Double glazing grants – what help is available?

While there are no specific grants for double glazing costs alone, there are plenty of funding schemes and eco-friendly home upgrades available from the UK government, including support for funding double glazed windows. These are mostly available to those who are receiving some kind of benefit or are in a low-income household, but they also often apply to houses with poor energy ratings.

While the ECO4 grant, or Energy Company Obligation Scheme, covers up to 100% of funding for eco-friendly measures and products, there are other funding options if you don’t qualify for government help. In this guide, our experts explain the eligibility criteria and application processes for various grants and schemes, as well as alternative funding options.

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The ECO4 Scheme was designed to help low-income households with fuel poverty as well as help reduce carbon emissions. It’s the fourth and final stage of the government’s Energy Obligation Scheme which began in April 2022. 

The scheme requires the energy suppliers that have signed into the scheme to provide funding for energy-efficient home upgrades. The Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation (HHCRO), part of ECO4, means they must promote measures that will save money on your energy bills, such as double glazing or boiler upgrades.

Although the ECO4 Scheme could cover 100% of the costs for some window upgrades, is not a grant, and therefore homeowners might be required to contribute to some of the fees associated. The scheme is means-tested, and the level of financial support will vary between households.

Those who receive at least one of the following benefits are able to apply:

• Universal Credit
• Housing benefit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income-based Job seeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• Child Benefit
• Tax Credits (Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits)
• Pension Guarantee Credit
• Pension credit saving credit

Some energy suppliers have their own criteria, so it’s a good idea to approach your provider, but you can also check here if you’re eligible for an Energy Company Obligation grant.

Run as an extension of the ECO4 scheme, LA Flex offers financial support if you don’t fulfil the criteria to apply under ECO4. Your local authority has funding available to assist families on lower incomes who aren’t in receipt of tested means benefits but are living in fuel poverty, with the cost of installing energy efficient home improvements. The improvements can include double glazing, loft insulation and heating upgrades. 

Even if you don’t qualify for ECO4 or LA Flex, then you could still save money on your replacement windows. Many double glazing companies offer a recycling scheme, where they will pay you for your old windows and minimise your environmental impact by recycling them responsibly.

For example, Anglian has its Anglian Scrappage Scheme, which offers an average of £1,000 off the cost of new windows. Your old windows will be reused in products like loft insulation and plastic pipes. The glass has plenty of uses, such as in aggregates for road surfaces.

The Affordable Warmth Scheme supports low-income households in Northern Ireland and makes energy-efficient home improvements. To be eligible for the scheme, you must own or reside in a house and earn less than £23,000 per annum. Eligible households could receive up to £7,500 towards energy-efficient upgrades. 

The scheme includes four different priorities. Priority 1 covers things like providing or replacing cavity wall insulation and draught proofing windows and/or doors, while Priority 2 is for heating improvements such as boiler replacement. Priority 3 only lists replacement of single-glazed windows, and Priority 4 relates to providing solid wall insulation. Improvements must be carried out in the order of priority given

To be eligible, your home, or privately rented property, should have an EPC rating of E or below.

You must receive one of the following:

• Universal Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income-Based Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• Pension Credit – Guarantee Credit
• Pension Credit – Savings Credit
• Child Benefit (subject to maximum household income thresholds)
• Housing Benefit

The Home Upgrade Scheme (HUG2) has been open for applications since April 2023 and will run until March 2025. The scheme has been designed to support 25,000 homeowners with energy-efficient and low-carbon heating home improvements – including the cost of double-glazing windows. The HUG2 is supported by local authority funding 

The scheme is available in 45 local authorities in England. The scheme is not available to everyone, only those in low-income homes that are off the gas grid – both renters and homeowners – and those living in social housing. 

HUG2 eligibility requirements include home that:

• Are low income
• Are off the gas grid
• Have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) between D and G
• Live in one of the local authority areas listed

Eligible households are required to: 

• Have a combined gross annual income of under £31,000, which must be verified, or
• Be located in an economically deprived neighbourhood (based on data drawn from the Indices of Multiple Deprivation)

The Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme is available to all homeowners in Scotland. The scheme was initially intended to supply grant funding for heat pumps and insulation. 

There’s no grant funding for windows, but homeowners can receive an £8,000 interest-free loan to help with the costs of upgrading or replacing single-glazing windows. On top of this, homeowners could receive up to £7,500 (up to £9,000 in rural areas) of grant funding for other energy efficiency improvements. A rural uplift is available for remote rural and island areas, as well as off-gas accessible rural areas, as defined by the Urban Rural Classification.

To be eligible for the grant you need to: 

• Be upgrading single glazed windows to double or triple glazing
• Present a report of your EPC rating  
• Have a recommendation to improve your home’s energy efficiency

The government extended its support with a new scheme in spring 2023 that now runs in parallel with the ECO4. The Great British Insulation Scheme was designed to support households that are not currently eligible for energy-efficient funding via the ECO4. 

