Scottish Home Energy Grants 2026
Scottish homeowners can apply for Home Energy Scotland grants worth up to seven thousand five hundred pounds per funding stream, or nine thousand pounds in rural areas. The maximum combined grants are fifteen to eighteen thousand pounds depending on location. All figures are checked against Home Energy Scotland and were last verified in September twenty twenty-six.
Home Energy Scotland funds two grant streams — clean heating and energy efficiency — each worth up to £7,500 (or £9,000 for rural homes). Combined maximum grants: £15,000 standard / £18,000 rural. Optional interest-free loans are also available. Amounts depend on the measures installed and your eligibility.
What are the two HES grant streams?
HES offers clean heating and energy efficiency streams, each worth £7,500–£9,000 depending on location and eligibility.
Stream 1: Clean Heating
Heat pump installations
- Standard grant
- £7,500
- Rural grant (inc. £1,500 uplift)
- £9,000
- Optional interest-free loan
- £7,500
The rural uplift does not apply to the loan. Rural grant + loan = £9,000 + £7,500 = £16,500.
Stream 2: Energy Efficiency
Insulation, glazing, ventilation
- Standard grant (75% of costs)
- £7,500
- Rural grant (75% of costs)
- £9,000
- Optional interest-free loan
- £7,500
Covers 75% of eligible costs up to the cap. Rural uplift does not apply to the loan.
Amounts depend on the measures installed and your eligibility.
Maximum combined support
| Standard | Rural | |
|---|---|---|
| Clean heating grant | £7,500 | £9,000 |
| Energy efficiency grant | £7,500 | £9,000 |
| Total grants | £15,000 | £18,000 |
| + optional loans (per stream, no rural uplift) | up to £15,000 | up to £15,000 |
Amounts depend on the measures installed and your eligibility.
Do you pay VAT on solar panels and batteries?
No. Domestic solar and battery installations carry 0% VAT until March 2027, applied automatically by your MCS-accredited installer.
Active until 31 March 2027
All domestic solar panel and battery storage installations in the UK currently carry 0% VAT. This is applied automatically at point of sale by your MCS-accredited installer — no application required.
Typical saving: £700 – £3,600 depending on system size. This stacks with HES grants.
How much can you earn from export tariffs?
Flat-rate export tariffs range from roughly 1p to 25p per kWh depending on supplier and tariff type. Rates change frequently.
When your solar panels generate more electricity than you use, you can export the surplus to the grid. Flat-rate export tariffs currently range from roughly 1p to 25p per kWh, with time-of-use tariffs paying more during peak hours. The Outgoing Octopus flat rate is 12p/kWh from 1 March 2026.
Rates change frequently and are set by your energy supplier. We cannot guarantee any specific export rate.
What is ECO4 and who qualifies?
ECO4 funds insulation and heating upgrades for lower-income households on certain benefits. Open until December 2026.
Open until 31 December 2026
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) funds insulation, heating upgrades, and related measures for lower-income households. Eligibility is means-tested — you typically need to be on certain benefits. Contact your energy supplier or Home Energy Scotland to check whether you qualify.
Is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme available in Scotland?
No. The BUS applies to England and Wales only. Scottish homeowners should use HES grants instead.
Not available in Scotland
The BUS provides grants for heat pump installations in England and Wales. As of 21 July 2026 the grant rose to £9,000 for rural households replacing oil heating. This scheme does not apply in Scotland — Scottish homeowners should use HES grants instead.
Which energy schemes have closed?
The HES standalone solar PV grant and the Great British Insulation Scheme have both closed.
- HES standalone solar PV grant — closed 6 June 2024. Solar is still eligible under the energy efficiency stream when part of a wider package.
- Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) — closed 31 March 2026.
Who is eligible for Scottish energy grants?
Owner-occupiers with domestic council-tax banding, using an MCS-accredited installer. Business-owned properties are not eligible.
- ✓Natural person (individual), not a company or business entity
- ✓Owner-occupier of the property
- ✓Property has domestic council-tax banding
- ✓Installation carried out by an MCS-accredited installer
Business-owned properties are not eligible for HES homeowner grants. Amounts depend on the measures installed and your eligibility.
Source: Home Energy Scotland, checked August 2026.
Finance options may be available through our MCS-accredited installer partners, subject to status and eligibility. Any finance is arranged and provided by our authorised partners, not by Scottish Energy Efficiency. Government support may be available for eligible home-energy improvements — find out more at Home Energy Scotland (homeenergyscotland.org / 0808 808 2282).
You might also find useful
- → Grants vs loans — understand the difference between HES grants and interest-free loans
- → FAQs — answers to the most common solar and battery questions
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