One scheme for thirteen councils
Cosy Homes in Lancashire, usually shortened to CHiL, is the Lancashire local authorities' affordable warmth initiative. Blackpool Council is the lead authority. For the Warm Homes: Local Grant, the government's list of successful local authorities, updated on 2 July 2026, shows an allocation of £35,324,700 to Blackpool on behalf of the consortium. The councils CHiL names are:
- Ribble Valley
- Lancaster
- West Lancashire
- Blackpool
- Preston
- Wyre
- Chorley
- Rossendale
- Pendle
- Blackburn with Darwen
- South Ribble
- Burnley
- Hyndburn
That is every council this guide covers except Fylde.
What it offers
CHiL describes two pots for each eligible home: one for energy efficiency measures, such as insulation, and one for clean heat, such as an air source heat pump. The national guidance, updated in July 2026, caps each at £16,600 per home, averaged across each project; CHiL's own page has shown older, lower figures, so the offer when forms reopen is what counts. Homeowners contribute nothing towards the work. For landlords, under the national guidance a landlord contributes nothing towards the first property and 50 per cent on later ones; CHiL's page says landlords usually contribute 50 per cent, so check its terms. The scheme launched in April 2025.
Under the national rules, the council or consortium appoints the installers who do the work, so a household cannot bring its own installer to the scheme.
Who it is for
| Condition | What CHiL says |
|---|---|
| The home | An Energy Performance Certificate rated D to G, in an eligible postcode |
| The household | Gross income under £36,000, or someone receiving a means-tested benefit |
| Owners | Contribute nothing |
| Landlords | Usually contribute 50 per cent |
Where it stands now
This is the part that matters most for anyone reading in late 2026. CHiL says its funding for 2026/27 is fully committed and it is not taking applications. It says application forms will be sent in March 2027. So a household that qualifies cannot start an application today, but can check the conditions now, get an EPC if the home does not have one, and be ready.
Fylde
Fylde is the exception. It is not among the councils CHiL lists, and the government's Warm Homes: Local Grant allocation list does not include it under Blackpool's entry. This guide therefore marks Fylde's Warm Homes route as unconfirmed. Fylde residents should ask Fylde Council directly what applies to homes there, and can use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in the meantime if they own the home.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, open now
The national Boiler Upgrade Scheme is separate and open. It is for owners, including landlords, replacing fossil fuel or electric heating: £7,500 off an installer's quote, or £9,000 for an oil or LPG home with no mains gas, for applications properly made by 31 March 2027. The installer applies. It cannot be used for a heat pump that has already had government funding, so a household should not plan on both CHiL and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for the same heat pump.
Across the 14 councils, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme paid for 1,892 heat pumps between May 2022 and September 2026. The grants page breaks that down by district.
Getting ready before forms go out
- Check the home's EPC rating on the government register. CHiL is for homes rated D to G.
- Check whether the postcode is eligible and whether the household's gross income is under £36,000 or someone receives a means-tested benefit.
- If you rent privately, talk to your landlord early: landlords usually contribute half.
- Keep an eye on CHiL's page for forms in March 2027.
Owners above the income limit
CHiL is targeted at lower-income households, so many owners will not qualify. For them the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is the route, open now. In districts with many off-gas homes, such as Ribble Valley and Lancaster, owners heating with oil or LPG and with no mains gas can get the higher band until 31 March 2027.
Why the status matters
A grant that is fully committed cannot help this winter, whatever its conditions. Planning around CHiL means planning for the next funding year; planning around the Boiler Upgrade Scheme means planning now, because the higher band for oil and LPG homes depends on the installer's application date.
What the two pots can mean in a home
The split between energy efficiency and clean heat lets a home get both: insulation to cut the heat it loses, and a heat pump sized for the smaller demand that results. In a terraced house in Burnley or Pendle, that might mean loft and wall insulation first; in an oil-heated house in the Ribble Valley, it might mean a heat pump replacing the boiler. Which measures a home gets depends on CHiL's assessment of it, not on a fixed menu.
A heat pump funded by CHiL is government funding for that heat pump, so the same heat pump cannot also get the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant. Insulation funded by CHiL does not stop a later heat pump using the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
For the district-level picture of who might qualify, the district finder shows each council's homes, tenure and off-gas share.
If your home is in Fylde, or above CHiL's income limit, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is the route to look at first.
If you are a landlord
CHiL also covers privately rented homes in its councils. Under the national guidance a landlord contributes nothing towards the first property and 50 per cent on later ones. A landlord with several homes rated D to G in Burnley, Preston or Blackpool may find it worth checking each against the scheme's conditions once forms reopen.
To see how CHiL applies in your own council, use the district finder; the table of all 14 districts compares them side by side, and off-gas Lancashire covers the homes without mains gas, where clean heat replaces oil, LPG or electric heating.