How to apply for the Warm Homes Loan: step by step, and when it starts
You apply to a lender, not to the government. The Warm Homes Loan Scheme launched on 26 to 27 October 2026 with ten named lenders, but there is no government portal, waiting list or opening date, and each lender's product is at its own stage. Here is the order to do things in, what a quote has to show, and what to keep afterwards.
Updated 28 October 2026 · written by the Clearline guidance team · 7 min read
On this page
- Quick answer: how do I apply for a Warm Homes Loan?
- When do Warm Homes Loans start?
- How do I get a Warm Homes Loan, step by step?
- What does a Warm Homes Loan application involve?
- What does my quote need to show for a Warm Homes Loan?
- Which lenders can I apply to?
- Who do I contact if something goes wrong?
Quick answer: how do I apply for a Warm Homes Loan?
Apply to a lender that offers Warm Homes loans, never to the government. GOV.UK gives three routes: directly to a lender, through an installation firm or retailer arranging finance for the work, or through your mortgage provider. The lender runs affordability, credit and eligibility checks, and the work must be done by an MCS-certified business, not by you. The scheme launched on 26 to 27 October 2026, but each lender's product is at its own stage, so check that the product description shows it is government-funded and check the lender's own page before you start. The ten lenders are in our lenders guide.
Budget update: Boiler Upgrade Scheme and Warm Homes Loan
The Budget document says the government has launched the Warm Homes Loan Scheme and will hold the Boiler Upgrade Scheme at £400 million in 2027-28, rising broadly in line with inflation after that, as announced in the 28 October 2026 Budget. It also saves £1 billion of capital grant from the Warm Homes Plan without saying which parts of the Plan carry the saving. Source: HM Treasury, Budget 2026 document (Red Book), paragraph 4.36.
No portal, no waiting list, no opening date
GOV.UK shows none of the three. There is one application per lender, and Clearline is not a lender: we do not offer, arrange or broker credit. Our Warm Homes Loan page tracks the scheme's status.
When do Warm Homes Loans start?
They have started, in the sense that the scheme is live and ten lenders are named. HM Treasury marked the launch on 26 October 2026 and the DESNZ factsheet is dated 27 October 2026, which is why you will see both dates quoted. There is no single opening day for applications, because each lender opens on its own timetable.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
20 January 2026 | Warm Homes Plan published, with loan details promised for later in 2026 |
24 June 2026 | Notice inviting lenders to apply to the scheme first published |
29 July 2026 | First-tranche lender applications closed |
26 October 2026 | HM Treasury marks the launch of the loan scheme |
27 October 2026 | DESNZ factsheet published, telling homeowners to apply to a participating lender |
28 October 2026 | GOV.UK names ten lenders and shows no portal, waiting list or opening date |
Late 2026 | A further lender window is planned, for onboarding in early 2027. Exact dates are still to be confirmed |
Sources: GOV.UK, HM Treasury and DESNZ pages listed below, accessed 28 October 2026. Before launch, the Scheme Rules had planned an initial consumer phase from September 2026, so the launch came later than that plan.
Funding is a shared pot allocated first come, first served, and the Scheme Rules give no end date for the scheme. The Scheme Rules say DESNZ will give lenders six months' notice when six months of funding remain, and a month's notice before grant stops.
How do I get a Warm Homes Loan, step by step?
Decide what you want fitted
GOV.UK offers free advice at gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency to help you decide which upgrades suit your home. The loan can fund solar panels and batteries (up to £15,000 each), heat pumps (£20,000 air-to-water, £35,000 ground source, before any Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant) and a few other measures. Insulation is not funded. Our solar and battery loan guide covers the caps.
Check you qualify
You must own the property, with or without a mortgage, and it must be a residential home in the UK. Owner-occupiers and private landlords borrowing personally can apply. There is no income test and no scheme-level minimum EPC, though lenders may add their own criteria. On a lower income in England you may get free improvements through the Warm Homes: Local Grant instead: GOV.UK says you cannot use a Warm Homes loan and other government funding to pay for the same improvement, with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and Home Energy Scotland as the exceptions.
Get a written quote from an MCS-certified business
The business must be MCS certified for the specific technology, and the product must be MCS certified too. Compare more than one quote and check each against the list in the next section. Ours is a free design and quote, on video, or by phone if you prefer.
