Grant deep dive · Scotland only · Updated monthly

Home Energy Scotland Grant & Loan 2026 — Up to £18,000 + £15,000 Loan

Last reviewed 19 May 2026 · 9 minute read · Scottish homeowners only

The TL;DR

Scotland's flagship retrofit support — most generous standing offer in the UK.
Open to all Scottish homeowners regardless of income (unlike most English schemes, which are means-tested).
Heat pumps (first-time install): £7,500 grant + up to £7,500 interest-free loan. £1,500 extra rural/island uplift.
Insulation: 75% of cost up to £7,500 grant + balance up to total cap as loan.
Solar PV / batteries: loan only (up to £6,000), no grant.
Total maximum funding with rural uplift: up to £18,000 in grants + £15,000 in loans.
Replacement heat pumps are NOT grant-eligible — only first-time installs. This catches out many applicants. The loan-only option still applies.
Single phone gateway: 0808 808 2282 (Home Energy Scotland, Mon-Fri 8-8, Sat 9-5).

If you're a Scottish homeowner, the Home Energy Scotland Grant & Loan is the most important scheme to know about. It's more generous than anything available in England or Wales for non-income-tested households — combining grant funding with interest-free loans to spread the rest. The catch is that one specific rule (no grants for replacement heat pumps) trips up a lot of applicants. This page explains exactly what you can claim, how to apply, and where the rules differ from popular blog claims.

We're independent — we don't install heat pumps and don't take referral commission from Scottish installers.

What is the Home Energy Scotland Grant & Loan?

It's a blended grant-plus-interest-free-loan scheme administered by Home Energy Scotland (an Energy Saving Trust service) and funded by the Scottish Government. It replaces and consolidates earlier Energy Saving Trust Scotland loans.

Two crucial structural features distinguish it from English equivalents:

No income test. Open to all Scottish homeowners, not just those on benefits or below specific income thresholds.
Grant + loan combination. The grant covers a portion; the interest-free loan covers the rest — typically up to a combined £15,000–£30,000 of funding.

Grant + loan amounts by measure

Measure	Grant	Optional interest-free loan
Air source heat pump (ASHP) — first-time install only	£7,500	up to £7,500
Ground source heat pump (GSHP) — first-time install	£7,500	up to £7,500
Heat pump (rural/island uplift)	£9,000 (£7,500 + £1,500 uplift)	up to £7,500
Connection to heat network	£7,500	up to £7,500
Solar PV	None	up to £6,000
Solar battery storage	None	up to £6,000 (combined with PV)
Insulation (loft, wall, floor, roof)	75% of cost up to £7,500	balance up to overall cap
Energy storage (heat batteries, hot-water tanks)	Included in primary measure grant	Included
Energy-efficient doors and windows	None	up to £6,000

Maximum total funding with the rural uplift: up to £18,000 in grants (heating £9,000 + insulation £7,500 + boost) plus up to £15,000 interest-free loan across all measures. A combined package value of £30,000+ is achievable for well-positioned applicants.

The rural and island uplift

The £1,500 rural uplift applies to heat pump and heat network connection grants if your property is in:

Remote rural areas
Very remote rural areas
Island communities

These categories are defined by the Scottish Government's six-fold Urban Rural Classification. Roughly speaking: anywhere outside major settlements and their commuter zones. The Hebrides, Highlands, Orkney and Shetland all qualify; most lowland Scotland does not.

The uplift is automatic — you don't apply for it separately. The HES application system identifies eligible postcodes.

Who's eligible

Property requirements

Property is in Scotland.
You are the homeowner (not landlord, not tenant).
It's your only or primary private residence (second homes, holiday lets, buy-to-let properties don't qualify).
It's an existing property (new builds excluded).

Heat pump-specific rules

Replacement heat pumps are NOT grant-eligible. Only first-time installs (replacing fossil fuel boiler, oil, LPG, electric storage). You can still get the loan for a replacement.
Installer must be MCS-certified for the technology.
You may be required to complete recommended insulation works first before heat pump grant approval, if your EPC has outstanding fabric recommendations.

Income

No income test. A higher-income Scottish homeowner gets the same headline rates as a lower-income one. (Lower-income households can also apply to Warmer Homes Scotland, which is means-tested but offers fully-funded packages.)

How to apply

Free call to Home Energy Scotland: 0808 808 2282 (Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-5pm). This is the single gateway — there's no online-only application path. An advisor assesses your eligibility and books any home survey needed.
Optional home survey — Home Energy Scotland can arrange a free energy report where helpful, particularly for first-time heat pump applicants.
Obtain at least one quote from an MCS-certified installer for your chosen measure.
Submit application via the HES grant & loan portal (you'll be given access during the phone call).
Funding approval typically takes 6–12 weeks.
Install the measure with your MCS installer.
Claim payment — submit completion paperwork and the grant is paid (usually within 4–6 weeks).

Application-to-payment is reported by gov.scot as 4–6 months end-to-end as of 2026. Community channels report longer delays in some periods; check the latest HES processing times before committing to install dates.

Documents you'll need

Proof of property ownership (Land Register/title deeds).
Council tax bill.
Photo ID.
Installer quotes (MCS-certified).
Current EPC (or recent home energy report from HES).
After install: MCS commissioning certificate, photos of installed measures.

Common rejection reasons

Property is a second home or holiday let.
Trying to claim grant for a replacement heat pump (loan-only available).
Non-MCS installer.
Outstanding insulation recommendations on EPC haven't been addressed.
Property in England, Wales or Northern Ireland (use BUS or WHLG instead).
New build property — these don't qualify regardless.

Can you combine HES with other schemes?

HES + 0% VAT. Always combined. The VAT relief applies regardless.
HES + Warmer Homes Scotland. Generally not — they target different applicant groups. WHS is means-tested and fully-funded; HES is non-means-tested with co-funding.
HES is not combined with BUS. BUS doesn't apply in Scotland; HES is the Scottish equivalent.
HES + ECO4. Possible for low-income Scottish households where ECO4 covers one measure and HES covers another, though this is unusual.

Outside Scotland

If you're in England or Wales, you can't use HES. Equivalents:

England: Boiler Upgrade Scheme (£7,500 / £9,000 oil-LPG) + Warm Homes: Local Grant (up to £30,000 means-tested).
Wales: BUS + Nest scheme (means-tested, fully-funded for lower-income households).
Northern Ireland: NISEP.

Frequently asked questions

I'm replacing my old air source heat pump — am I eligible?

For the grant, no — replacement heat pumps don't qualify for the £7,500 grant. The interest-free loan up to £7,500 is still available. This rule has caught out many Scottish heat pump owners whose original units are reaching end-of-life. The loan-only option still spreads the cost across many years interest-free, so it's not without value.

Does the rural uplift apply to insulation?

No — the £1,500 uplift applies only to heat pump and heat network connection grants. Insulation grants are at the standard 75% / £7,500 cap regardless of postcode.

How long does the loan repayment last?

Typically 7–12 years, interest-free. Monthly payments work out to around 1/100th of the loan total — so a £7,500 loan is roughly £75/month over the maximum term. There are no early repayment penalties.

Can a landlord apply on behalf of tenants?

No. HES is for owner-occupiers of primary residences only. Landlords with Scottish rental properties have separate scheme options (the Heat in Buildings programme has landlord-specific routes), but not HES.

Why is solar grant-free?

The Scottish Government's rationale: solar PV has positive payback economics on its own, so it doesn't need a grant subsidy in the way that heat pumps (which still have unfavourable economics on standard tariffs) do. The interest-free loan is intended to remove the upfront-cost barrier without subsidising the install itself.

Can I apply for the grant before getting installer quotes?

You can start the eligibility process before quotes (via the HES phone gateway), but you can't formally apply for funding without at least one quote. Most successful applicants get 2–3 quotes before deciding which installer to commit to.

Is there a deadline for the scheme?

No fixed end date as of May 2026. The scheme is funded year-on-year through the Scottish Government's "Heat in Buildings" programme. Funding allocations are reviewed each Scottish Budget. The next major review is expected in Scottish Budget 2027.

Sources

Page changelog

19 May 2026 — Initial publication. Reflects current grant + loan amounts including £1,500 rural uplift, and the replacement-heat-pump restriction.

Check what Scottish + UK-wide grants apply to your home

HES is generous, but combined with 0% VAT and (for low-income households) Warmer Homes Scotland or ECO4, the total stack can be substantial. Run our independent quiz.

Start the eligibility check →