The local picture
Home energy in Winchester
A large share of homes in Winchester are off the gas grid, typically heated by oil, LPG or electric heaters. These are some of the most expensive ways to heat a home — and exactly what heat pump and off-gas grants are designed to replace.
That’s about 11,760 of the 57,980 homes in Winchester — higher than the average for the South East.
An estimated 4,547 households in Winchester (8.2%) are in fuel poverty — living on a lower income in a home that’s expensive to heat. That’s in line with the South East average of 8.2%.
Sources: DESNZ, Sub-national estimates of properties not connected to the gas network, 2024 data (published December 2025); DESNZ, Sub-regional fuel poverty data 2026 (2024 data), Low Income Low Energy Efficiency measure.
What’s available
Grants you could get in Winchester
With so many homes in Winchester off mains gas, heat pump funding is often the biggest opportunity — but we’ll check every scheme you could qualify for.
Eligibility
Who can apply in Winchester?
- You own your home or rent it privately (with your landlord’s permission)
- Your heating is old, inefficient or not on mains gas — or you have no central heating
- Someone in your household receives a qualifying benefit, or your income or postcode qualifies through local criteria
- For heat pumps: you’re replacing oil, gas, LPG or electric heating (not means-tested)
Not sure? Just ask.
Rules differ between schemes, and some depend on where you live in Winchester. Apply online or call 0800 246 1797 and we’ll check your postcode.
FAQs
Grant questions in Winchester
Can I get a free boiler in Winchester?
Yes — homeowners and private tenants in Winchester can apply for government-backed funding. Eligibility usually depends on your heating system and household circumstances, such as receiving certain benefits, and in some areas your income or postcode. A quick application tells us what you could be entitled to.
How many homes in Winchester are off the gas grid?
Around 20.3% of homes in Winchester — roughly 11,760 properties — aren’t connected to the gas network, higher than the South East average of 15.6%. These homes can often get extra support, including up to £9,000 towards a heat pump where the Boiler Upgrade Scheme applies.
Can I get a heat pump grant in Winchester?
Yes. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £7,500 towards an air or ground source heat pump, plus an extra £1,500 until March 2027 for homes heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas connection. It isn’t means-tested.