External wall insulation grants in Sussex
Several government-backed schemes can pay for some or all of the cost of external wall insulation, but each has its own rules, its own end date and its own way of applying. This guide explains which grants for external wall insulation were open to Sussex households when we checked in October 2026, who is likely to qualify and how to apply without falling for a cold caller.
Which external wall insulation grants are open now
Funding for solid and external wall insulation in England has changed several times in the last few years, and it is changing again. We checked every scheme below against Ofgem, GOV.UK and council websites in October 2026, but dates, eligibility rules and council budgets can move at short notice. Always confirm the current position with the scheme itself.
In short, two routes were still open to new applicants when we checked. The Energy Company Obligation, known as ECO4, runs through energy suppliers, and the Warm Homes: Local Grant runs through local councils. The Great British Insulation Scheme, which many older websites still mention, has closed.
| Scheme | Status when checked | Who runs it | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECO4 (Energy Company Obligation) | Open, running until 31 December 2026 | Obligated energy suppliers, administered by Ofgem | Ofgem; GOV.UK |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant | Open, delivery window April 2025 to March 2028 | Local councils, often in groups | GOV.UK; DESNZ guidance |
| Great British Insulation Scheme | Closed, ended 31 March 2026 | Energy suppliers, administered by Ofgem | Ofgem; GOV.UK |
Free external wall insulation is only available to households that meet a scheme's criteria, and meeting the criteria does not guarantee that work will go ahead. Councils and suppliers have limited budgets, and some local schemes are already full.
ECO4 and who qualifies
ECO4 places an obligation on larger energy suppliers to fund energy efficiency improvements in homes that need them, carried out by TrustMark-accredited installers. Ofgem says the scheme will run until 31 December 2026, following a nine-month extension of its original March 2026 end date. The government has also said there will be no successor supplier obligation after ECO4, so anyone hoping to use it should not leave an enquiry until late in the year.
Ofgem is clear that ECO is not a grant scheme in the usual sense, and that being eligible does not guarantee an installation. Suppliers choose which homes and measures to fund. To be considered, you must own your home or have your landlord's permission, and the home must need energy efficiency upgrades. You could then qualify in one of these ways:
- Someone in the household receives a qualifying benefit, such as Universal Credit, Pension Guarantee Credit, Child Benefit or Housing Benefit.
- Through ECO4 Flex, your combined gross household income is under £31,000, or someone in the household has a qualifying long-term health condition.
- Your local council refers you through its ECO4 Flex arrangements.
To apply, you can contact any obligated energy supplier, and you do not need to be one of its customers. Some councils also let residents refer themselves for ECO4 Flex, so it is worth checking your district or borough council's website.
The Warm Homes: Local Grant
The Warm Homes: Local Grant is government money given to local councils to improve the energy performance of low-income homes in England, with no contribution from the people living there. According to GOV.UK, the delivery window opened on 1 April 2025 and closes on 31 March 2028. Councils procure their own installers, and the government's policy guidance lists solid and external wall insulation as an eligible measure, subject to a price limit per measure.
Under the guidance, you must live in England and either own your home or rent it privately. Social housing is excluded apart from limited infill work, and the home must have an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D to G. Your household must then meet one of the following tests:
- A gross annual household income below £36,000, or passing an after-housing-costs income test.
- Receipt of a specified means-tested benefit, such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit.
- Living in a postcode that falls within the most deprived areas for income.
Landlords can have one home fully funded, and further homes need a 50 per cent contribution from the landlord. Councils can add their own conditions. Wealden District Council, for example, sets a savings limit of under £20,000 and applies different EPC bands to owner-occupiers and landlords.
Grants in East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton and Hove
In Sussex, the Warm Homes: Local Grant is delivered by two groups of councils rather than by each council alone. In East Sussex, Lewes District Council leads a consortium with Eastbourne, Hastings, Rother, Wealden and East Sussex County Council. Eligible households are identified through the Warm Home Check service, which Wealden's website describes as commissioned by East Sussex Public Health and delivered by Citizens Advice East Sussex. Wealden also says applicants first register on GOV.UK and are then invited by the council to make a full application.
In West Sussex, Portsmouth City Council leads a consortium whose members include Adur, Arun, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex and Worthing, as well as Brighton and Hove. West Sussex County Council's energy saving page points residents to the West Sussex Affordable Energy website for heating and insulation grants rather than running a grant itself. Horsham District Council's page lists the scheme under West Sussex Affordable Energy and describes it as currently oversubscribed, so expect waiting lists or closed applications in some areas.
We could not find a current grant page run by Brighton and Hove City Council, although GOV.UK lists the city in the Portsmouth-led group. If you live in Brighton or Hove, the West Sussex Affordable Energy route and the energy suppliers running ECO4 are the places to start.
