Double Glazing Grants 2025: UK Outlook


 

Double Glazing Grants 2025


Double glazing grants 2025 – the outlook for the UK.

After the general election in 2024 which resulted in a new Labour government taking their seats we wrote a post-election update on the outlook for double glazing grants in the UK since which little has changed much.

We are not expecting to see any specific double glazing grants in 2025 but there is still a very high level of focus on improving the energy efficiency of our homes and so we are expecting to see initiatives which, whilst perhaps not double glazing grants specifically, may help us with the cost of windows and doors.

Let’s look at what we know so far …

Double Glazing Grants 2025 – Government Warm Homes Plan


On the run up to the election in 2024 the Labour Party presented us with their manifesto and within this document was an introduction to their new “Warm Homes Plan”  which stated:

“The energy shock of recent years has highlighted the urgent importance of improving energy efficiency in British homes. Labour will invest an extra £6.6 billion over the next parliament, doubling the existing planned government investment, to upgrade five million homes to cut bills for families.

The Warm Homes Plan will offer grants and low interest loans to support investment in insulation and other improvements such as solar panels, batteries and low carbon heating to cut bills. We will partner with combined authorities, local and devolved governments, to roll out this plan. Labour will also work with the private sector, including banks and building societies, to provide further private finance to accelerate home upgrades and low carbon heating. We will ensure homes in the private rented sector meet minimum energy efficiency standards by 2030, saving renters hundreds of pounds per year. Nobody will be forced to rip out their boiler as a result of our plans.

Labour will save families hundreds of pounds, slash fuel poverty, and get Britain back on track to meet our climate targets. Our plan will mean good skilled jobs for tradespeople in every part of the country”.

On being voted into the halls of power it was announced that Ed Milliband was to be appointed Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and he very quickly outlined his priorities for the department in a message to staff following his appointment on 5 July 2024 and, number three in the list was:

  • upgrading Britain’s homes and cutting fuel poverty through our Warm Homes Plan

Pre-election Mr Milliband was quoted as saying “Labour’s Warm Homes Plan would upgrade the 19 million homes that need it, cutting bills and creating thousands of good jobs for electricians, engineers, and construction workers across the country“.

So, this all looked good – there was to be a significant pot of money and a priority focus on upgrading Britain’s existing homes with some 19 million being identified as benefitting from improvement. We waited for more information eagerly!

Double Glazing Grants 2025 – The Next Update


On 21st November 2024 the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero issued an update on the Government Warm Homes Plan by way of a press release entitled “Help to save households money and deliver cleaner heat to homes”.

They claim that up to 300,000 homes will benefit from energy efficiency related upgrades in 2025 as government continues rollout of the Warm Homes Plan.

Whilst the wide-ranging support package represented another important step in delivering the Government Warm Homes Plan it did little to support the double glazing industry, the main focus being as follows :

  • homeowners in England and Wales to get a £7,500 heat pump grant through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which had the highest number of applications ever in October according to Ofgem
  • households install an air source heat pump without needing to submit a planning application in England – removing the 1m rule, with figures from Octopus showing 34% of those who order a heat pump are discouraged or drop out for reasons attributed to planning permission
  • social housing residents, lower income householders and renters to receive funded energy efficiency upgrades – including insulation and low-carbon heating – through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant respectively.

Double Glazing Grants 2025 – What To Expect

So, all the focus still seems to be on heat pumps with grants for heat pumps increasing and red-tape decreasing. That said we are yet to find out about the increased government investment in the Great British Insulation Scheme – and this is where we hoping we will see some form of support for double glazing.

Does this mean we can expect to see double glazing grants in 2025? Probably not unless you’re in the minority who are looking to upgrade from single glazing. But, the opinion is that the scheme will include an option for low-cost funding for energy efficiency measure which we hop will include double glazing. Whilst this may not mean a double glazing grant, it could give you access to low cost finance which would enable you to spread the cost at low interest rates and possible a voucher scheme, the cost of which would be part funded from the lower cost of energy bills as a result of installing energy efficiency measures.

Fingers crossed but, in the mean-time it’s business as usual and the existing various different grant schemes are still available – more info available at EnergyEfficiencyMatters.co.uk.

England


Double Glazing Grants 2024 EnglandThe UK Government have a number of different grant schemes:

Energy Company Obligation (ECO4): Running to March 2026 this scheme aims to provide free energy efficiency measures households in order to improve the energy efficiency and save on heating their home. The focus is squarely on the more vulnerable households who are in receipt of certain benefits and live in a private property with an energy efficiency rating of D, E, F or G (E, F or G is renting privately or through a social housing provider). What’s more the measures funded are mainly insulation, heating and solar PV – although there may be a chance of double glazing grants if you’re upgrading from single glazing.

Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS): This scheme was launched in 2023 with a focus on delivering of single, low cost insulation measures, such as loft insulation or cavity wall insulation to the masses. At the moment to be eligible your property needs to fall into in council tax band A to D in England or A to E in Scotland and Wales and also have an EPC of D or below. Again … little to absolutely no chance of double glazing grants under GBIS but the scheme is expected to evolve further in 2025! There may be access to low cost finance and possible a voucher scheme so watch this space.

