Free Insulation Grants Wales 2026

Insulation Grants in Wales: How to Find Out What You're Entitled To

Wales has a solid set of insulation funding schemes, and the good news is there's one simple starting point that covers most of them: call Nest. Before you spend any time researching online or getting quotes, a call to Nest on 0808 808 2244 will tell you exactly what you qualify for. It's free, takes about 20 minutes, and their advisers are genuinely useful.

Here's a breakdown of what's available and who each scheme is for.

Warm Homes Nest: Wales's Main Low-Income Route

Nest, which you'll also see called Warm Homes Nest, is funded by the Welsh Government and is the primary route for lower-income households in Wales. It can fund free insulation as part of a wider home energy package, alongside heat pumps and solar panels.

Who qualifies for Nest?

Three tests, and you need to pass all three, not just one:

• Tenure: you own or privately rent your home. Local authority and housing association tenants aren't eligible. Renters need the landlord's permission.
• Income: either a qualifying means-tested benefit (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, income-related Council Tax Reduction, or Child Tax Credit with individual income under £18,660), or a household income below the threshold for your household type, measured after mortgage or rent payments. A single adult with no children is £15,521 a year, a couple with no children £23,166. Disability-related payments don't count as income.
• EPC: a rating of 54 (E) or less, relaxing to 68 (D) or less if someone in the household has an eligible chronic health condition (respiratory, circulatory, mental health, dementia, or intellectual and developmental disorders, with evidence). A D-rated home with no eligible condition goes on a reserve list.

If you qualify, Nest looks at your whole home rather than just one measure. You might get loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, and a new heating system all at once. The package is designed around what will make the biggest difference to your home's efficiency.

ECO4: GB-Wide Funding That Applies in Wales

ECO4 is the energy company obligation scheme, funded by energy companies and available across Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales, it doesn't apply in Northern Ireland). In Wales, it runs alongside Warm Homes Nest and can fund insulation for households that meet the eligibility criteria. ECO4 was extended in January 2026 and now runs until 31 December 2026, so there's still a window to apply, but it's the final push.

ECO4 targets households with an EPC rating of D or below who are on means-tested benefits, or with an EPC of E, F, or G on a low income. Cavity wall, loft, and solid wall insulation are all possible under ECO4.

You can apply through your energy supplier or through a registered ECO4 installer. In practice, calling Warm Homes Nest first is often the better route: they'll tell you whether ECO4 or Nest is the right scheme for your situation, and may be able to refer you directly.

GBIS: Closed

The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) was a separate energy-company-funded route that targeted homes with a poor EPC rating in council tax bands A–E in Wales (A–D in England). Ofgem's own wording is that it "began in April 2023 and closed on 31st March 2026". It has not been replaced.

That matters because GBIS was the one route that didn't test your income, only your EPC and council tax band. With it gone, your alternatives in Wales are ECO4 (until 31 December 2026) or Nest if you meet the income and EPC tests, and Green Homes Wales if you don't.

The Warm Homes Programme

Wales has its own Warm Homes programme, which brings together funding for energy efficiency improvements in social housing and local authority homes. If you're a Housing Association tenant, your landlord may be able to access Warm Homes funding for insulation improvements to your home. Worth raising with your housing officer if you're in draughty or poorly insulated social housing.

What Can You Typically Get for Free?

For most Welsh households that meet the eligibility criteria for Warm Homes Nest or ECO4, the following are typically available at no cost:

• Loft insulation: bringing a bare loft up to the recommended 270mm. Costs around £750 and saves about £190 a year on a typical semi (Energy Saving Trust). Topping up an existing 120mm saves far less, about £17.
• Cavity wall insulation: where the property has an unfilled cavity. Costs around £2,200 and saves roughly £110 to £380 a year depending on house type, about £200 on a semi (Energy Saving Trust).
• Solid wall insulation: where the home has solid walls and no cavity. More expensive, but can be covered for qualifying households.

What If You Don't Qualify for Nest or ECO4?

You don't have to fund it out of savings. Green Homes Wales is a Welsh Government scheme run by the Development Bank of Wales, it is explicitly not means tested, and it offers interest-free loans of £1,000 to £25,000 over terms up to 10 years, a fully funded Retrofit Coordinator assessment of your home, and grant funding alongside the loan for some measures. Loft, cavity, solid wall, flat roof and floor insulation, draught proofing and high performance glazing are all on the eligible list.

The conditions: you own the home and live in it, it's in Wales, it isn't a new build or a listed building, and you'll go through affordability and credit checks. Landlords can't apply. Register your interest with the Development Bank of Wales, and ring Nest on 0808 808 2244 first for the free advice call.

If you'd rather just pay for it, the Energy Saving Trust puts cavity wall insulation at around £2,200 in Great Britain and insulating a bare loft to 270mm at around £750. Be realistic about payback: at roughly £190 a year saved on a typical semi, the loft pays back in about four years, and cavity wall at around £200 a year takes closer to eleven. Both are still worth doing, the loft obviously so, but the "two-year payback" you'll see quoted on comparison sites is based on subsidised prices, not retail ones.

Some local authorities in Wales also run their own area-based insulation schemes from time to time. It's worth checking with your council.

The Simplest Step You Can Take Today

Call Warm Homes Nest on 0808 808 2244. They'll check your eligibility across all Welsh schemes, tell you what you qualify for, and help you access it. The call is free, the service is impartial, and they'll save you a lot of time comparing schemes yourself.