Free Storage Heaters and Heating System Upgrades (ECO 4 Scheme)
Looking at what grants are available for your home in 2023/24? You can receive free storage heaters, central heating upgrades, or various energy and home improvement measures under the Government’s ECO initiative (Energy Company Obligation), which aims to reduce fuel poverty and carbon emissions in the UK.
If you qualify for the grant, you could get Free Electric Storage Heater (ESH) upgrade or other energy-efficient measures including Free Central Heating and Boiler Upgrades.
You should apply immediately because as of April last year, the scheme (officially named the ECO4 Scheme) entered its fourth – final phase. This means this is your last call to get things done for your home before the programme ends in 2026.
UK Energy Support, together with Ofgem and Energy Suppliers, assists in getting free grants for low-income families and vulnerable households, as well as for eligible homeowners and landlords.
Qualify for Free Storage Heater grants - applications starting November 2024 are now open
Do You Qualify for modern Central Heating or energy-efficient Storage Heaters in your home for free?
It is likely that you qualify to receive one of the best storage heaters for free (i.e. a modern ESH with Smart Heating Control functionality) if you live in your own home or rent from a private landlord.
Your property should be heated with electric heaters and receive the appropriate combination of income-related benefits.
- Homeowner or Private Tenant
- Get Income-Related Benefits
- Pensioners and Over 60-year old
- You live in an “off-gas” property (e.g. the Main Fuel Source is Electric, Coal, Wood, LPG, Oil, etc.)
A free storage heater replacement made easy
Did you know that 62% of applications qualify to have inefficient electric radiators or heating systems replaced with new storage heaters for free?
We do this under the ECO4 scheme (the next phase of the ECO3 Scheme), which is the Energy Company Obligation laid out by the UK government to cut carbon emissions (similar to the Affordable Warmth Scheme).
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You are under no obligation to proceed with the installation at this stage of checking the eligibility.
Why should you consider a free storage heaters scheme?
There is a debate about electric storage heaters vs gas central heating. However, having an energy-efficient new electric storage heater is better for the environment than a traditional gas boiler.
There is no requirement to be connected to a gas grid, no maintenance required, and no risk of health concerns. The same applies to storage heaters vs electric radiators comparison.
Modern storage heaters can be installed in your home and accumulate warmth generated from low-cost nighttime electricity and then release it throughout the day to achieve maximum efficiency in energy usage.
All eligible households in the UK with faulty or inefficient storage heaters should complete the online form as they’re likely to qualify for a grant to replace your broken electric room heaters (and you can also receive free insulation for your house).
What Benefits Qualify for the Free Electric Storage Heaters or Free Central Heating Upgrade under ECO4?
Qualifying Allowances:
- Income based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
- Income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support (IS)
Qualifying Benefits:
- Housing Benefit (new!)
- Child Benefits
Qualifying Credits/Rebates:
- Child Tax Credits (CTC)
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Pension Credit Savings Credit (new!)
- Universal Credit (UC)
- Working Tax Credit (WTC)
- Warm Homes Discount Scheme
Grants are NOT available if you only claim one of these:
- Attendance Allowance
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Carer’s Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- War Pensions Mobility Supplement
Do you claim any of these benefits, or are you over 60y old? You are likely to be eligible for free storage heaters for pensioners.
Get your updated storage heaters installed WITHOUT paying!
Free night storage heaters – how good are they in 2023?
If you’re considering replacing your old convertor heater or broken electric panel heaters with new high heat retention storage, you’ll be please to hear that the grant scheme involves Elnur High Heat Retention Storage Heaters – touted as “the best electric storage heaters currently available“.
The new heaters are highly cost-effective for people who are trying to save money on their energy bills.
These thermal storage units come with a warranty, a longer lifespan than other night storage heaters on the market, and maintenance support if anything goes wrong.
With included intelligent heating controls, the panels can run and adjust automatically to the climate around them and detect when a window is opened.
This means that none of the valuable warmth you’re storing is wasted when you don’t need it!
Start your application today to find out if you’re eligible for free storage heaters!
Efficient
Fan assisted storage heaters reduce the amount of time waiting for the warmup. The fan will move for as long as it takes to raise the temperature and maintain it.
Safe to touch
The storage heater is cool to the touch, even when it’s working at it’s maximum power.
Space
Smaller than older storage heaters, they take up less space in your home and are much more efficient than their larger and older counterparts.
Cost
Cheaper costs to install it not only by the wall due to their portability (unlike radiators which are often attached to the wall).
Quiet
In comparison to old storage heaters, ELNUR’s fan produces significantly less noise, this is because ELNUR is designed to minimize any disruption.
Intelligent
Temperature detection and control means that you never waste your stored heat.
Economy 7 ready
Compatible with two off peak electricity tariffs, meaning you won’t have to worry about running out of electricity during peak times.
Flexible
You can choose to release heat on a schedule or at less specific certain times depending on your needs.
Pros and cons of storage heaters:
No maintenance
ESH don’t require much servicing or maintenance, unlike a gas heating system or some electric radiator. This is due to the lack of moving parts or dangerous gases inside the storage heater.
Ease of use
A storage heater will often have a digital thermostat, which allows you to manage your heat use in a controlled way.
Performance
High heat retention storage heaters will retain heat for longer without making your utility bills rise, as well as stopping wasted energy from occurring. Less power is used when it isn’t needed, allowing you to control when your heat output is maximised.
Simple set-up
The installation process is much simpler than that of other heating systems.
Long lasting
Depending on the type of product and the component involved, the warranty may vary from 2 to 3, 5 or 10 years.
Better for the environment
Heating a home with the best electric heating system is better for the environment, particularly when that power comes from a renewable source. Limiting our contribution to climate change through our heat output means that we can get closer to the 2050 target of net-zero.
Lower carbon emissions
Using electric heating as an alternative to fossil fuels, you will be contributing to the UK’s commitment to lowering carbon emissions. As of 2025, gas boilers will no longer be installed in new build homes, so it is best to install electric heaters now before prices rise.
Smart design features
The external temperature of the heater won’t be felt thanks to the modern casing, meaning that no one will be hurt if they touch it.
What are the cons of storage electric heaters?
When it comes to using a storage heater, you can often hear that electricity is more expensive than gas or thermal energy, but let’s look at the bigger picture.
Start by joining an Economy 7 storage heaters tariff with a lower price during off-peak hours. You would not be able to switch to it with alternatives to electric storage heaters. Using a night storage heater means that you can collect at night and release heat whenever you need it. In the current day and age, gas prices are rising very quickly, and it’s not hard to imagine investing in an electrical heating system will become more economical.
Occasionally old storage heaters may seem to release heat far more than you need it during the day and not enough in the evening when it’s likely to be colder.
This is easily solved with modern storage heaters and the digital heating thermostat that most brands include.
How do electric storage heaters work?
An electric storage heater works by collecting electricity at night and later releasing it as heat on demand.
Ceramic bricks are typically used to heat these heaters and they are 100% efficient since everything they produce is used.
As they contain no moving parts such as valves or heat pumps like radiators, it is unlikely that an electric storage heater will break down and require maintenance.
This means that they are capable of heating large rooms without using an excessive amount of money, unlike even the best electric radiators and older models of ESH.
When compared with room panel heaters, big or small storage units use power stored overnight to heat your home. Using night-time electricity with your storage heater means that the cost of running storage heaters will be significantly reduced in comparison to daytime tariffs.
Tips on how to use electric storage heaters
An electric storage heater is most efficient when charged during the nighttime (referred to as night storage). With the Economy 7 tariff, you would be able to heat your electric storage heater at a lower cost.
You should always remember to turn off the “output” switch on your heater, as it may cause energy overheating and your rooms becoming too warm.
If you feel cold, it is possible to use the “boost” buttons to increase the temperature of your room in an easily managed way without lowering the power that you save.
Are storage heaters more expensive to run than central heating?
No, but there are things to keep in mind to benefit from all the advantages that ESH can give you.
First, you don’t have to worry about electric storage heaters‘ prices as they are fully funded by government-backed grants for electric storage heaters if you meet certain criteria.
While gas is cheaper than electricity, its price rose by 54% last year. With such trends continuing, electricity is proving to be a more feasible option to heat your home each day, especially if you use the cost-efficient night tariffs that ESH can run on.
The solution to minimising the cost of storage heaters is to use off-peak tariffs and smart meter that will help you monitor energy usage daily.
What is an off-peak tariff (Economy 7 Storage Heaters)?
Off-peak tariff is available during times when costs are low. This is typically for seven hours (12am to 7am) as less people will be using the electric grid during the night. This is usually done through Economy 7 via an agreement with your energy supplier.
You will not have to pay the cost of daytime electricity during this time, meaning you can store heat for less and selectively use energy when you need it most.
The range of off-peak tariffs available for your area and house may depend on where you live.
What you save on expensive electricity can then be used for other costs in your house.
What are the costs of running a “free heater“?
Once you have your storage heaters installed, you can reduce the running costs further if you take advantage of an Economy 7 heating electricity tariff. This allows you to have home heating for a cheaper price with all the same features as a traditional electric tariff.
The running costs for an electric central heating system can be lower than that of a gas boiler and electric radiators.
This is because they run on lower price night storage tariffs, meaning you won’t be accessing electricity during peak times (such as during the day) as you will be using stored heat during the night in your house.
With the ECO grant, you will not be required to pay anything towards the installation and price of an electric storage heater.
It is possible to save on your utility bills further, thanks to the free cavity wall insulation and loft insulation grants that are also part of the ECO program.
This is a government backed grant
Electric storage heaters grant
The UK Energy Support considers the Economy 10 and Economy 7 Storage Heaters as some of the best electric heating systems since they are an extremely effective and affordable heating method for many households in comparison to regular room heaters.
At UKES, we offer free storage heaters upgrade thanks to the ECO4 scheme government, so there is no need for you to look to purchase electric storage heaters. The grant funds not only the cost of the efficient storage heaters but also the storage heater installation at no extra fees to you while making sure you have the extra warmth you need.
This is available to homeowners, tenants of private landlords and those receiving qualifying benefits. It is aimed at vurneable households and those seeking hardship grants for single parents among others. To find out if you are eligible to receive grants for home improvements to replace your old electric heater for free, contact us today!
Remember, you are under no obligation to proceed with the installation at this stage of inquiry to determine whether you qualify for the free electric storage heater.
Apply Today for a Free Storage Heater Grant
We can replace your old and inefficient electric heater or radiator and replace it with a modern Electric Storage Heater. The ECO4 funding is available to cover all the costs associated with energy efficiency measures. Check your eligibility today and enjoy your home energy efficiency upgrade free of charge!