Home Upgrade Grant (HUG): Available through your Local Authority but only if your property of off gas grid and has a low EPC. Again though – measures funded are only insulation and heating, not double glazing.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS): A Government initiative to encourage more people in England and Wales to move away from fossil fuels in favour of a more environmentally friendly heating system. Nothing to do with double glazing grants of course.

Social Housing Decarb Fund (SHDF): Grant funding that’s made available to Social Landlords only – the package of measure may include double glazing but it’s not a grant you’re going to be able to apply for. If you live in an energy inefficient social housing rum property it may be worth speaking to your landlord to see if they have been allocated anything from the considerable pot!

So, when it comes to double glazing grants in England you can pretty much forget it for the time being!

Scotland


Double Glazing Grants 2024 ScotlandLike England, the Scottish Government have also adopted the following:

Energy Company Obligation (ECO4): Giving access to free cash for improvement measures to cut energy usage and save on heating their home. As in England, the focus is squarely on vulnerable households who are in receipt of certain benefits and live in a private property with an energy efficiency rating of D, E, F or G (E, F or G is renting privately or through a social housing provider). Likewise the measures funded are mainly insulation, heating and solar PV – although there may be a chance of double glazing grants if you’re upgrading from single glazing.

Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS): This scheme was launched in 2023 with a focus on delivering of single, low cost insulation measures, such as loft insulation or cavity wall insulation to the masses. At the moment to be eligible your property needs to fall into in council tax band A to D in England or A to E in Scotland and Wales and also have an EPC of D or below. Again … little to absolutely no chance of double glazing grants under GBIS but the scheme is expected to evolve further in 2025! There may be access to low cost finance and possible a voucher scheme so watch this space.

In addition to these two schemes the Scottish Government also have the following:

Home Energy Scotland (HES): HES offer grants and interest-free loans for a whole range of energy saving, bill-reducing, low-carbon technology from loft insulation to heat pumps. They can fund energy efficiency improvements by up to 75% of the combined cost of the improvements, up to the maximum grant amount of £7,500, or £9,000 for households which qualify for a rural uplift. It lists glazing (up to £8,000) but no grant is available for this.

Warmer Homes Scotland (WHS): This scheme provides the installation of fully funded energy efficiency measures for low income / vulnerable households who either own their own property or privately rent. Yet again though – double glazing grants are not included under this scheme.

Wales


When it comes to grants in Wales things are pretty similar to England:

Energy Company Obligation (ECO4): Free energy efficiency measures for vulnerable households who are in receipt of certain benefits and live in a private property with an energy efficiency rating of D, E, F or G (E, F or G is renting privately or through a social housing provider). As in England and Scotland, measures funded are insulation, heating and solar PV – although there may be a chance of double glazing grants if you’re upgrading from single glazing.

Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS): The scheme has a focus on delivering of single, low cost insulation measures, such as loft insulation or cavity wall insulation to the masses. Your property needs to fall into in council tax band A to E in Wales and also have an EPC of D or below. Again … little to absolutely no chance of double glazing grants under GBIS but the scheme is expected to evolve further in 2025! There may be access to low cost finance and possible a voucher scheme so watch this space.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS): A Government initiative to encourage more people in England and Wales to move away from fossil fuels in favour of a more environmentally friendly heating system. Nothing to do with double glazing grants of course.

On top of these schemes the Welsh Government also have their own initiative:

NEST Wales: The Nest scheme, provides funding for energy efficiency improvements to low income households and those living in deprived communities across Wales – only insulation, boilers and heating systems are included right now though – no double glazing grants!

Northern Ireland


Double Glazing Grants 2024 Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland do things differently – they don’t currently run the ECO scheme or GBIS, instead they have their own schemes:

The Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme (NISEP): A fund that collects money from domestic and commercial electricity customers throughout Northern Ireland which is then used to fund a number of different energy efficiency schemes and initiatives aimed at providing support towards the cost of domestic energy efficiency measures across Northern Ireland. Guess what though … whilst measures included are quite diverse, double glazing is NOT included.

Affordable Warmth Scheme (AWS): Run by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) to address the effects of fuel poverty and energy inefficiency for homeowners and private tenants across Northern Ireland. It’s aimed at low income households and provides grant aid to improve energy efficiency measures within your home. This scheme INCLUDES draught proofing doors and windows AND includes double glazing grants … but only when upgrading from single glazing.

Double Glazing Grants 2025 – What’s Going On


The double glazing industry are pushing and lobbying hard. They know just how much double glazing technology has evolved over recent years and just how much energy can be saved simply by upgrading existing (but dated) double glazing. They are trying to get the facts recognised and hence for double glazing replacement to be included within the energy efficiency investment plans for 2025 and beyond.

Keep pushing we say!

Double Glazing Grants 2025 – The Future and Outlook


So, we await the next update from the Government as to further initiative packages up within the Warm Homes Plan which will undoubtedly result in greater investment and incentives towards energy efficiency improvements to  homes across the UK. Will this mean double glazing grants 2025 … probably not. Will it include access to low cost finance and a voucher scheme and could double glazing replacement be included as an approved measure? We don’t yet know but we are optimistic. After all they have a target of improving all existing homes with some 19 million being identified as benefitting from energy efficiency measures!

We will obviously keep you updated but it’s also a good idea to keep your eyes on the DESNZ website as any updates will appear there first.

Watch this space …