Window Grants UK 2026: Is Double Glazing Funded?

Window Grants in 2026: What Each UK Nation Offers

Four public schemes can pay towards glazing in 2026, and none of them is a windows grant you can apply for on its own. Here's the picture from each scheme's own pages, as read on October 30, 2026.

Two other routes come up in searches but rarely fit:

• Nest in Wales. The Welsh Government's Nest overview (opens in a new tab) lists heat pumps, insulation and solar panels, plus boiler repairs for homes without heating. Windows aren't on the list.
• The Disabled Facilities Grant. It can pay for changes a disabled person needs, which occasionally includes a window, but never to cut energy bills. More on that below.

What's not available anywhere: a grant to replace double glazing that's just old, misted or ugly, and a VAT discount on new windows. The schemes that fund glazing at all are aimed at single-glazed homes with low incomes.

ECO4 Windows Rules: 3 Measure Types and a Hard Deadline

ECO4 allows 3 kinds of window work, but only a supplier can decide to fund it, and the scheme stops on 31 December 2026. Our ECO4 scheme guide covers who qualifies for ECO4 overall; this section covers windows only.

1. Single to double. According to Ofgem's ECO4 Delivery Guidance version 4.0 (opens in a new tab) (paragraph 5.48), this replaces single glazed windows with glazing that meets current building regulations, which may be double or triple glazing.
2. Improved double glazing. Paragraph 5.49 says this replaces double-glazed windows "that do not meet current building regulations" with double or triple glazing that does. Old double glazing that still meets the standard of its day isn't automatically covered.
3. Secondary glazing and insulated shutters. Ofgem's Secondary Glazing and Insulated Shutters guidance note (opens in a new tab), published September 28, 2026, added 4 new measure types: secondary glazing or insulated shutters fitted inside existing single or double glazing. If only some windows are treated, the score is based on the share of the home's window area covered.

Why windows rarely happen under ECO4. ECO4 rewards suppliers for the energy bill savings each measure produces, and suppliers choose which measures to fund. A loft, a cavity wall or a heat pump usually saves more per pound. Ofgem's homeowners and tenants page (opens in a new tab) says plainly that it's up to energy suppliers to decide which measures they fund and how much, and that eligibility "does not guarantee" an installation.

The calendar works against you. The ECO4 Order requires measures to be completed before 1 January 2027, and made-to-measure windows need a survey, manufacture and fitting. The secondary glazing measure types arrived with only about 3 months of the scheme left.

Grantsights Analysis: How Rarely Grant Schemes Pay for Windows

Windows and doors made up 0.15% of everything the Energy Company Obligation has installed since 2013. Grantsights analysis of DESNZ Table 3.1 shows how that small number has shrunk further.

Quarterly counts from DESNZ Table 3.1 (June 2026 headline release), added up into financial years by Grantsights. Provisional.

ECO4's own measure table (Table 1.6) puts windows and doors at 229 of 1,043,846 measures from April 2022 to April 2026, or 0.02%, and 199 of those 229 went to social housing rated E to G rather than to private homes. For a private homeowner, ECO4 windows have been close to non-existent.

Where ECO windows went. Grantsights analysis of Table 3.7 (measures by constituency, January 2013 to March 2026) shows how concentrated they were. London had 2,462 of the 6,666 (37%), the North East 1,004 (15%) and Scotland 829 (12%). A case in point is Bermondsey and Old Southwark, which had 880 measures, more than any other constituency, followed by Gateshead Central and Whickham (621), Southampton Itchen (545) and Enfield North (500). Of Great Britain's 632 constituencies, 562 recorded no ECO window or door measures at all, and another 34 had too few to publish. That pattern suggests a handful of large projects, most likely blocks of flats, rather than a scheme ordinary households could use.

England's council grant does fund some glazing. Grantsights analysis of Table 2 of the Warm Homes: Local Grant statistics, August 2026 (opens in a new tab), covering April 2025 to July 2026:

Grant recipient-reported figures from DESNZ, Warm Homes: Local Grant statistics, August 2026, Table 2 (England, to end July 2026). Costs include all funding sources and are rounded by DESNZ.

So windows and doors featured in about 5.7% of homes upgraded, and double or triple glazing in about 3.9%. That's far more than ECO4 managed, but solar panels went into 14 times as many homes.

How many homes still need it. According to the English Housing Survey 2024 to 2025, 89% of homes in England had full double glazing in 2024, up from 81% in 2014. Grantsights analysis of Annex Table 2.9 puts the remainder at about 2.84 million homes without double glazing throughout, out of 25.6 million. Some of those have partial double glazing; the survey doesn't split them out.