The scheme supports vulnerable households and properties with low energy performance. The funding allows for energy-efficient home improvements which in turn reduce homeowners’ energy bills. 

Unfortunately, new windows as well as draft-proofing are not available via this scheme. However, trade associations and manufacturers have emphasised the benefits home insulation improvements can have on saving energy bills – this includes double-glazing windows and draft-proofing windows and doors. 

Eligible households

The general group is for those households with properties that have an EPC of D to G, and fall within Council Tax bands A to D in England and A to E in Scotland and Wales.

The low-income group is for homeowners or tenants who receive at least one of the following benefits:

• Child Benefit
• Pension Guarantee Credit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income Support
• Tax Credits (Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits)
• Universal Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Pension Credit Saving Credit

If you don’t qualify for any current schemes, there are other loans and financial assistance available. In addition, many providers offer finance options to spread the cost. They frequently run special offers, such as Everest’s free upgrade from double to triple glazing, to ease the cost of new windows. 

The Green Deal was originally a government scheme that closed in 2015 – but homeowners can still receive funding through the Green Deal Loan. The scheme ran from 2013 to 2015, when the governments supported the Green Deal Finance Company. 

The Green Deal Loan, financed by private providers, funds energy-saving home improvements for properties in England, Wales and Scotland. Once you’ve applied, an approved assessor will conduct a home check to advise you on the improvements your household can benefit from. These include: 

• Double glazing windows
• Solar panels
• Boiler upgrades
• Loft insulation

The assessor can recommend local installers if you implement the home improvements. 

Being a loan, the Green Deal must be repaid; however, there are financial plans available to assist with the repayments. These are calculated to be less than the money you save by having the installation and are added to your electricity bill. If you move home while the debt is still outstanding, the new residents will take over the repayments, as they will be benefiting from the upgrade.  

The Greener Home Reward scheme is designed for homeowners with a mortgage with Barclays. It provides at least £500 towards the cost of a variety of energy efficient home improvements, including double glazing windows.

If you applied on or before 31 January 2024, you must submit the claim form by 31 July 2024, and have until 31 August 2024 to provide proof of the home improvements. 

If you applied on or after 1 February 2024, you have nine months to claim and provide proof of the home improvement. 

The application criteria include: 

• Must be your primary residence
• Only one application per household
• Must pay your mortgage by direct debit
• Must not be in mortgage arrears at the time of applying
• Installation must be carried out by a TrustMark-registered business or tradesperson

Energy supplier E.on has made it easy to find the loans and grants you may be eligible for with their Green Homes Grant Finder. If you are a homeowner in England, or a private tenant, you could get help with double glazing windows, solar panels, loft insulation and boiler replacements. 

Once you’ve answered a few questions online, you can see which funding schemes are available, and how to apply. 

If you are a homeowner in Scotland, you could get an interest-free loan of up to £8,000 to upgrade from single glazing to double glazing through the government-funded Home Energy Scotland.

If you’re building your own home, you can apply for a loan for renewable energy systems but not energy-saving measures. Private landlords cannot apply for this scheme, however there is the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan to help.

The funding is only available for future projects, not those you have already started or completed. You need to receive quotes from approved installers in order to complete the application.

Scottish grants for other energy-saving measures

There are also grants available through Home Energy Scotland for other energy efficiency improvements, such as insulation and certain types of electric heating. If you qualify, you could get 75% of the combined cost of improvements, up to a maximum of £7,500 (or £9,000 if you live in a remote rural or island area). However, this scheme does not include double glazing.

If you’re on certain benefits, you may qualify for a grant for energy-saving improvements through Warmer Homes Scotland. To be eligible, you must:

• Be on a low income and in receipt of certain benefits
• Be a homeowner or private tenant
• Have lived in your home for at least 12 months
• Not have had Warmer Homes Scotland funding within the last five years.

Northern Ireland’s Affordable Warmth Scheme is designed to help low-income households make energy efficiency improvements, including replacing single glazing with double glazing, insulation, draught-proofing and boiler upgrades – eligible households could receive up to £7,500.

To be eligible, you must:

• Live in Northern Ireland
• Own and occupy your property as your main home or rent from a private landlord
• Have a total gross annual income of less than £23,000

After you apply, if you’re eligible, your home will be inspected by a technical officer to determine which measures you would most benefit from, in priority order. From this assessment, you’ll get details on how much grant money you’ll receive, which improvements you can carry out and in which order, an approval to start the work and a date by which works must be completed.

The scheme includes three different priorities. Priority 1 includes draught-proofing windows and doors, with replacing single-glazed windows listed as Priority 3. Priority 2 is for heating improvements such as boiler and electrical storage system upgrades – improvements must be carried out in the order of priority given.  

