The Government Green Homes Grant scheme closed to new applications on 31 March 2021 and no longer exists. Its budget was largely redirected into other programmes, chiefly the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) for low-income households and local-authority retrofit schemes, none of which offers the general double glazing vouchers the Green Homes Grant briefly promised.
If you arrived here looking for help with the cost of new windows and doors in 2026, this page explains what the scheme was, why it closed, what government support actually exists now, and the private alternative that is open to homeowners today. You can check what you qualify for in under 60 seconds.
What the Green Homes Grant was
Launched in September 2020 as part of the post-pandemic recovery plan, the Green Homes Grant let homeowners and landlords in England apply for vouchers covering up to two-thirds of the cost of energy-saving home improvements, capped at £5,000, or up to £10,000 with full funding for low-income households.
Improvements were split into two categories. You had to install at least one primary measure before you could claim for a secondary one, and the secondary voucher was capped at the value of the first:
- Primary measures: insulation (loft, floor, cavity or solid wall) and low-carbon heating such as heat pumps, solar thermal or biomass boilers.
- Secondary measures: double or triple glazing to replace single glazing, energy-efficient replacement doors (for solid doors fitted before 2002), draught-proofing and heating controls.
That structure mattered: you could never get glazing help on its own. Martin Lewis of Money Saving Expert summed up the frustration at the time, noting that many people wanted the secondary improvements without needing the primary ones, and the design deliberately prevented that.
Why the scheme closed
The scheme was originally intended to run to March 2022, but it was scrapped a year early, closing to new applications on 31 March 2021. The reasons were well documented:
- the application website and voucher administration were slow and error-prone, with long delays between application and voucher issue;
- there were too few accredited tradespeople in many areas willing or able to do the work under the scheme's rules;
- by late 2020 only a fraction of applicants had received vouchers, and uptake fell far short of the £2 billion budget;
- reports of inflated quotes from some contractors capitalising on the vouchers undermined confidence further.
Vouchers already issued could be redeemed for a period after closure, but the scheme itself was wound up and its remaining funds redirected.
What government support exists now (2026)
Government help with home energy efficiency still exists in 2026, but it is targeted, and windows are rarely the priority:
- ECO4 (Energy Company Obligation). Obliges large energy suppliers to fund improvements for qualifying low-income and benefit-receiving households, usually in less efficient homes. Packages centre on insulation and heating; windows and doors are seldom covered because they deliver smaller modelled savings per pound spent.
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Grants towards heat pumps and biomass boilers in England and Wales. It is heating only and offers nothing for glazing.
- The Warm Homes Plan. The government's current umbrella programme for upgrading Britain's housing stock, channelling funding through local authorities and social landlords. Worthwhile if you qualify through your council or landlord, but again focused on insulation and heating rather than window replacement for private homeowners.
In Scotland, separate support runs through Home Energy Scotland and Warmer Homes Scotland; our guide to window and home improvement grants in Scotland covers those in full. The practical takeaway for most UK homeowners is blunt: there is currently no general government grant for double glazing.
The private alternative: the Help 2 Buy Windows grant and funding
Because government support rarely reaches windows and doors, a private scheme fills the gap. Qualifying homeowners can have new double glazed windows and doors supplied and installed through the Help 2 Buy window grant scheme, with grants awarded on need, subject to qualifying criteria and available funding. The Help 2 Buy Windows grant has nothing to do with the UK government; it is funded 100% by Help 2 Buy Windows through the sale of leads to our clients.
To be considered you need to own your home and be employed, self-employed or retired, and your case is stronger if your current glazing is over five years old, damaged, draughty or misted between the panes. Our guide on how to qualify for free windows and doors walks through the assessment in detail.
If you do not qualify for the grant, funding options through vetted partner installers let you spread the cost over time with no large upfront payment, which for many households beats waiting for a government scheme that may never cover windows at all.
Could you qualify for funding towards new windows and doors? Homeowners with windows five years old or older can check in under 60 seconds. Launch the funding checker.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Green Homes Grant still available?
No. The Government Green Homes Grant closed to new applications on 31 March 2021, less than a year after it launched. Vouchers that had already been issued could still be redeemed for a period afterwards, but no new applications have been possible since. Any website presenting it as a live scheme is out of date.
Can I still get a government grant for windows?
Rarely. ECO4 can fund energy efficiency improvements for qualifying low-income and benefit-receiving households, but windows and doors are seldom covered because insulation and heating deliver bigger modelled savings. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is for low-carbon heating only. For most homeowners there is no government window grant, which is why the private Help 2 Buy Windows grant and funding options exist.
What replaced the Green Homes Grant?
Its budget and ambitions were largely folded into other programmes: the Energy Company Obligation (now ECO4) for low-income households, local-authority-delivered retrofit schemes, and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for heat pumps and biomass boilers. In 2026 these sit under the government's wider Warm Homes Plan agenda. None of them offers the general two-thirds voucher for double glazing that the Green Homes Grant briefly promised.
How can I get help with the cost of new windows in 2026?
Check the private route first: the Help 2 Buy Windows grant covers windows, doors and installation for qualifying homeowners, and funding options through partner installers let you spread the cost with no large upfront payment if you do not qualify for the grant. The eligibility check takes under 60 seconds and there is no obligation.