England: Windows Under the Warm Homes: Local Grant

The Warm Homes: Local Grant is the most realistic route to funded glazing in England, with up to £16,600 per home for fabric and other energy performance measures. Our Warm Homes: Local Grant guide covers eligibility and how to find your council's scheme. For windows specifically, the July 2026 policy guidance (opens in a new tab) sets 4 rules:

• Glazing sits in the energy performance pot. The guidance gives each home an energy performance cost cap of £16,600, which can be spent on insulation, draught-proofing, double glazing, energy efficient doors and smart measures like solar panels. Low carbon heating has its own separate £16,600 cap.
• Glazing has a price limit. DESNZ has set price limits on 5 measures where value for money depends heavily on installation price: external wall insulation, internal wall insulation, double or triple glazing, park home insulation and solar thermal. The limits are shared with councils under a non-disclosure agreement and apply on average across a project, so a council may favour cheaper measures.
• Owner-occupiers pay nothing. The guidance says owner-occupied homes should be fully funded, with no household contribution.
• Landlords pay half after their first home. A private landlord can have one property fully funded; for the second and later properties, the landlord pays 50%. Tenants aren't expected to contribute.

The council's retrofit assessment decides what's fitted. If the survey says your loft or walls come first, that's what the grant will pay for.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: Glazing Help by Nation

Help for windows outside England ranges from an £8,000 loan in Scotland to nothing specific in Wales.

Scotland. Home Energy Scotland's Grant and Loan page (opens in a new tab) lists double, triple and secondary glazing with loan funding of up to £8,000 and the words "Not available" under grant funding. It's "only available for improving single glazing", not for replacing existing double, triple or secondary glazing, though the page says secondary glazing will be accepted where double or triple glazing is recommended but the applicant can only afford secondary glazing, with a cover letter. Loans carry a 1.5% administration fee (capped at £150), affordability and credit checks, and repayment periods of up to 5 years for loans under £5,000 or 10 years for £5,000 to £9,999. You can't start work until you've had a written offer.

Wales. Nest's free improvements are aimed at heating, insulation and renewables, and windows aren't on the Welsh Government's list. If draughts are the problem, ask Nest's advisers (0808 808 2244) whether draught-proofing or insulation is the better fit.

Northern Ireland. nidirect confirms the Affordable Warmth Scheme is run by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Its own page refused automated access, so these details come from the Internet Archive copy of March 22, 2026, and should be confirmed with the Housing Executive. The scheme sets 4 priorities in order: insulation and draught-proofing, heating, windows ("replace single glazed windows") and solid wall insulation for detached homes. The page says the scheme "should not be considered 'windows only'" and that measures must be completed in priority order. Gross household income must be under £23,000, the grant goes up to £7,500, landlords pay 50% for private tenants, and work should be finished within 3 months of approval.

VAT, Planning and Building Rules: The Costs No Grant Covers

New windows carry 3 kinds of cost or paperwork that catch people out, whether or not a grant is involved.

VAT is charged at the full rate. According to HMRC's VAT Notice 708/6 (opens in a new tab) (section 2.23), "secondary or double glazing, low-emissivity glass" are standard-rated. The zero rate on energy-saving materials covers things like insulation and draught stripping fitted around windows and doors, until 31 March 2027. The Budget 2026 document confirms that relief reverts to 5% from 1 April 2027 as planned. A trader who promises "no VAT because it's energy saving" on replacement windows is wrong.

Building regulations apply. According to GOV.UK's building regulations guide (opens in a new tab), replacing windows and doors is work that may need approval, unless you use an installer registered with a competent person scheme. A registered installer self-certifies the work and gives you a certificate within 8 weeks, which shows up in solicitors' searches when you sell. Keep it.

Planning and listed buildings. The Planning Portal's doors and windows guidance (opens in a new tab) says new windows of a similar appearance to the originals are usually allowed without planning permission, but a new bay window counts as an extension, and upper-floor side windows must be obscure-glazed and non-opening below 1.7 metres. Your council may have removed those rights with an Article 4 Direction. In a listed building you'll need listed building consent for any significant works, and homes in conservation areas, national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty can face extra restrictions. Leaseholders may need the landlord's or management company's permission first. None of the grant schemes in this guide arranges these permissions for you. Ofgem describes ECO4's new secondary glazing measure as one that retains the original window, which may matter where the originals have to stay.

When a Disabled Facilities Grant Can Pay for a Window

A Disabled Facilities Grant pays up to £30,000 in England, but it's for what a disabled person needs, not for energy savings. The Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996, section 23 (opens in a new tab) lists the purposes a council must fund, including access to and from the home and "making the dwelling ... safe for the disabled occupant". The government's 2022 delivery guidance for councils gives examples of making a home safer, such as where "someone with a physical disability could not safely escape in the event of a fire" or where a person's behaviour causes them to damage the home or hurt themselves.

So a window change can be funded where the council's occupational therapist agrees it's needed for one of those purposes. Replacing single glazing because the house is cold isn't one of them. Our Disabled Facilities Grant guide explains the means test, the 6-month decision limit and how to apply.

What GOV.UK Doesn't Tell You About Window Grants

GOV.UK's grant pages list glazing among possible improvements, which is accurate. What they don't show is how the money is actually spent, and that changes what you should expect.

