All 14 councils, ranked
| Council | No gas meter | Oil only | LPG only | Electric only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ribble Valley | 15.38% | 7.1% | 2.6% | 4.0% |
| Lancaster | 14.37% | 2.4% | 1.2% | 7.5% |
| Fylde | 11.16% | 1.2% | 1.0% | 9.8% |
| West Lancashire | 10.83% | 3.3% | 2.3% | 4.5% |
| Blackpool | 10.81% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 9.4% |
| Preston | 10.61% | 1.2% | 0.6% | 8.1% |
| Wyre | 9.08% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 5.6% |
| Chorley | 5.82% | 1.2% | 0.5% | 4.5% |
| Rossendale | 4.57% | 0.8% | 0.5% | 3.8% |
| Pendle | 4.25% | 1.5% | 0.8% | 3.2% |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 3.31% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 4.4% |
| South Ribble | 3.14% | 0.8% | 0.7% | 4.1% |
| Burnley | 3.06% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 4.4% |
| Hyndburn | 2.65% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 3.7% |
Three kinds of off-gas district
Rural: Ribble Valley, Lancaster, West Lancashire, Wyre
In Ribble Valley 7.1% of households used oil alone in 2021, double the national 3.5%, and 2.6% LPG. West Lancashire (3.3% oil) and Lancaster (2.4%) follow, with Wyre at 2.4%. These are farms, villages and scattered homes beyond the gas main, where the higher Boiler Upgrade Scheme band of £9,000 applies to oil and LPG homes with no mains gas until 31 March 2027, and where land for ground source is likelier.
Coastal and urban electric: Blackpool and Fylde
Blackpool's 10.81% off-gas share does not come from oil: only 0.1% of households used it. It comes from electric heating, which 9.4% of Blackpool households relied on alone in 2021. Fylde, at 11.16%, mixes both. For electric-heated homes a heat pump usually cuts the electricity needed for heating, and the standard grant band applies.
Mostly on gas: the rest
Chorley, Rossendale, Pendle, Blackburn with Darwen, South Ribble, Burnley and Hyndburn all had fewer than six properties in a hundred without a gas meter. There a heat pump will usually replace a gas boiler.
What off-gas means for a grant
For the higher grant band, Ofgem uses a precise definition: the property must not be fuelled by mains gas, must have no record of a gas meter point and must not be on a heat network or be a new build. A capped or clamped gas meter still counts as mains gas. The home must also be heated by oil or LPG. The oil and LPG page sets the conditions out in full.
See your district
- Ribble Valley 15.38% off gas 161 grants paid
- Lancaster 14.37% off gas 220 grants paid
- Fylde 11.16% off gas 103 grants paid
- West Lancashire 10.83% off gas 180 grants paid
- Blackpool 10.81% off gas 176 grants paid
- Preston 10.61% off gas 177 grants paid
- Wyre 9.08% off gas 146 grants paid
The five highest, one by one
Ribble Valley (15.38%). The most rural district, with 1,888 oil-only households in 2021 and 34.5% of households in detached houses. Many homes here can consider ground source as well as air source.
Lancaster (14.37%). A city, a coast and the uplands beyond; 1,463 households used oil alone and 4,487 electricity alone in 2021.
Fylde (11.16%). 29.4% of households lived in detached houses; electric and oil heating both play a part. Its Warm Homes route is unconfirmed.
West Lancashire (10.83%). A farming district with 1,586 oil-only households, 3.3% of the total.
Blackpool (10.81%). Off the grid mainly through electric heating, which 6,062 households relied on alone; oil heated only 57.
Choosing a route off the grid
- Oil or LPG, no gas meter: the higher grant band until 31 March 2027; air source, or ground source with land.
- Electric heating: the standard band; air-to-water where there are radiators or room for them, air-to-air in some flats.
- On a lower income: Cosy Homes in Lancashire when it reopens, for the 13 councils it covers.
Electric heating and the network
Homes off the gas grid because they are heated by electricity already have a connection sized for electric heating, which can help when a heat pump is added; the installer still checks the supply and notifies the network operator. A heat pump moving heat rather than making it usually needs less electricity for the same warmth than storage or panel heaters, which is the main reason electric-heated homes in Blackpool, Fylde and Lancaster are worth a look.
Ground source in the rural districts
Ribble Valley (34.5% detached), West Lancashire (30.5%) and Wyre (29.9%) have the largest shares of detached homes among the off-gas districts, and with them more plots that could take a ground loop. Ground source heat pumps within a home's grounds are permitted development under Class C in England. They cost more than air source but work from a steadier heat source through the winter.
Off-gas does not mean rural everywhere
It is easy to assume off-gas homes are all farmhouses. In Lancashire that is only half the picture: Blackpool and Preston, two of the most urban councils, both have more than one property in ten without a gas meter. In the towns the reason is mostly electric heating; in the countryside it is oil and LPG. The routes differ accordingly.
Whichever kind of off-gas home it is, the district finder puts its council's figures and routes in one place.
Checking your own home
The district shares describe councils, not houses. To know where your home stands, check three things: whether there is any gas meter or meter point, even an old capped one; what fuel the boiler or heaters actually use; and who owns the tank, if there is one. Those answers decide the grant band and the practical work.