Funding
Home Energy Scotland grants and loans for flats
Home Energy Scotland grant and loan funding, as its page read on 5 November 2026, offered owner-occupiers up to £7,500 grant plus an optional £7,500 interest-free loan for a qualifying heat pump.
By the Pipes Up the Stair site team · how pages are checked · Updated
Home Energy Scotland describes itself as a free advice service funded by the Scottish Government. Alongside advice it runs the main grant and loan scheme for owner-occupiers who want to insulate, change heating or add controls.
The grant page shows no date, so every figure here is as its page read on 5 November 2026. Amounts and rules can change, so check before you plan anything.
How much is available for a heat pump?
Up to £7,500 in grant, plus up to £7,500 more as an optional interest-free loan. The page says this covers heat pumps and heat network connections, but only heat pumps that provide all of your heating and hot water. Air-to-air, hybrid and exhaust air heat pumps are not eligible, and a replacement heat pump can get the loan but no grant. Its myths guide adds that an air source unit takes roughly 2 to 4 square metres outside, which is why our page on heat pumps in flats calls a tenement a hard fit.
What about insulation and smaller measures?
The energy efficiency grant covers up to 75% of the combined cost of measures, to a maximum of £7,500, and the rest can be borrowed. Its controls advice says a system with no programmer, room thermostat or radiator valves is worth upgrading. The grant page's own table listed heating controls at up to £450 grant and £150 loan, and cylinder thermostats and draught proofing at up to £375 grant and £125 loan. Double, triple and secondary glazing was loan-only, up to £8,000, with no grant except to replace single glazing.
- up to £7,500Heat pump grant
- optional £7,500Heat pump loan
- up to £7,500Energy efficiency grant cap
- £1,500 per grantRural and island uplift
- up to £450Heating controls grant
- up to £150Heating controls loan
Who can apply?
Owner-occupiers. The page says you must own the home you live in and it is your only or primary private residence; you don't need to be on benefits. If you rent, talk to your landlord, or look at Warmer Homes Scotland below.
Are there special rules for flats?
One, for storage heaters. Applications for high heat retention storage heaters need evidence that a heat pump isn't suitable, from an MCS certified installer or an Energy Performance Certificate showing you live in a flat. We couldn't confirm any rules for shared or common measures across a whole tenement, so ask Home Energy Scotland directly about anything affecting the close, roof or walls.
What must you not do before the offer arrives?
Start work. The terms say you cannot start work on any installations until the offer is in writing. The page says an offer lasts nine months and that funding is first come, first served.
How does the loan work?
It is interest-free, with a small fee. The page listed an admin fee of 1.5% of the loan, capped at £150, and repayment over up to 5 years for loans under £5,000, 10 years for £5,000 to £9,999, and 12 years above £10,000.
Is there extra help for rural homes?
Yes, though few Edinburgh flats will qualify. An uplift of £1,500 applies to both the heating and the energy efficiency grants for rural and island homes, taking the combined grant to as much as £18,000.
What if money is tight?
Warmer Homes Scotland may help. Home Energy Scotland says it offers support worth £10,000 or more for eligible households, both homeowners and private tenants. The page lists conditions including council tax bands A to G, a floor area of 230 m² or less, six months living there, and a qualifying benefit, age 75 or over with no working heating, or a terminal illness form (DS1500 or BASRiS).
| Measure | Grant up to | Loan up to |
|---|---|---|
| Heat pump (all heating and hot water) | £7,500 | £7,500 |
| Heating controls | £450 | £150 |
| Cylinder thermostat, draught proofing | £375 | £125 |
| Double, triple or secondary glazing | none | £8,000 |
Asked on the stair
Can a landlord get the Home Energy Scotland grant for a let flat?
The grant page asks that applicants own the home they live in as their only or main residence, so a let flat does not fit that test. Private tenants can look at Warmer Homes Scotland.
Does replacing an old heat pump get a grant?
No. The page says replacement heat pumps are not eligible for grant funding, though the loan of up to £7,500 is available.
Can work start while the application is being looked at?
No. Work must wait until the written funding offer arrives, or it will not be funded.
Do you need to be on benefits for the main grant?
No. Benefits only come into Warmer Homes Scotland, not the main grant and loan scheme.
Where this comes from
- Home Energy Scotland: Grants and loans — amounts, eligibility, flats, loan terms
- Home Energy Scotland: Grant and loan terms — no work before the offer
- Home Energy Scotland: Warmer Homes Scotland — support worth £10,000 or more
- Home Energy Scotland: 11 heat pump myths — space a heat pump needs
- Home Energy Scotland: Thermostats and heating controls — which controls a system should have