"Eligible" glazing is rarely chosen. The numbers above show glazing sits low in every scheme's priorities: 0.02% of ECO4 measures and about 4% of Warm Homes: Local Grant homes. Price limits and bill-saving scores push councils and suppliers to insulation, heat pumps and solar first. A common mistake is waiting months for a windows grant when a loft or cavity wall job would be offered straight away.

Double glazing that's merely old won't qualify. ECO4, Home Energy Scotland and the Affordable Warmth Scheme all target single glazing (ECO4 also covers double glazing below current building regulations), and the Warm Homes: Local Grant fits glazing only where the council's assessment recommends it. Misted or tired double glazing is usually a repair you'll pay for yourself.

The order matters. Northern Ireland's scheme puts windows third, Warm Homes: Local Grant puts them under the same cost cap as insulation, and Scotland's offer is a loan, not a grant. People underestimate how often "free windows" turns into "free loft insulation, windows not recommended".

The cheapest help with draughts isn't glazing. Draught stripping around windows and doors is zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027 and appears on the ECO4, Warm Homes: Local Grant, Home Energy Scotland and Affordable Warmth lists, while new windows carry 20% VAT. If draughts rather than single glazing are your problem, start there.

Double Glazing Scams and Cold Callers: How to Protect Yourself

Double glazing is one of the most cold-called home improvements, and a "government grant" script makes it easier to sell. The official guidance points to 6 checks.

• Check the claim with the scheme, not the salesperson. GOV.UK's ECO page (opens in a new tab) says installers or agents might contact you directly, and to check with your local council or the energy supplier they say they represent. For Warm Homes: Local Grant, start with your council or GOV.UK's own application service, not a company's website.
• Ask for TrustMark registration. Ofgem says ECO installers must be TrustMark registered and you should check their registration yourself. Warm Homes: Local Grant installers must also be TrustMark registered under the scheme guidance.
• No grant is "pre-approved" on the doorstep. Every scheme here starts with an eligibility check and a survey by the council, supplier or its assessor. A red flag is any trader who says a grant is confirmed before anyone has checked your income or your home's EPC.
• Don't count on cancelling made-to-measure windows. The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 (opens in a new tab) usually give you 14 days to cancel a contract made at home, but regulation 28 excludes "goods that are made to the consumer's specifications". Windows built to your measurements may fall under that, so take time before you sign, not after.
• Keep your details to yourself. Citizens Advice (opens in a new tab) warns that scams often start with unexpected contact and that you shouldn't give away passwords, PINs or bank details. If a caller claims to be your bank, hang up and call 159.
• Report it. According to Citizens Advice's reporting page (opens in a new tab), you should report scams to Report Fraud, the UK's national fraud reporting centre, and to the Citizens Advice consumer helpline, which passes reports to Trading Standards.

If an offer bundles windows with a "free boiler", our boiler grants UK guide explains when a boiler can genuinely be funded.

Sources Checked

All sources were read or downloaded on October 30, 2026, except where an archive date is given:

• GOV.UK, Warm Homes: Local Grant (opens in a new tab), Help from your energy supplier: the Energy Company Obligation (opens in a new tab), Building regulations approval (opens in a new tab) and Disabled Facilities Grants (opens in a new tab)
• DESNZ, Warm Homes: Local Grant policy guidance (opens in a new tab) (updated July 2026), sections 6 and 7
• Ofgem, ECO4 Delivery Guidance version 4.0 (opens in a new tab) (March 26, 2026), paragraphs 5.47 to 5.49; ECO4 Guidance Note: Secondary Glazing and Insulated Shutters (opens in a new tab) (September 28, 2026); ECO homeowners and tenants (opens in a new tab)
• DESNZ, Household Energy Efficiency Statistics, headline release June 2026 (opens in a new tab), Tables 1.6, 3.1 and 3.7
• DESNZ, Warm Homes: Local Grant statistics, August 2026 (opens in a new tab), Tables 1 and 2
• MHCLG, English Housing Survey 2024 to 2025 annex tables (opens in a new tab), Annex Table 2.9, and the energy efficiency chapter (opens in a new tab)
• HMRC, VAT on energy-saving materials and heating equipment (VAT Notice 708/6) (opens in a new tab); HM Treasury, Budget 2026 (opens in a new tab), paragraph 6.215
• Planning Portal, Doors and windows: planning permission (opens in a new tab)
• legislation.gov.uk, Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996, section 23 (opens in a new tab); Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 (opens in a new tab); DLUHC, Disabled Facilities Grant delivery guidance for local authorities in England (opens in a new tab), paragraphs B48 and B70
• Home Energy Scotland, Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan (opens in a new tab)
• Welsh Government, Get free home energy efficiency improvements from Nest (opens in a new tab)
• nidirect, Energy saving grants in your area (opens in a new tab); Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Affordable Warmth Scheme page, read from the Internet Archive copy of March 22, 2026 (opens in a new tab) because the live site refused automated access
• Citizens Advice, Check if something might be a scam (opens in a new tab) and Report a scam (opens in a new tab)