Schemes that have closed and what may come next
The Great British Insulation Scheme is closed. Ofgem says it began in April 2023 and ended on 31 March 2026, and the GOV.UK eligibility checker for it has been switched off. Some council pages and older websites still list it, and one GOV.UK page still suggests checking with your supplier, but you should not treat it as an available grant.
Looking further ahead, the government's Warm Homes Plan says that from 2027/28 it intends to bring the Warm Homes: Local Grant and the social housing fund together into a single low-income scheme. The plan also proposes new low and zero interest loans for households, with eligibility and details still to be confirmed and subject to further approval. The same plan notes that solid wall insulation has become less viable in recent years and has been found more likely to be non-compliant, which is a good reason to insist on careful design and installation whoever pays for it.
How to apply and how to avoid cold callers
The safest way to apply is to start the contact yourself, using details you have found on Ofgem, GOV.UK or your council's own website. Genuine schemes are run through energy suppliers and councils, and they will check your eligibility before any survey or work is booked. The steps below suit most Sussex households.
- Check your EPC rating on the GOV.UK register, as most current schemes need a rating of D to G.
- Read your district or borough council's energy page, and in East Sussex use the Warm Home Check service.
- For ECO4, contact an obligated energy supplier directly and ask whether it is still accepting external wall insulation.
- Ask any installer which scheme is funding the work, and confirm they hold the accreditation that scheme requires.
- Get any agreement, survey findings and guarantee details in writing before work starts.
Be wary of anyone who phones, texts or knocks on the door offering free external wall insulation, especially if they push you to decide quickly or ask for bank details or a fee to secure a place. Hang up, then contact the scheme or your council using details you have looked up yourself. Building regulations still apply to grant-funded work, because external wall insulation counts as renovating a thermal element, and planning permission may be needed in a conservation area, on a listed building or where the appearance changes significantly, so check with your council before agreeing to anything.
If you do not qualify for a grant
Many households fall outside the income and EPC limits, and others find that local funding has run out. Paying privately is still an option, and our external wall insulation cost guide sets out published prices by house type. It is also worth reading our guide to the pros and cons of external wall insulation before you commit, as the work changes the look of a house and needs careful detailing around windows, roofs and services.
When you are ready, you can fill in our short form or call 01273 115520 to get up to 3 free quotes from checked local plasterers who carry out external wall insulation in Sussex. The service is free and there is no obligation to accept any quote.
Plastering services we cover
Frequently asked questions
Can I get free external wall insulation in Sussex?+
Possibly, if your household meets the rules for ECO4 or the Warm Homes: Local Grant. Both target low-income or vulnerable households, and the local grant also needs an EPC rating of D to G. Eligibility does not guarantee that work will go ahead, and some local schemes, such as the one Horsham describes, have been oversubscribed.
Is the Great British Insulation Scheme still running?+
No. Ofgem says the Great British Insulation Scheme ended on 31 March 2026 and is closed to new installations. Some older web pages still mention it, so check the date on anything you read and ask any installer which scheme is really funding the work.
What happens when ECO4 ends?+
Ofgem says ECO4 runs until 31 December 2026, and the government has said there will be no successor supplier obligation. The Warm Homes: Local Grant continues until March 2028, and the Warm Homes Plan says low-income schemes are due to be combined from 2027/28. Full details of what replaces ECO4 had not been published when we checked in October 2026.
Can landlords get a grant for external wall insulation?+
Under the Warm Homes: Local Grant, private landlords can have one home fully funded if the tenants meet the eligibility rules, and further homes need a 50 per cent landlord contribution. For ECO4, the tenant usually applies with the landlord's permission. Councils may set different EPC bands for rented homes, so check the local rules.
Do I still need building regulations approval if the work is grant-funded?+
Yes. External wall insulation counts as renovating a thermal element, so building regulations apply whoever pays for the work. Planning permission may also be needed in conservation areas, on listed buildings or where the work changes the appearance of the house significantly, so check with your local council or building control.
Sources for the prices on this page
Prices are published UK averages and include labour. Every job is different, so the quotes you receive will reflect your own property, access and materials.
- Ofgem: Energy Company Obligation (ECO), checked October 2026
- Ofgem: Energy Company Obligation (ECO), homeowners and tenants, checked October 2026
- GOV.UK: Extending the ECO4 end date, government response, checked October 2026
- Ofgem: Great British Insulation Scheme, checked October 2026
- GOV.UK: The Great British Insulation Scheme, checked October 2026
- GOV.UK: Warm Homes: Local Grant, checked October 2026
- DESNZ: Warm Homes: Local Grant, policy guidance for local authorities, checked October 2026
- GOV.UK: Warm Homes: Local Grant, successful local authorities, checked October 2026
- GOV.UK: Warm Homes Plan, checked October 2026
- East Sussex County Council: Funding boost to help residents keep warm, checked October 2026
- Wealden District Council: Home energy grants, loans and discounts, checked October 2026
- Horsham District Council: Home energy grants and funding, checked October 2026
- West Sussex County Council: Energy saving, checked October 2026
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