Free boiler for pensioners: how the Pension Credit grant works

Which Pension Credit counts

Both parts qualify:

• Guarantee Credit, which tops up your weekly income.
• Savings Credit, for people who reached State Pension age before April 2016 and have some savings.

If you are unsure which you receive, your award letter says. If you think you might be entitled to Pension Credit but have never claimed, it is worth checking with the Pension Service first, because a successful claim can open up this grant as well as help with bills.

The other conditions

• Your home's EPC rating must be D, E, F or G if you own it, or E, F or G if you rent privately. We can look your rating up for you.
• You own the home, or you rent privately and your landlord signs a short consent form.

Age itself is not a condition. It is the Pension Credit that qualifies you.

Can pensioners get a free boiler if they are not on benefits?

Sometimes, through your council. Under ECO4 Flex, a local authority can refer a household that does not receive a qualifying benefit if its income is under £31,000, or if someone living there has a health condition made worse by a cold home. Whether your council takes part, and which conditions it accepts, varies by area.

If you are over State Pension age and not on Pension Credit, two checks are worth making: whether you are entitled to Pension Credit but have not claimed it, and whether your council runs an ECO4 Flex route. Tell us your postcode and we will look at both.

What can be done

The survey looks at the whole home and may recommend a new boiler to replace an old, inefficient one, central heating where there has never been a system, or loft or cavity wall insulation to keep the heat in.

The scheme requires D and E homes to reach at least band C, and F and G homes at least band D, so insulation is often done at the same time as heating.

What it costs

For most eligible households, nothing: the equipment and the installation are funded. The energy company decides funding levels for each home, and in some cases a contribution can be requested. We tell you before any survey if that applies. Nothing is repaid, and there is no credit agreement.

What to expect

1. A short online check, or a phone call if you prefer.
2. A call from one of our advisers to confirm details and arrange a free survey at a time that suits you. You can have a family member with you.
3. A surveyor visits, checks the home and EPC, and the installers fit the work once approved. Most installations take one to two days, and the whole process typically takes two to four weeks from enquiry to installation.