Government Backed Scheme | Free Boiler Grants
If you live in Leicester and your boiler is old, unreliable, or more than 20 years old, you may be eligible for a fully funded A rated boiler replacement through the ECO4 Free Boiler Grant. Homeowners and tenants across the city can qualify, and the application only takes around a minute to start. Many Leicester properties still depend on older non condensing boilers that struggle to heat the home efficiently. These systems often cost far more to run than people realise.
Free Energy Savings works with Leicester households every day. Our team helps you understand whether your home qualifies, handles the paperwork, and arranges the survey and installation if you are eligible. If your boiler is 20 years old or older, you may qualify for a fully funded replacement. Checking takes less than 60 seconds and there is no obligation to go ahead.
You do not need to be receiving benefits to qualify for a free boiler in Leicester. ECO4 has three qualification routes. Health Route, Low Income Route, and Benefit Route. The scheme was designed to help households that struggle with heating, regardless of whether they receive financial support.
Your boiler must be at least 20 years old or be a non condensing model. If your boiler was installed before the early 2000s, it usually meets the age requirement.
Let us break down the qualification categories clearly.
If someone in your home has a health condition that becomes worse in cold or damp environments, you may qualify through the Health Route. Leicester City Council supports a flexible version of the ECO rules called LA Flex. This means households can qualify without receiving benefits if a health or vulnerability factor is present.
Common qualifying conditions include:
A recent example comes to mind from a home in St Matthews. An older gentleman had COPD and mentioned that winter was always difficult. His boiler was more than 25 years old and kept shutting off unexpectedly. The survey showed a very low EPC rating and poor heat retention. He qualified through the Health Route and now has an A rated boiler that runs quietly and keeps his home consistently warm. He said it was the first winter he felt comfortable in years.
If someone in your home struggles with cold conditions or has a health concern that gets worse in winter, you may qualify through this route even without receiving benefits.
This is the route many Leicester households qualify through. You do not need to be on government benefits. It applies to homes that have lower incomes, high heating costs, or poor energy efficiency.
Low income qualification usually considers:
This category is common in Victorian terraces in Belgrave, Highfields, and Spinney Hills. These properties were not built with modern insulation materials, so they tend to lose heat quickly. It is also common in Beaumont Leys, Braunstone, St Matthews, Rushey Mead, and New Parks. These areas have large numbers of older council built or ex authority homes.
Many Leicester homes qualify under the Low Income Route even when the household receives no benefits. If the boiler is old and the home is cold, this route is often the one that applies.
This is the most straightforward route. If you or someone in your household receives any of the following, you may qualify automatically:
Private tenants can also apply as long as the landlord gives permission for the upgrade. We can assist with speaking to the landlord if needed.
Across Leicester, many homes qualify through at least one of these routes. Most eligibility is based on the age of the boiler, the condition of the property, the EPC rating, and whether heating costs place pressure on the household. If your boiler is more than 20 years old, there is a strong chance your home meets the criteria.
The Free Boiler Grant is part of ECO4, the UK Government’s Energy Company Obligation. ECO4 is designed to help households reduce energy waste, cut heating bills, and improve overall home efficiency. It is a government backed initiative, funded by energy suppliers, and it supports vulnerable, low income, or energy inefficient homes that struggle with heating costs.
For Leicester residents, the grant is completely free. There are no costs, no repayments, and no hidden fees. It covers the full cost of removing your old boiler and installing a new A rated condensing boiler. Labour, materials, survey, certification, and the boiler itself are all included. If your home meets the qualifying criteria, you will not pay anything.
ECO4 specifically aims to replace:
Older boilers often run at around 60 to 70 percent efficiency. This means you lose up to 40 percent of the energy you pay for through the flue. A modern A rated boiler works at around 90 to 94 percent efficiency. This difference alone can reduce gas usage significantly. For most households, the average saving is around £300 to £400 per year. People do not always realise how much they are losing until we show them the numbers during the survey.
Leicester has a high number of older homes that were built during periods when insulation was minimal or boiler standards were lower. Victorian terraces in Highfields, Belgrave, and Spinney Hills usually qualify strongly because they are often cold during winter and rely on boilers installed decades ago. Even more modern homes in Braunstone, Aylestone, and Beaumont Leys meet the criteria because of their low EPC ratings and high heating demand.
The Leicester Free Boiler Grant covers the entire upgrade process at no cost to eligible households. If your boiler is more than 20 years old, ECO4 may be able to replace it fully.
Leicester is a high priority area for ECO4 because of its housing landscape. The city has a large number of pre 1930 and pre 1970 homes. These include dense Victorian terraces in areas like Highfields, Belgrave, Spinney Hills, and St Matthews. These homes are charming and full of character, but they usually have thin walls, drafty windows, and older pipework systems. They lose heat quickly and require more energy to warm up during cold weather.
Leicester also has large estates of council built or ex authority properties across Beaumont Leys, New Parks, Braunstone, Rushey Mead, and North Evington. Many of these homes were constructed at times when energy efficiency standards were lower. As a result, they often have low EPC ratings and higher than average gas usage.
Fuel poverty is a concern in several Leicester neighbourhoods. Families tell us they often choose between heating the home properly or trying to keep bills manageable. The ECO4 scheme is designed to help exactly these types of households by upgrading older boilers and improving overall energy efficiency.
Replacing an old boiler with a modern A rated system can improve warmth, reduce bills, and make the home safer. Residents often notice the difference almost immediately. One family in Rushey Mead recently shared that their new boiler warmed the whole house far quicker than the old one and that they felt more confident putting the heating on during colder nights.
Leicester’s older housing stock makes many properties ideal candidates for the ECO4 Free Boiler Grant.