Choose a lender and check its product
Pick from the ten on the GOV.UK lenders page. Check the product description shows it is government-funded, then compare the total repayable, the term and any monthly fees, as the factsheet advises. Ask whether the lender works only with specific firms or accepts any MCS-certified one; some do and some do not. The lenders guide has ten questions worth asking.
Apply to the lender
Apply directly, through the firm or retailer arranging the finance, or through your mortgage provider. The lender runs credit, affordability and eligibility checks. Expect to sign the loan agreement and a declaration that you are not using other government funding for the same improvement.
Have the work carried out
You cannot do the work yourself. Lenders check the MCS certification at quote stage and again after the work, and the business lodges the job in the MCS database to generate the certificate they rely on. When the lender pays out (upfront, as a deposit, direct to the business or after verification) is the lender's decision, so ask in advance.
Keep your records and expect a possible audit
Keep the quote, the finance agreement, the invoice, proof of purchase and the MCS certificate. Some completed work is picked at random for audit. A DESNZ auditor gives at least 48 hours' notice, can show ID, and being selected does not mean something is wrong. The loan documents carry your consent to property access for scheme compliance.
The factsheet also suggests considering a smart energy tariff once the system is in; our tariff guide covers the options.
Get my free quote
Three details. We call or text within one working day to book your free 30-minute design call, on video or by phone if you prefer.
What does a Warm Homes Loan application involve?
- Credit and affordability checks. These are the lender's own, under its normal rules. The scheme sets no income threshold.
- A quote. Where you take a quote to the lender yourself, it has to meet the requirements below. Where finance is built into a firm's own journey at the point of sale, the lender's journey sets what is needed.
- A declaration. You confirm you are not using other government funding for the same improvement.
- Borrowing in your own name. The scheme is for personal borrowing. Lending to businesses or special purpose vehicles is not supported in the first phase, and if you own more than one property you may apply for a loan for each.
- Lender-specific rules. Lenders may add criteria such as an EPC, an age range or an exclusion of renters. One lender's page, for example, says it excludes private renters, social housing tenants and businesses.
What does my quote need to show for a Warm Homes Loan?
Where you take a quote to the lender yourself, the Scheme Rules set eight requirements. Check any quote against this list before you apply, whoever it comes from.
- It is dated within the last six months.
- It is addressed to you as the applicant.
- It is on the business's headed paper.
- It shows the business's MCS number.
- It comes from an MCS-certified business.
- It shows the full installation address.
- It gives an itemised cost breakdown of all the improvements.
- It shows the system size in kW.
Which lenders can I apply to?
GOV.UK names HomeServe Finance, Hometree Finance, The Money Co-Op, Propensio, Secure Trust Bank, Selina Finance, South Manchester Credit Union, Sunsave Energy, Tandem Bank and This Bank. When we checked on 28 October 2026 we could open two lender pages. Sunsave's described a working online journey, and Tandem Bank's said it takes applications only through installation firms it has approved. We could not confirm whether the other eight are taking applications, so do not assume any lender is open until its own page says so. Our lenders guide sets out what is and is not known.
Who do I contact if something goes wrong?
- The loan, a credit decision or servicing: the lender first, then the Financial Ombudsman Service. Where the Consumer Credit Act applies, the Scheme Rules note a lender can also be held liable for installation quality and mis-selling.
- The workmanship: the business that did the work first, then MCS.
- The Scheme Rules or how eligibility is applied: DESNZ, at WHLS@energysecurity.gov.uk. GOV.UK lists no scheme phone helpline.
- A suspected scam or misuse: WHLScounterfraud@energysecurity.gov.uk. You never apply to the government, and Which? has warned that unsolicited offers of loan access are likely scams.
The loan and 0% VAT are separate
HMRC has the zero rate of VAT on installing solar panels and batteries ending on 31 March 2027, and 5% from 1 April 2027, whichever lender you use or whether you borrow at all. Our VAT deadline guide covers what that means.
A free design and quote, on video, or by phone if you prefer, gives you a written, itemised price for the solar or battery work, which is the starting point before you speak to any lender. It is a quote for the work from our MCS-certified, fully insured installation teams, and we do not offer or arrange finance.
Get my free quote →Steps, requirements and dates were checked against GOV.UK, the DESNZ factsheet and the Scheme Rules on 28 October 2026. Lender products are at different stages and the scheme can change, with at least 30 days' written notice for rule changes. This guide is factual information about a government scheme, not financial advice.
Warm Homes Loan application questions, answered
How do I apply for a Warm Homes Loan?
