection with the government and passes enquiries to installers. Other pages quote out-of-date end dates, claim ECO4 could cover the whole cost, or still promote schemes that have closed. If someone calls or knocks offering free government-funded windows, check the scheme on gov.uk or with your council before giving any personal details.

If you do not qualify

For most homeowners, new windows are a self-funded improvement. The honest ways to manage the cost are to replace the worst windows first, choose the right system for each elevation rather than one premium specification throughout, and compare fully itemised quotes like for like. Our guide to how much new windows cost sets out typical prices.

How Vitrum Solutions can help

We fabricate Cortizo, Schuco and Rehau systems in our own Uxbridge workshop and install windows and doors across Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Hampshire, Hertfordshire and West London. Every quote is itemised at the full price, every installation is FENSA registered, and every installation carries a 10-year CPA insurance-backed guarantee. Call 0800 861 1450 or request a free quote.

Sources

• ECO4 extension to 31 December 2026: government response (gov.uk)
• ECO4 help for homeowners and tenants (Ofgem)
• Apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant (gov.uk)
• Warm Homes Plan (gov.uk)
• VAT on energy-saving materials, Notice 708/6 (HMRC)
• Boiler Upgrade Scheme: what you can get (gov.uk)
• Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan
• Warm Homes Nest eligibility (gov.wales)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a government grant for new windows in 2026?

Most homeowners cannot. The help that exists is mostly for households on low incomes or benefits in homes rated EPC D to G, mainly through ECO4 (until 31 December 2026) and the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England, and windows are funded only in limited cases. Applications start with your council or an energy supplier, or with Nest in Wales; in Scotland, Home Energy Scotland's glazing help is a loan, not a grant.

Does Vitrum Solutions offer grants or free windows?

No. Vitrum Solutions does not offer, arrange or administer grants. Our quotes are the full price, itemised, with no grant deduction.

Does ECO4 pay for new windows?

Only in limited cases. ECO4 can fund glazing for households on means-tested benefits, or referred by their council, in owner-occupied homes rated EPC D to G, where the new glazing replaces single glazing or substandard double glazing as part of a package that raises the home's EPC rating. Suppliers choose which projects to fund and may ask for a contribution, and the scheme closes on 31 December 2026.

Is there 0% VAT on new windows?

No. Replacement windows, double glazing and secondary glazing for an existing home are standard-rated at 20%. The 0% energy-saving materials rate covers insulation, heat pumps, solar panels and draught stripping, not glazing.

Are there grants for windows in listed buildings or conservation areas?

There is no general grant for replacing windows in a listed building or conservation area. Historic England funds private homes only exceptionally and for repair, and some council heritage schemes explicitly exclude replacement windows and double glazing.

Can landlords get grants for windows?

Under the Warm Homes: Local Grant, a landlord can have one eligible property fully funded and then pays 50% on further properties. Windows are included only if the retrofit assessor recommends them.

Someone offered me free government-funded windows. Is it genuine?

Be cautious. Some "free windows" offers come from lead-generation sites that are not connected to the government and pass your details to installers. Check the scheme on gov.uk or with your council before sharing any personal information, and remember that genuine applications start with your council or an energy supplier (or Nest in Wales).