Ofgem home energy grants FY26: installer briefing

Ofgem confirmed fresh funding caps for ECO+ and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) starting April 2026. If you run a lean HVAC or electrical crew, use this briefing to keep your Toolfy pipeline grant-ready.

1. Grant highlights for FY26

• ECO+ (Great British Insulation Scheme) receives an extra £400M, focusing on low-income, EPC D or lower homes. Measures: loft, cavity, heating controls.
• BUS adds £1,500 top-up for heat pumps in off-gas areas and extends application windows to 6 months post-install.
• Installer obligations: proof of MCS certification, customer eligibility evidence, and photographic documentation uploaded within 5 days.

2. Tagging and routing leads in Toolfy

1. Create job types for ECO+ survey, BUS heat pump, and Top-up works with tailored checklists.
2. Use the CRM’s custom fields to track EPC rating, benefits status, and utility account numbers.
3. Add reminder/workflow rules that assign grant leads to your most qualified assessor and block time for site surveys.

3. Documentation workflow

• Photo evidence: require minimum 6 photos per job (before, during, after) and upload to the Toolfy job record. Label them “ECO+ Evidence” so submissions are drag-and-drop.
• Eligibility pack: store customer consent, proof of ownership, and EPC reports inside Toolfy Documents folder /Grants/2026/CustomerName.
• Submission checklist: build a Toolfy checklist that mirrors Ofgem’s application form (MCS number, measure type, cost breakdown, warranty statement) so nothing is missed.

4. Cash flow considerations

• Deposits are allowed as long as T&Cs clarify grant amounts. Use split invoicing: customer deposit, grant balance, optional upsell works.
• Turn on milestone billing so BUS funds release upon commission test, not final paperwork.
• Track grant receivables separately (tag invoices as Grant) so Toolfy reports show how much subsidy money is outstanding.

5. Customer communication templates

• Pre-qualify leads with a Typeform or Toolfy form capturing postcode, property type, heating system, and benefit status.
• Automate SMS/email reminders for document uploads (“We still need your EPC certificate to submit the BUS application”).
• Build a “Grant timeline” email that explains survey → install → submission → payout, including expected weeks per step.

6. Compliance timeline

| Date | Action | | --- | --- | | Now–Jan 2026 | Audit existing Toolfy checklists and evidence folders; ensure MCS certs and insurance docs are current. | | Feb 2026 | Train staff on updated forms; dry-run an ECO+ and BUS submission using dummy data. | | April 2026 launch | Switch quote templates to include grant IDs and customer contribution lines. | | Post-launch | Review Toolfy grant tag weekly to chase missing uploads and check cash tied up in subsidies. |

Need our ECO+/BUS checklist pack or document folder template? Email support@toolfy.io and we’ll drop them into your workspace.