Apply to a participating lender, never to the government: directly, through an installation firm or retailer arranging finance for the work, or through your mortgage provider. Get a written quote from an MCS-certified business first, choose a lender from the ten on GOV.UK, check the product description shows it is government-funded, and expect credit and affordability checks.
Is there a Warm Homes Loan application form or government website?
No. GOV.UK shows no portal, waiting list or opening date, and its guidance is to contact the lenders directly. The Scheme Rules say scheme information will sit on a page of the government's upcoming Home Energy Advice tool, but we found no such page on 28 October 2026.
When do Warm Homes Loans start?
The scheme launched on 26 to 27 October 2026: HM Treasury marked 26 October and the DESNZ factsheet is dated 27 October. Each lender opens on its own timetable, and only two lender pages could be opened on 28 October. A further lender window is planned for late 2026, for onboarding in early 2027.
Will I need a credit check for a Warm Homes Loan?
Yes. Lenders run their own credit, affordability and eligibility checks. The scheme itself has no income test, so a lender decides whether to lend to you under its normal criteria.
Can I choose my own installation firm?
The business must be MCS certified for the technology, and the scheme has no approved list of its own. Lenders can add their own: the DESNZ factsheet says some work only with specific firms and others accept any MCS-certified firm. Ask the lender before you choose.
Can I fit the system myself and still get the loan?
No. GOV.UK says borrowers cannot do the work themselves, and the business doing it must be MCS certified for the technology.
Can I use a Warm Homes Loan with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
Yes, in England and Wales. The Scheme Rules say a borrower applying for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme can take a Warm Homes loan to cover installation costs above the grant. The caps apply before the grant is deducted. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme and Home Energy Scotland are the two exceptions to the rule against using other government funding for the same improvement.
Can landlords apply for a Warm Homes Loan?
Private landlords can, on a personal borrowing basis, with a separate loan for each property. Lending to businesses and special purpose vehicles is not supported in the first phase.
See the numbers next: Duracell Dura16, installed, or the battery storage guide.
Figures and specifications in this guide are sourced below and were checked on the date shown. Rates and product specifications change; we confirm the current picture on your free design call.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Warm Homes Loan Scheme: apply, routes to a lender, credit checks and the government-funded product description check, accessed 28 October 2026 gov.uk/warm-homes-loan-scheme/apply
- GOV.UK, Warm Homes Loan Scheme: eligibility, ownership, MCS and the rule against duplicate funding, accessed 28 October 2026 gov.uk/warm-homes-loan-scheme/eligibility
- GOV.UK, Warm Homes Loan Scheme: lenders, list of ten lenders, accessed 28 October 2026 gov.uk/warm-homes-loan-scheme/lenders
- GOV.UK, Warm Homes Loan Scheme: audits and help, random audit process, complaints routes and contacts, accessed 28 October 2026 gov.uk
- DESNZ, Warm Homes Loan Scheme: Factsheet, 27 October 2026, accessed 28 October 2026 gov.uk
- DESNZ, Warm Homes Loan Scheme Rules, version 3, September 2026: quote requirements (paras 5.21 and 5.22), lender checks, declarations, complaints and funding notice periods, accessed 28 October 2026 assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
- HM Treasury, Everyday fixes to make life easier for millions of Britons, 26 October 2026 (launch of the loan scheme), accessed 28 October 2026 gov.uk
- GOV.UK, Warm Homes Loan Scheme: apply to participate as a lender (Phase 1), first published 24 June 2026, last updated 17 September 2026, accessed 28 October 2026 gov.uk
- GOV.UK, Warm Homes Plan, published 20 January 2026 (loan details promised for later in 2026), accessed 28 October 2026 gov.uk
- HMRC, VAT Notice 708/6: energy-saving materials, zero rate to 31 March 2027 and reduced rate of 5% from 1 April 2027, accessed 28 October 2026 gov.uk
- Sunsave, Warm Homes Loan Scheme page, last updated 28 October 2026, accessed 28 October 2026 sunsave.energy
- Tandem Bank, Warm Homes Loan Scheme page, undated, accessed 28 October 2026 tandem.co.uk
- Which?, The Warm Homes Plan explained: loans for green tech and free insulation, 5 February 2026, accessed 28 October 2026 which.co.uk
- HM Treasury, Budget 2026 document (Red Book), accessed 28 October 2026 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2026-document/budget-2026-html
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