Free Energy Savings is an approved ECO4 partner and works across Leicester on a daily basis. Our team is experienced with the city’s older housing types, from Victorian terraces to mid century semis and ex council estates. We work directly with Gas Safe registered installers who understand the quirks of older pipework and heating systems.
Our service focuses on clarity and simplicity. You complete a short form, we check your eligibility, and then handle everything from that point. Surveys are booked quickly and installation dates are arranged as soon as the application is approved. There is no cost at any stage if your home qualifies.
We often hear from Leicester residents who felt overwhelmed by the idea of applying for a government grant. Many mention they had tried to research it before but found the rules confusing. Our team handles the technical parts and explains everything in plain English. There are no sales tactics and no pressure to proceed. The goal is simply to help households access heating support that they are entitled to.
We frequently help households in Braunstone, Belgrave, Aylestone, Whetstone, Evington, Hamilton, New Parks, and Rushey Mead. For example, a homeowner in Belgrave recently upgraded her boiler after putting it off for almost ten years. She told us she thought it would be complicated or that she would need to pay something. Once she checked her eligibility, the rest was taken care of and the installation happened within a week.
Our mission is to make ECO4 simple, stress free, and accessible for every household in Leicester.
The process is straightforward and designed to be as simple as possible. There are four main steps from start to finish.
The eligibility check takes around 60 seconds. You fill in a few details about your boiler, your circumstances, and your home. There is no commitment and no obligation to proceed. The form helps us understand which qualification route may apply.
Our team reviews the details of your home and situation. We look at:
If you do not know your EPC rating, we can find it for you or arrange an assessor if needed. The goal at this stage is to see whether your boiler fits the ECO4 criteria and which qualification route is most suitable.
If your application looks promising, we organise a free survey. A qualified assessor visits your home to check:
Surveys usually take between 40 and 60 minutes. Homeowners often appreciate seeing how their boiler is assessed, and many say they did not realise how old or inefficient the system was until the surveyor pointed it out.
If your home qualifies, the installation is arranged. This includes:
Most installations are completed within a day. Everything is funded under ECO4, meaning you pay nothing at any stage if your home qualifies.
If the process sounds complicated, it is not. We handle everything from the moment you submit your form.
Free Energy Savings covers the entire Leicester region. This includes:
We also cover nearby border areas such as Oadby and Wigston. Wherever you live in Leicester, our installers can reach you quickly and arrange a survey at a convenient time.
Replacing an old boiler has a range of environmental and financial advantages. For many Leicester households, the biggest benefits are lower gas usage and a more comfortable home during winter.
Key benefits include:
Older boilers in Leicester often struggle in cold, damp weather. Residents mention they need to leave the heating on for longer, yet the home still feels cold. A modern A rated boiler warms the home quickly and maintains a steady temperature without constantly running.
One family in Knighton mentioned that after their upgrade, the house no longer felt chilly in the mornings and they could finally switch the heating off without the cold coming back immediately. These are the typical differences ECO4 aims to create. It is not simply about reducing bills. It also helps make the home feel more comfortable and liveable during the colder months of the year.
If your boiler is more than 20 years old or your home struggles to stay warm, you may be eligible for a fully funded A rated boiler replacement under ECO4. The process is simple, free, and straightforward. Many Leicester households qualify, especially those living in older properties or colder homes.
To start your application process you can fill in our application form above. We will then get in touch to check your eligibility and move your application forward.
Yes, ECO4 is a government scheme. Energy companies are obligated to fund the cost and installation of boilers and loft insulation in eligible homes. This service is free for you. The energy companies, like British Gas and EON, cover all costs.
You will receive a modern A rated gas boiler that meets current efficiency standards. All installations are carried out by Gas Safe registered engineers. The model installed will depend on your home layout and heating requirements.
Application approval can take between 6 to 12 weeks. Once approved, the work can be done within a week. It includes the loft insulation and the boiler installation.
Yes, all the installers we connect you with are registered with Gas Safe & Trustmark.
You may qualify through one of three routes. The Health Route, Low Income Route, or Benefit Route. Your boiler must be at least 20 years old or be a non condensing system. Many Leicester homes meet the criteria because they are older properties with low EPC ratings. You do not need to be on benefits to qualify.
No. Many households qualify through the Low Income or Health Route without receiving Universal Credit or other support. Leicester City Council supports LA Flex, which widens eligibility based on health, income, and home efficiency.
Most boilers need to be 20 years old or older. Non condensing models also qualify strongly. If you are unsure about your boiler age, the surveyor can check it. Anything installed before the early 2000s usually falls within the correct range.
If your home does not meet ECO4 criteria, we will explain why. This could be due to boiler age, income factors, EPC rating, or other eligibility requirements. Many people become eligible later when circumstances change, and you can reapply at any time.
Read More Of Our Reviews On Trust Pilot
We’ve had some bad experiences with installers in the past, but Free Energy Savings was a breath of fresh air. They were helpful and patient, answering all of our questions about the ECO4 scheme and making sure we understood how it worked. The installation was done quickly and professionally, and the team was extremely respectful of our home.
We were a bit unsure about how the ECO4 grant worked, but Free Energy Savings made everything so simple. The team explained every detail of the grant and the benefits from a new boiler installation. When it came time for the installation, they arrived right on schedule and worked hard to get everything set up. What impressed me most was the attention to detail….
Free Energy Savings exceeded all of our expectations. From the moment we contacted them, they were responsive and informative. The team helped us through the paperwork for the ECO4 grant, which was a big help since we had no idea where to start. The installation crew was friendly, professional, and fast. It’s been a couple of months now, and we’re already…
