Warm Homes Plan in Leeds & West Yorkshire
The £15 billion successor to GBIS, delivered through councils including Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale. Here’s what we currently know, what we don’t, and what to do while you wait.
Where this is up to
The Warm Homes Plan was announced in January 2026. The Warm Homes: Local Grant — the route most West Yorkshire households are likely to use — is expected to reopen in spring 2026 via local authorities. If you were waiting for GBIS, this is the scheme that replaces it. If you can’t wait, ECO4 (still open until end of 2026) and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (open through 2028) are both worth checking now.
At a glance
Total funding
£15 billion across the Plan
Target
Around 5 million homes upgraded by 2030
Delivery
Through local authorities, including Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale
Status
Portal expected spring 2026
Not sure if this fits your circumstances? Try the funding eligibility check — seven questions, runs in your browser, tells you which schemes are worth pursuing.
What the Warm Homes Plan is
The Warm Homes Plan is the UK government’s flagship programme for improving home energy efficiency — the largest single commitment of its kind to date. It was published in January 2026 and last updated in March 2026. The plan brings together several distinct funding routes under one strategic umbrella, with a stated ambition to upgrade around five million homes by 2030.
In delivery terms, the most important component for individual households in Leeds and West Yorkshire is the Warm Homes: Local Grant — the route through which councils will fund insulation, low-carbon heating and other measures for eligible homes. A parallel Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund covers improvements to social housing stock by housing associations and councils.
The Warm Homes Plan is part of a broader policy package that includes upcoming changes to the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) for private rented homes, ongoing decarbonisation of the electricity grid, and continuing investment in low-carbon heat through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
What it replaces
The Warm Homes: Local Grant takes over the broad role previously filled by the Great British Insulation Scheme, which closed to new applications on 31 January 2026 (installations from that closing window must complete by 31 March 2026).
ECO4 continues to run alongside the Warm Homes Plan until 31 December 2026, funded by the obligated energy suppliers under Ofgem’s administration. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme also continues, funded separately and currently committed through 2028. So in practice, eligible households in Leeds and West Yorkshire in 2026 may have a choice between:
- The remaining months of ECO4, for low-income households on qualifying benefits (or via ECO4 Flex through your council).
- The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, for fossil-fuel heating replacement with a heat pump or biomass boiler.
- The Warm Homes: Local Grant, once it opens locally.
Which route makes most sense will depend on your home, your circumstances, and the measure you most need. A Retrofit Coordinator or assessor can advise — or you can request a quote from us and the installers will explain which routes you may qualify for.
Who is expected to qualify
Final eligibility will only be confirmed when the Warm Homes: Local Grant opens locally. The points below describe the expected shape of the scheme based on government statements and the design of its predecessors. We will replace this with confirmed rules once your council publishes them.
The scheme is expected to focus on:
- Low-income households, including those receiving means-tested benefits.
- Fuel-poor households, identified by local councils through similar criteria to ECO4 Flex (low income plus high heating costs, vulnerable household members, etc.).
- Homes rated D or below on EPC, where the biggest energy-saving uplift is available.
Each local authority is expected to publish its own local eligibility detail within national rules. Watch the Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees or Calderdale council websites — or check back here. The councils that administered ECO4 Flex and previous LAD/HUG funding rounds are the most likely first movers.
What to do while you wait
If you think you might be eligible for the Warm Homes: Local Grant when it opens, three things are worth doing now:
- Find your EPC. Use the government EPC register to look up your home’s current rating and the recommendations on it. If you have no EPC or your current one is more than 10 years old, consider getting a new one done.
- Check whether you qualify for ECO4 now. ECO4 is still open and can fund similar measures. If you receive a qualifying benefit, you may not need to wait. See our ECO4 page.
- If your heating is on its last legs, look at the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. A heat pump replacement carries a £7,500 grant. See our Boiler Upgrade Scheme page.
If none of those apply right now, the practical advice is: don’t start any non-urgent work yet. Wait for the scheme to open locally and apply through your council’s declared route — the Warm Homes: Local Grant is expected to be the most generous and broadly-targeted of the routes available.
Not sure which scheme fits your situation?
Tell us about your property and we’ll forward your enquiry to installers who can advise on the right route — ECO4, BUS, or waiting for Warm Homes: Local Grant.
Request a quoteFrequently asked questions
What is the Warm Homes Plan?
The Warm Homes Plan is the UK government's flagship £15 billion programme, announced in January 2026, to upgrade the energy efficiency of homes across the UK. It bundles several specific funding routes — including the Warm Homes: Local Grant, delivered through local authorities — and replaces a number of previous schemes such as the Great British Insulation Scheme. The plan has a target of upgrading around 5 million homes by 2030.
Has the Warm Homes: Local Grant opened in Leeds yet?
Not at the time this page was last verified. The application portal is expected to reopen in spring 2026, with local authorities including Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale playing a delivery role. Specific application dates and council-by-council criteria will be published as the scheme launches. We will update this page when the portal opens.
Does the Warm Homes Plan replace GBIS, ECO4 and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
It replaces GBIS (which closed to new applications on 31 January 2026). ECO4 continues to run separately, paid for by energy suppliers under Ofgem's administration, until 31 December 2026. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme also continues separately, funded through 2028. So in 2026, low-income households can route through ECO4 or wait for Warm Homes: Local Grant; heat pump installations are typically routed through BUS.
Who is expected to qualify for the Warm Homes: Local Grant?
The scheme is expected to target low-income and fuel-poor households with EPC ratings of D or below — broadly the same focus as ECO4. Each local authority will be given discretion over local eligibility criteria within national rules. Final eligibility will be confirmed when the scheme opens. If you would have been eligible for GBIS or ECO4 Flex, you are very likely to fall within Warm Homes: Local Grant's remit.
What measures will be funded?
Based on published intent, the Warm Homes: Local Grant is expected to fund a broad range of energy efficiency measures — loft, cavity wall and solid wall insulation, low-carbon heating including heat pumps, and improvements to ventilation. The exact list and any per-measure cost caps will be confirmed at launch.
I was looking for GBIS — what should I do now?
GBIS applications closed on 31 January 2026 and installations under GBIS must be complete by 31 March 2026. If you missed GBIS, your routes now are: (1) wait for the Warm Homes: Local Grant to open in your area, (2) check ECO4 eligibility (especially via ECO4 Flex through your council if you don't receive qualifying benefits), and (3) for low-carbon heating specifically, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is still open and runs through 2028.
I am a landlord. Will Warm Homes apply to my rented property?
Landlord eligibility will depend on the specific tranche of funding. The Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund within the Plan is aimed at social landlords. Private landlords looking to improve EPC ratings ahead of upcoming Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) changes may have other routes, including ECO4 for properties with low-income tenants, where a landlord contribution applies.