Warm Homes Plan: can a block of flats get help with heat pumps, insulation or solar?
The government's Warm Homes Plan promises £15 billion for home upgrades, but it says leasehold flats still face extra barriers and offers no scheme aimed at blocks yet. What exists today, who it covers, and what a board can do now.
What happened
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero published the Warm Homes Plan on 21 January 2026 and corrected it on 18 March 2026. It sets out £15 billion of public investment to upgrade up to 5 million homes by 2030, including £2.7 billion for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, a planned low and zero-interest loan offer backed by an initial £2 billion, and around £5 billion for low-income and fuel-poor households.
It also says plainly that flats are harder. “Most flats and some houses in England are leasehold,” the plan says, and “many leaseholders still must gain permission from the freeholder, and sometimes other leaseholders”, while some leases put the work on the freeholder. The government says it will work with relevant organisations “over this Parliament” on removing those barriers. No scheme for leasehold blocks had been announced when we checked gov.uk on 5 November 2026.
What it means for your building
What is available now, and what is still a plan:
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme (in force, England and Wales). Owners replacing gas, oil, electric or LPG heating can get £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump, including water source and shared ground loop systems, or £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump, according to gov.uk. It is one grant per property, an MCS certified installer applies on the owner’s behalf, and shared ground loops can be up to 300 kWth. Leaseholders who let their flats can apply as owners.
- Low-income grants (in force, England). Help for low-income households in homes rated below EPC band C runs through the Warm Homes Local Grant, delivered by councils, and the Social Housing Fund for social landlords. The plan says these will merge into one area-based scheme from 2027 to 2028.
- Low and zero-interest loans (planned). The plan says up to £1.7 billion will go to lenders to offer cheaper loans for solar panels, batteries and heat pumps. It sets no launch date for flats.
- Heat networks (in force, with more planned). The plan aims to more than double the share of heat from heat networks in England by 2035, and says heat network zoning will be introduced from 2026. If your block already has a communal boiler that sells heat to the flats, it may already be a regulated heat network (see our registration story).
For a board, the practical point is that most help goes to individual owners, while the roof, walls and plant room usually belong to the company. A heat pump on a balcony, an external wall or a shared roof may need the company’s consent under the lease, planning permission and a check against the fire risk assessment.
As a worked example, if eight leaseholders in a 20-flat block each claim a £7,500 grant, that is £60,000 of grant money, but only if the company has agreed where the outdoor units go, who maintains any shared parts and how electricity for shared kit is paid for.
What to do now
- Read the alterations and “landlord’s consent” clauses in your leases, so you can answer leaseholders who ask about heat pumps or solar.
- Agree a simple board policy on outdoor units, cabling and roof access before the first request arrives.
- If several flats are interested, ask an MCS certified installer whether a shared system suits the building, and check the fire risk assessment and buildings insurer before any work.
- Leaseholders who let should note that the minimum energy efficiency rules for rented flats are tightening (see our EPC C story).
This is general information about government schemes, not financial or legal advice. Check eligibility on gov.uk and with an installer, and take advice on your leases.
How Freeholdpilot helps
Freeholdpilot holds each building’s leases and fire risk assessment in one document store and records board decisions and votes, so a board can agree a policy on alterations and keep a record of every consent it gives.
Questions
Is the Warm Homes Plan law?
No. It is a government plan for England, with some parts covering England and Wales or the UK. The schemes it describes run under their own rules, and some, such as the low-interest loans, were still being set up when the plan was published.
Can a flat owner get a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant?
The scheme is open in England and Wales to owners replacing fossil fuel heating, including landlords who let. gov.uk lists exclusions such as most new builds and social housing. Whether a heat pump suits a flat, and whether the lease allows the work, are separate questions, so check both before booking an installer.
Is there a grant for a whole block?
Not one aimed at resident-run blocks. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme allows up to 300 kWth for shared ground loops, which can serve several homes, and low-income help runs through councils and social landlords. The plan says the government will work on leasehold barriers over this Parliament.
Does this apply in Scotland or Northern Ireland?
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers England and Wales only. Scotland has Home Energy Scotland grants and loans, Wales has the Warm Homes Nest scheme for eligible low-income households, and Northern Ireland has its own schemes.
Sources
This is general information about the law in England and Wales unless it says otherwise, not legal advice for your building. For advice, speak to a solicitor or ask us to introduce one of our partner firms. How we write the news · Report a mistake