To check your eligibility and apply, speak to your local council, which will send a member of staff to your home to help you with the application process.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible, your home, or privately rented property, must have an EPC rating of E or below.

You must also receive one of the following:

• Universal Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income-Based Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• Pension Credit – Guarantee Credit
• Pension Credit – Savings Credit
• Child Benefit (subject to maximum household income thresholds)
• Housing Benefit

Welsh Government Warm Homes Nest Scheme

The Nest scheme, run by the Welsh Government’s Warm Home Initiative, offers free and impartial advice and guidance on home energy solutions. Eligible homeowners could receive free energy-efficient home improvements for their homes including such as a new boiler, central heating, insulation, solar panels or a heat pump. Currently, The Nest does not include double-glazing windows. 

The Nest scheme is being replaced by a new scheme which will come into effect on 1st April, 2024. Because of this, the Nest scheme is not currently open to applications in March 2024.

If you, as a tenant, receive the qualifying benefits, your landlord could be eligible for ECO4 funding to improve the EPC of your property with new windows. 

The UK government was also considering proposals to mandate that, from 2025, all new tenancies must have a property EPC rating of at least C, an improvement over the current minimum requirement of an E-rating. According to a report from the BBC, 60% of rental properties would need to be improved to meet that target. However, in September 2023, Rishi Sunak announced that he was scrapping this proposal, leaving tenants with high energy bills due to inefficient rented homes.  

For private tenants in Scotland, landlords with properties listed on the Scottish Assessors Association can apply for a Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan from Home Energy Scotland. Landlords can borrow up to £15,000 per property, with a set amount allocated to specific upgrades – £4,500 for energy efficient windows or £1,000 towards cavity wall insulation. 

Double glazing can save you up to £235 per year, reducing your heating bill and, by applying for a double glazing grant, your windows upgrade can save you even more money.

Double glazing is designed to keep your house warmer by reducing the heat that escapes through and around single glazed windows. It also minimises the risk of condensation, which in severe cases can lead to mould developing around your windows and on soft furnishings. 

Double glazing windows can improve the appearance of your home, and if you’re planning on moving, it can add 10% to your property’s value. You’ll also cut your carbon footprint by around 405kg, which is something we all should be working on to save the environment.

Double glazing windows provide a number of benefits. (Image credit: Adobe)

Installing new windows brings many benefits to homeowners, aside from saving you money on your energy bills. If you qualify for a government grant, without a loan to repay, the financial savings can be even greater. 

Increases solar gain

Not only do double glazed windows prevent heat from escaping, meaning you don’t need to use the heating system as much to achieve the same warmth, but they also increase room temperatures through solar gain. 

The short wave infrared heat coming from the sun can pass through the glass, but once inside your home, the waves are converted to long waves. Unable to pass back through the glass, these long waves are trapped inside, providing a free source of extra heat for your home. 

Installing triple glazing increases the solar gain still further. However, it may be too effective for south-facing windows, making the rooms uncomfortably warm. A combination of double and triple glazing offers a good solution, with triple glazed windows installed in north-facing rooms that are consistently colder and receive little or no natural sunshine.

Reduces noise pollution

The double panes of glass and layer of trapped air or gas effectively deaden any sound that would pass through single glazed windows. This works both ways, preventing noise from intruding into your home while stopping interior noises leaking through to the outside. 

This benefit is increased with triple glazed windows and the extra gas gap.

Increases home security

The design of double glazed windows makes it incredibly challenging for anyone to break the glass. Most impacts are absorbed and dispersed by the layer of trapped air or gas sandwiched between two glass panels, leaving the glass intact. The units themselves are almost impossible to open from the outside, and the majority of new windows include effective locks to prevent break-ins. 

Triple glazing offers an extra layer of security, as does toughened or laminated glass, making these options well worth considering for windows that are hidden from the road or neighbours.  

Reduces condensation

In the cooler months, single glazed windows encourage condensation, leading to dampness inside homes. Condensation occurs when the cold air outside the window meets the warmer air inside, creating water droplets on the window. These evaporate, and the damp air can affect soft furnishings and woodwork. By encouraging mildew spores to circulate, condensation can also exacerbate allergies and some health conditions. Thanks to the two or three panes of glass, double or triple glazing prevents the exterior air from coming into contact with the warmer interior pane, removing the risk of condensation. 

Increases the value of your home

By improving your home’s appearance and energy efficiency – as well as offering numerous other benefits– upgrading your windows can add 10% to the value of your property. 

Reduces your carbon footprint

The UK Government is committed to delivering a zero carbon footprint by 2050, and individual households will be responsible for around a third of the changes necessary to achieve this. By installing replacement double glazed windows, you can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 405kg of carbon dioxide annually. 

So to save money on your energy bills and benefit from a warmer, more comfortable home, check your eligibility for a government grant and have double glazing windows installed.