The Affordable Warmth Scheme is the main heating grant still open in Northern Ireland. Since the Boiler Replacement Scheme closed in September 2023, this is the route that actually funds boilers, heating and insulation for lower-income households.
It is run by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, with local councils handling the front end. This guide covers the income test, the benefits that are disregarded (the part most people get wrong), what the scheme funds, and how the referral works.
We are an introducer service connecting homeowners with independent Gas Safe and OFTEC registered engineers. We do not administer this scheme, we cannot submit or influence an application, and if you qualify the scheme appoints its own contractor rather than us. Everything below is here so you can make an informed call.
At a glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Status | Open |
| Income limit | Gross household income under £23,000 a year |
| Disregarded income | PIP, DLA, Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance |
| Run by | NI Housing Executive, with local councils |
| Covers | Insulation, heating measures, boiler replacement |
| Homes | Owner-occupied and some private rented |
| Contractor | Appointed by the scheme, not chosen by you |
| How to start | Your local council’s Affordable Warmth team |
The income test, and the mistake people make
The threshold is gross household income under £23,000 a year.
Here is the part that gets missed. Disability-related benefits are not counted as income for this scheme:
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
That single rule brings a lot of households inside the threshold who had already ruled themselves out. If your total household income only looks like it clears £23,000 because of one or more of those payments, do the sum again without them.
Wages, pensions, and most other benefits do count. If you are close either way, ring the NI Energy Advice Line on 0800 111 44 55 rather than guessing. It is free and independent.
What the scheme covers
Affordable Warmth is a whole-property energy efficiency scheme, not a boiler-replacement scheme with a different name. That distinction changes what you should expect.
An assessor surveys the property and works to a priority order. Typical measures:
- Cavity wall insulation
- Loft insulation
- Draught proofing
- Hot water cylinder insulation
- Heating system upgrades, including boiler replacement
- Heating controls
- In some cases, conversion to a different heat source
If your walls and loft are the weak point, the scheme may fund insulation before it funds a boiler. That is the scheme working as designed, not a rejection. The measures are prioritised on what will actually make the home warmer for the money.
What it will not do
- It will not let you pick your own installer. The scheme appoints its contractor. This is the biggest practical difference from the old Boiler Replacement Scheme, where you chose a registered engineer and the grant paid against their invoice.
- It will not pay for repairs or servicing. A broken boiler that can be repaired is a repair job, not a scheme measure.
- It will not move fast. Survey, referral and scheduling take time. If your boiler has failed in December, this is not the route that gets you heat this week.
- It will not cover you above £23,000. There is no partial award or tapering.
How to apply
Affordable Warmth is referral-based. There is no self-service online form of the kind the old scheme had, which is why people searching for an “application form” come up empty.
- Contact your local council’s Affordable Warmth team. Councils run the first contact and the initial assessment for their district. You can also approach the Housing Executive directly.
- Income assessment. Have recent proof of all household income ready, including benefits and pensions, plus a rates bill in your name for owner-occupier status.
- Home survey. An assessor visits and identifies which measures the property needs, in priority order.
- Referral to the Housing Executive, which approves the measures.
- The scheme’s contractor carries out the work.
If you are over the £23,000 threshold
Be prepared for an unwelcome answer: there is currently no boiler grant for you in Northern Ireland.
The old Boiler Replacement Scheme covered owner-occupiers up to £40,000 gross. It closed on 21 September 2023 and nothing replaced that band. Households between £23,000 and £40,000 fell out of grant coverage entirely and have been there since.
Two things worth doing:
- Respond to the Warm Healthy Homes Fund consultation. The successor scheme is being designed now and its eligibility criteria are exactly what is being consulted on. The consultation closes 19 August 2026. See Warm Healthy Homes Fund NI.
- Plan against real prices rather than waiting. See New boiler cost Northern Ireland.
Affordable Warmth vs the closed Boiler Replacement Scheme
| Affordable Warmth | Boiler Replacement Scheme | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Open | Closed since 21 Sept 2023 |
| Income limit | Under £23,000 | Was under £40,000 |
| Qualifying test | Property survey and income | Boiler 15+ years old and income |
| Scope | Whole property, fabric first | Boiler only |
| Grant | Measures funded and delivered | Was up to £1,000 toward the boiler |
| Installer | Appointed by the scheme | You chose a registered engineer |
What replaces it
The Department for Communities is consulting on the Warm Healthy Homes Fund, a key action within the Warm Healthy Homes Strategy 2026-36. It takes a whole-house, fabric-first approach and will cover owner-occupier and private rented homes. Eligibility and grant limits are still open questions.
Full detail: Warm Healthy Homes Fund NI.
Free impartial advice
NI Energy Advice Line: 0800 111 44 55. Free, independent, and the right first call if you are unsure whether you qualify. They have no incentive to sell you a boiler. We do, so start with them.
If you need heat now
If your boiler has failed and a referral will not arrive in time, the honest options are repair or private replacement:
- Boiler Repair to get through the season
- New boiler cost Northern Ireland for real replacement prices
- A no-obligation quote from an independent Gas Safe or OFTEC registered engineer through us. The engineer quotes you directly and holds the contract.
If you are already in the Affordable Warmth process, wait for it. Do not pay privately for work the scheme was about to fund.
Related services: Gas Boiler Installation · Oil Boiler Replacement · Oil to Gas Conversion · Boiler Repair
Related guides: Boiler Grants Northern Ireland · Warm Healthy Homes Fund NI · Boiler Replacement Scheme NI · Oil Boiler Grants NI
Sources
- NI Housing Executive, Affordable Warmth Scheme
- nidirect, Energy saving grants in your area
- Department for Communities, Closure of Boiler Replacement Scheme (21 September 2023)
- Department for Communities, Consultation on the Warm Healthy Homes Fund