Government Backed Scheme | Free Boiler Grants
If you live within Derby City Council boundaries and your boiler is over 20 years old, unreliable, or costing more to run each year, you may qualify for a fully funded A rated boiler replacement under the ECO4 Free Boiler Grant. The scheme is backed by the UK Government, funded by energy suppliers, and available to qualifying households across Derby City at no cost.
Free Energy Savings supports households across Derby City in checking eligibility, explaining the scheme clearly, and arranging everything from survey to installation. Many Derby residents say they feel reassured once they understand that the grant is genuine and fully funded.
If your boiler is older than 20 years, there is a strong chance your Derby City home is eligible for a fully funded upgrade.
Many people assume they must receive benefits to qualify. That is not the case. ECO4 has three qualification routes. The Health Route, the Low Income Route, and the Benefit Route.
Your boiler must be at least 20 years old or be a non condensing model to qualify for replacement.
Let’s look at each qualification route clearly.
This route supports households where someone has a health condition made worse by cold or damp homes. Derby City Council supports LA Flex, which allows more people to qualify based on vulnerability, home efficiency, or health concerns.
Common qualifying conditions include:
This route is especially common in older areas of Derby such as Normanton, Peartree, Chaddesden, Alvaston, Allenton, and Spondon. Many residents mention that certain rooms in their home never seem to get properly warm or that cold air returns quickly once the heating goes off.
A homeowner in Normanton recently told us their 23 year old boiler kept cutting out on cold evenings. One person in the home had asthma and found winter particularly difficult. They qualified under the Health Route and said the difference in warmth after installation was immediate.
If someone in your home struggles with cold or has a health condition affected by temperature, you may qualify even without benefits.
This route is for households not receiving benefits but still struggling with heating costs due to lower income or a less efficient home.
Qualification indicators include:
This route applies widely in areas like:
Derby City has many homes built between the 1930s and 1970s. These properties typically have lower insulation standards and lose heat faster, especially during winter.
One family in Chaddesden recently qualified through the Low Income Route. Their boiler was 21 years old, and they said it felt like the heating had to run constantly. After installation, they shared that the home warmed up much faster, and they didn’t need the heating on as long.
Many Derby households qualify under this route without receiving any form of benefits.
The Benefit Route applies when someone in the household receives one of the following:
Private tenants may qualify with landlord permission.
Many Derby City homes qualify through at least one of the three routes. Homes with older heating systems, low EPC ratings, cold related health conditions, or higher heating costs often meet the requirements.
If your boiler is over 20 years old, your home is likely eligible.
The Free Boiler Grant is available through ECO4, the fourth phase of the UK Government’s Energy Company Obligation. ECO4 aims to reduce heating costs, improve home energy efficiency, and support vulnerable or low income households by replacing old, inefficient boilers. The scheme runs until 2026 and is funded by energy suppliers.
For Derby City residents, ECO4 covers:
There are no repayments, no contracts, and no hidden charges.
ECO4 is designed to replace:
Older boilers typically run between 60 and 70 percent efficiency. Modern A rated boilers operate at around 90 to 94 percent. That means a large portion of your gas bill currently might be wasted. Many Derby households save around £300 to £400 per year after upgrading.
Derby City has a large number of homes built before insulation standards improved. Older terraces and semis in Normanton, Chaddesden, Allenton, and Alvaston often lose heat quickly and place pressure on outdated boilers.
The Derby City Free Boiler Grant covers everything from survey to installation at no cost if your home qualifies.
Derby City has a significant number of older terraces, semis, and ex local authority homes that are harder to heat and more expensive to run. Properties in Normanton, Alvaston, Chaddesden, Allenton, Peartree, Abbey, Arboretum, and Mackworth frequently have older boilers that struggle to maintain stable heat.
Due to Derby’s colder climate and long heating seasons, outdated boilers have to work harder. Many residents tell us their boiler runs for long periods before the home feels warm. Others mention that some rooms never quite reach a comfortable temperature.
ECO4 was created to address these issues by funding the replacement of older boilers with modern A rated systems that heat the home faster and require less gas.
One household in Alvaston shared that their old boiler made loud clunking noises and took a long time to heat the radiators. Their home cooled down quickly once the heating was switched off. After receiving a new boiler through ECO4, they said mornings were noticeably more comfortable and the home stayed warm longer.
Derby’s mixture of ageing housing stock, colder weather, and higher energy costs makes the area a strong focus for ECO4 support.
Free Energy Savings is a trusted ECO4 delivery partner working with households across Derby City. Our role is to make the application simple, transparent, and stress free.
We support you from start to finish including:
We work with fully qualified Gas Safe engineers who operate across the whole of Derby City including Alvaston, Normanton, Littleover, Chaddesden, Allenton, Mickleover, Quarndon, Spondon, Sinfin, and Oakwood. Homeowners often say they appreciate having installers who understand the quirks of Derby’s older homes.
A couple in Spondon recently shared that they had been delaying replacing their boiler for years because of the assumed cost. They were surprised to learn they could qualify under the Health Route due to both boiler age and the home’s EPC rating. The installation took less than a day and they said the home felt warmer than it had in years.
Our mission is to make ECO4 straightforward and reassuring for every Derby household.
The ECO4 process includes four simple steps.
Fill in a few basic details. It takes less than a minute and there is no obligation.
We assess:
If you don’t know your EPC rating, we can check it or arrange an up to date assessment.
A certified surveyor visits your home to check:
This typically takes 40 to 60 minutes.
If approved, installation is arranged and includes:
Installations are usually completed in one day.
We cover every area within Derby City Council boundaries including:
Wherever you live in Derby City, we can arrange a survey and installation efficiently.
Upgrading from a 20 year old boiler to a modern A rated system offers immediate and long term benefits.
Homes in Chaddesden, Normanton, and Alvaston often see a noticeable improvement after upgrading because many older systems there struggle to keep up in winter.
A family in Allenton told us that after replacing their old boiler, they no longer needed plug in heaters to warm the colder rooms.
A new boiler helps your home stay warm for longer, reduces gas use, and provides peace of mind during winter.
If your boiler is more than 20 years old or your Derby home is difficult to keep warm, you could qualify for a fully funded A rated boiler replacement through the ECO4 scheme. The process is simple, free, and quick.
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.
A brand-new, A-rated combi boiler will be installed. Our installers supply boilers from top brands, like Ideal Logic and Worcester Bosch.
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 the Health, Low Income, or Benefit Route. Your boiler must be at least 20 years old or be a non condensing system.
No. Many Derby households qualify without benefits through the Health or Low Income Route.
Yes. ECO4 covers the full cost of the survey, installation, materials, and certification.
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…
