The Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) is a government scheme that funds insulation and low-carbon heating upgrades for owner-occupied and private rented homes in England that are not connected to the mains gas network. These off-gas-grid properties - typically rural homes heated by oil, LPG, electric storage heaters or solid fuel - are often among the least energy-efficient and most expensive to heat, but fall outside the reach of schemes that focus on gas boiler replacement.
HUG is delivered through local authorities in England. Councils apply for HUG funding from central government and then run local programmes to identify and support eligible households in their area. Availability therefore varies by council - some areas are active with HUG delivery while others may not yet have funding allocated.
HUG is specifically for homes without a mains gas connection. If your property is connected to the gas grid, you will not qualify - but you may be eligible for ECO4 or the Boiler Upgrade Scheme instead.
All of the following must apply:
Social housing and council tenants are not eligible for HUG - social landlords have separate funding routes available to them. Some local authorities also have additional eligibility criteria based on local priorities, so it is worth checking with your council directly.
HUG can fund a package of measures to improve energy performance, rather than a single measure. The specific works depend on a property assessment:
Insulation:
Low-carbon heating:
HUG does not fund oil or LPG boiler replacements on a like-for-like basis - the scheme is specifically aimed at transitioning properties to low-carbon alternatives.
Unlike ECO4 or the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which are delivered through energy suppliers, HUG is a locally administered scheme. The process varies somewhat between councils, but typically works as follows: