Worth
Up to £7,500, or up to £10,000 for solid wall insulation
This is the biggest single thing a lower-income household in Northern Ireland can do about a cold house, and it is not a loan. It is run by the Housing Executive and funded by the Department for Communities. The catch is not the money — it is that you cannot lift a finger until the written approval lands, and people lose the whole grant by starting early.
Quick facts
- Worth
- Up to £7,500, or up to £10,000 for solid wall insulation
- Income limit
- Total gross household income under £23,000 a year
- Who
- Owner-occupiers and private tenants only — not social housing
- Apply through
- NI Energy Advice Service, 0800 111 44 55
- Repayable
- No. You should not have to contribute at all
Who can get it — the full rules
You need to live in Northern Ireland, own and occupy the property as your main home or rent it from a private landlord, and "have a total annual gross income of less than £23,000". Gross means before tax, and it is the whole household's income, not just yours.
The line that catches most people is this one: "It is not available for tenants living in social housing - you are not eligible if you are a Housing Executive or housing association tenant." If you rent from the Housing Executive your landlord is responsible for the work instead, so report the cold to them rather than applying here.
A life interest arrangement in the home also counts. Holiday homes, bed and breakfasts and commercial premises do not.
- Private tenants need the landlord's written consent before the work can happen.
- You will have to prove ownership or tenancy, that you live there, and your income — payslips, benefit award letters and bank statements.
What it actually pays for, and the order it happens in
This is not a windows scheme, although a lot of people think it is. The Housing Executive takes what it calls a whole house approach and works down a fixed order of priority, so you cannot skip to the bit you want.
A boiler is only replaced under "boiler replacement / system upgrade for homes. This applies where a boiler is at least 15 years old" — and on top of that the householder has to be over 65, have a child getting Child Benefit or Kinship payments, or be getting Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance or Industrial Injuries Benefit.
- First, insulation and draughts. "installation or topping up of loft insulation to 300mm", roof ventilation, a hot water cylinder jacket, cavity wall insulation, draught proofing, and removing ineffective old cavity insulation.
- Then heating. Replacing solid fuel, LPG or Economy 7 with gas or oil central heating, or converting Economy 7 to high efficiency storage where gas and oil are not available.
- Then windows. Replacing single glazing.
- Last, solid walls. Solid wall insulation, detached properties only, and only after the rest is done.
If you are looking for the Boiler Replacement Scheme
You will not find it, and that is not your search being bad. The Housing Executive's standalone Boiler Replacement Scheme closed to new applications in September 2023 and is no longer listed among the grants it offers. Boiler replacement now sits inside Affordable Warmth, as part of the whole house approach described above. See what happened to the Boiler Replacement Scheme.
So the answer to "can I get a new boiler paid for in Northern Ireland" is: possibly, but through Affordable Warmth, where the boiler must be at least 15 years old and you have to meet this scheme's conditions. If your boiler is the only thing you want fixed, read the priority order again before you apply: insulation and heating come first.
The mistake that costs people the whole grant
"You must not start work until you receive confirmation, in writing, that you qualify for grant aid." And to be completely unambiguous about it, the Housing Executive also says "We will not pay for any work started or finished in your home before you receive written permission."
A phone call is not permission. A technical officer visiting your house is not permission. A contractor telling you it is fine to crack on is definitely not permission. Wait for the approval pack.
Once it arrives, move: "We usually expect you to complete grant aid work within three months of the date of approval." The grant can be cancelled if you run over.
One more that costs money quietly. If you decide against one of the measures you were awarded, "You cannot move grant monies to other measures. Instead, you will lose that part of the grant aid awarded."
How to apply
You do not apply to the Housing Executive directly. Ring the NI Energy Advice Service, which decides whether you look eligible and posts you a form: "Contact the NI Energy Advice Service (NIEAS): Tel: 0800 111 44 55".
A technical officer then inspects the house, which takes up to an hour. If you have cavity walls they may drill small holes outside to put a camera in — a borescope inspection — and they need your signature before they do it.
Be honest with yourself about the timing. "Grants are subject to the availability of funding." The scheme runs to a budget and applications are not guaranteed, so apply early in the financial year if you can.
Will it cost you anything?
It should not. "You should not have to contribute to the work agreed through the Scheme."
What can happen is that a contractor quotes more than the grant covers. The Housing Executive's own advice is to get estimates from at least three local builders rather than accept the first number you are given. If a contractor says extra work is needed, that has to be explained and sent in before anything starts.
Phone, forms and how long it takes
- NI Energy Advice Service (to apply)
- 0800 111 44 55
From the official pages (nihe.gov.uk), re-checked every night. Numbers and times can change, so check the official page before you send anything.
Common questions
Can I get the Affordable Warmth Scheme if I rent from the Housing Executive?
No. The scheme is for owner-occupiers and private tenants only. Housing Executive and housing association tenants are excluded because the landlord is responsible for the property's energy efficiency. If your social home is cold, report it to your landlord rather than applying here.
What counts towards the £23,000 income limit?
Total annual gross household income — everyone's income before tax, not just the applicant's, and not just wages. You will be asked for payslips, benefit award letters and bank statements to prove it.
Can I choose to have just the windows done?
No. The Housing Executive takes a whole house approach and works in a fixed order: insulation and draughtproofing first, then heating, then windows, then solid walls. Turning down a measure does not free the money up for something else, it simply loses that part of the grant.
Will they replace my boiler?
Only if it is at least 15 years old and the householder is over 65, has a child getting Child Benefit or Kinship payments, or receives Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance or Industrial Injuries Benefit. An old boiler on its own is not enough.
What happens if I start the work before approval?
You lose it. The Housing Executive will not pay for work started or finished before you have written permission, and there is no discretion in how that is worded. Wait for the approval pack even if a contractor is pushing you.
How long do I have to finish the work?
About three months from the date of approval. The grant may be cancelled if the work is not done in the timescale you are given, so line up your contractor before approval rather than after.