Dartford council has stopped taking new Warm Homes Local Grant applications for free insulation and solar panels. Year three is due to open on 1 April 2027.
Dartford homeowners can no longer apply for free insulation, solar panels or heat pumps under the government’s Warm Homes Local Grant. The council has stopped taking new applications until the scheme’s third year, which is due to start on 1 April 2027.
The council says too many homes are already working their way through the scheme for the money left this year. The government’s online eligibility checker has also been paused for addresses in the borough. (Warm homes scheme, Dartford Borough Council)
Applications the council has already received will still be processed. It says it will review them over the coming months, ready for the new year of funding. That year three money is “subject to funding availability”.
Why the money ran short
The council runs the grant jointly with Dover District Council, which holds the funding. A report to Dartford’s Cabinet on 29 October set out the pressure. (Energy Efficiency Work annual report, Appendix B, Cabinet, 29 October 2026)
It said enquiries “greatly outstrip the funding levels”. That is partly because two other insulation schemes, Energy Company Obligation 4 and Local Authority Flex, have closed, leaving this grant as one of the few routes left.
The report also said:
- the whole Dartford and Dover consortium has £744,153.69 for year two, including admin costs
- the target for year two is 53 homes across both districts
- by 28 July, 7 Dartford homes had been approved for year two work, worth £130,776.49
- government officials said on 22 July that no extra top-up money would be available this year
- battery storage is now being judged home by home because of the funding limits
Many applicants also drop out early. The report said proof of income is required, and some homes turn out to have a better energy rating than their certificate shows because the owner has already improved them.
What the grant paid for in Dartford last year
In 2025-26, the scheme’s first year, 24 Dartford homes had work done, at a cost of £385,467.75 from the grant. The council added £40,521 of its own money.
Most of the Dartford work went to park homes:
| Work done in Dartford, 2025-26 | Number |
|---|---|
| Park home wall insulation | 17 |
| Park home underfloor insulation | 17 |
| Loft insulation, including park homes | 14 |
| Solar panels | 4 |
| Battery storage | 3 |
| Electric storage heaters | 2 |
| Smart heating controls | 1 |
| Flat roof insulation | 1 |
Some homes had more than one job done. The loft figure combines 8 ordinary lofts and 6 park home lofts.
The report also said a separate grant for homes without mains gas, the Home Upgrade Grant 2, paid for work on 41 Dartford homes before it closed in March 2025.
Who will be able to apply in April
The council’s page sets out who qualifies, and these are the rules year three is expected to follow. Your home’s Energy Performance Certificate must be rated D, E, F or G. You can check your home’s rating on GOV.UK. If there is no certificate, one can be done as part of the scheme.
Your household must also meet one of these:
- live in one of the more deprived postcode areas, based on the 2019 Indices of Multiple Deprivation
- receive a means-tested benefit (Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance do not count)
- have a gross household income below £36,000 a year
Owner-occupiers and private tenants can both be helped. Insulation comes first under the grant rules, so cavity wall and loft insulation are done before solar panels or a heat pump. What you get depends on a survey of the home.
The grant runs for one more year after this one, finishing in March 2028.
What it means for you
If you have already applied, you do not need to do anything. Your application stays in the queue.
If you have not applied, you cannot start an application now, either with the council or through the government checker. The council’s energy team can be reached at energy@dartford.gov.uk or on 01322 343056.
If your boiler has broken down or been condemned and you are on a low income, there is a separate route. The Cabinet report says the council has set aside part of its Crisis Resilience Fund for this. The first homes being helped include a first-time gas connection for a low-income resident and a replacement boiler for a resident with severe health problems. The same energy team handles it.
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