Warmer Homes Scotland

Everything you need to know about the Scottish Government funded Warmer Homes Scotland programme which offers funding worth £10,000 or more for eligible households. You could also be eligible for energy-saving home improvements like heating and insulation to help make your home warmer and cosier.

Need help to make your home warmer?

You can reduce your heating bills and save energy by making improvements to your home, with funding worth £10,000 or more from the Scottish Government. You could also be eligible for energy-saving home improvements like heating and insulation to help make your home warmer and cosier.

Simply contact us and one of our friendly advisors will be in touch.

We'll guide you through the complete process. This will include booking your home survey and referring you to the managing agent of Warmer Homes Scotland.

Check your eligibility

Use the Self-Assessment Tool

Before calling us, you can also check our self-assessment tool to see if you're eligible.

What is Warmer Homes Scotland?

The Scottish Government’s Warmer Homes Scotland programme offers funding and support to households struggling to stay warm and keep on top of energy bills.

You can access the programme by contacting Home Energy Scotland, who will check if you are eligible. If your household is eligible, we will refer you to Warmworks, the organisation that delivers the programme.

We can also make an appointment for a Warmworks assessor to visit your property. During this assessment, they will confirm you're eligible and they can recommend what energy-saving home improvements are right for your home.

Customer uses the Home Energy Scotland portal

Who is the programme for?

Warmer Homes Scotland helps people in Scotland make their homes warmer and more comfortable by installing a range of energy-saving improvements. The Scottish Government offers assistance to homeowners and private sector tenants struggling to heat homes.

Woman wearing bright orange jumper smiles while looking out of her double glazed window

What's available through the programme?

The improvements offered depend on Warmworks' assessment of the home and your eligibility. For example, recommendations could include insulation and heating. In most cases, the Scottish Government will meet all the costs. Please note you cannot access funding for work that's already completed.

Potential improvements include:

  • wall insulation
  • loft insulation
  • draught-proofing
  • central heating (inc. new gas boilers or air source heat pumps)
  • renewables 

In some rare cases, you may need to contribute to some of the costs. If so, you can apply for an interest-free loan to help you meet the costs. The loan is managed by Energy Saving Trust for the Scottish Government, is subject to a credit check, and includes an administration fee. We'll let you know if you need to contribute to the costs.

A man sits on his red sofa with a hot drink in a white mug. His black and white dog is sitting next to him and looking at him.
  • All home improvements funded by Warmer Homes Scotland must be delivered by Warmworks-approved installers. Completion of the Warmer Homes Scotland self-assessment form does not guarantee that your application will be successful. All applications are subject to the availability of Scottish Government funding.
  • Your eligibility may be affected if you choose to have work undertaken to improve the energy efficiency of your home between speaking to Home Energy Scotland and Warmworks undertaking the assessment of your property.

How does Warmer Homes Scotland work for private tenants?

If you are a private sector tenant, your landlord's permission is required before any improvements can be installed.

Warmworks will make your landlord aware of the improvements that can be funded by the Scottish Government and which ones they may be required to fund directly.

Since 1 August 2017, householders living in privately rented properties are subject to restrictions to the improvements available under Warmer Homes Scotland.

Private rented sector properties covered by the statutory Repairing Standard will no longer receive improvements that a landlord is legally obliged to provide. These properties will still be eligible for other improvements available under the programme if they are recommended.

Find out more information on the repairing standard
A customer sits infront of her computer with a leaflet on the table and an advisor next to her holding a smart meter and showing her how it works

Who is eligible?

The criteria listed below may change from time to time. The criteria detailed on the day an application is assessed will be honoured.

  • Be a homeowner or the tenant of a private-sector landlord.
  • Live in the home as your main residence.
  • Have lived there for at least six months (unless in receipt of an SR1, a DS1500 or a BASRiS form).
  • Live in a home with a poor energy rating. Warmworks will assess this.
  • Live in a home with a floor area of 230m2 or less (typically up to five bedrooms).
  • Live in a home that meets the tolerable living standard set out in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 or, where the home does not meet the tolerable living standard, this will not impact the effectiveness of the recommended improvements for installation under the programme.
  • Live in a home where the council tax band is A-F.
  • Eligible households must include either a person who is over 75 with no central heating, a person who has a DS1500 or BASRiS certificate completed by a medical professional or a person who receives at least one of the passport benefits (see below) at any level or rate at which the benefit is paid. 

The criteria listed below may change from time to time. The criteria detailed on the day an application is assessed will be honoured.

  • Adult Disability Payment
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Carer’s Allowance
  • Carer Support Payment
  • Constant Attendance Allowance
  • Council Tax Reduction (excluding 25% discount e.g., students or single persons)
  • Scottish Child Payment
  • Child Disability Payment
  • Child Tax Credit
  • Disability Living Allowance
  • Housing Benefit
  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits
  • Pension Age Disability Payment
  • Pension Credit - Guarantee. You will not be eligible if you receive only Pension Credit - Savings
  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • Severe Disablement Allowance
  • Universal Credit
  • War Pensions Mobility Supplement
  • Working Tax Credit

If you do not meet the criteria for Warmer Homes Scotland, you might be eligible for assistance through the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan and Loan or an area-based scheme near you.

Find out more about the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan