Government grants & money-saving schemes
There's real money on the table in government schemes — but the pages explaining them are usually written by someone trying to sell you something. Here's the plain-English version, traced to official sources, with the honest caveats left in.
Heat pumps & home upgrades
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme: £7,500 off a heat pump in England & Wales, or £9,000 for off-gas-grid homes until March 2027. Who's eligible, and how to claim it.
What one really costs, whether it saves money to run, and the homes it doesn't suit.
The two honest routes to a good install — and the four things to sort first.
Who'll qualify, what it's meant to cover, and what's confirmed so far.
Solar & battery
What solar really costs in 2026, what you actually get back, and the roofs it doesn't suit — no 'free electricity' hype.
There's no 'free solar' grant — but there is 0% VAT and the Smart Export Guarantee. The honest picture.
Standard solar shuts off in a blackout. What battery backup actually does — and whether it's worth it.
The three routes that keep you in control — and what to check before you ask for a price.
Electric cars & fuel
The pence-per-mile numbers at today's record diesel price: charged at home, on an overnight tariff, and on a public rapid charger, where it isn't.
What one costs installed, who can claim the £500 grant before March 2027, and when not to buy.
Today's averages and the cheapest forecourts near your postcode.
Why diesel, not crude, is the squeeze, and what forecasters expect next.
Bills & tariffs
Ofgem's October cap in plain numbers, the rule of thumb for whether a fix is worth it, and the five things to check.
What forecasters expect for January to March 2027, each forecast dated and sourced.
Smart meter: nothing to do. Traditional meter: why a reading when the cap changes is worth two minutes, and how long suppliers give you to send one.
Smart, digital, dial, Economy 7 and gas: which numbers to send, and what to do when a smart meter stops sending readings.
What the headlines are based on, and who cheaper-at-night tariffs actually suit.
The low-income scheme your water company runs, what it gives you, and who qualifies.
1, 2 and 3kW heaters at the October cap, and when they're safe to leave on.
Benefits & support you may be owed
Billions in support go unclaimed. Every scheme — Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payment, Cold Weather Payments, Pension Credit — who it's for, and where to check.
A third of eligible people miss it — and it unlocks the Warm Home Discount, Cold Weather Payments and more.
Tax-free, not means-tested help for people who need care or supervision, and it can unlock Pension Credit too.
£100–£300 for heating. The opt-out deadline in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (11:59pm, 20 September 2026) has passed: if your income is over £35,000 and you didn't opt out, HMRC will take it back, usually through your tax code or Self Assessment.
£150 off your electricity bill, with far wider eligibility since 2025.
£25 when it turns freezing — and Scotland's guaranteed £62 alternative.
Reductions, discounts, the disabled band scheme and a band challenge — and the order to try them.
Grants of up to £1,700 from 1 October, supplier funds, Fuel Direct, and the write-off that doesn't exist yet.
What each nation offers this winter: Northern Ireland's £100 card, Scotland's £300, council help in England and Wales.
What replaced the Household Support Fund in April 2026 — help with food and energy via your council.
Free help & compensation
Free extra help in a power, gas or water emergency: who's eligible, what you get, and exactly how to sign up.
What you're owed for a long cut, the different rules for storms, and how to claim.
What to do first, where to get water, and the compensation rates.
The first 48 hours, drying out, and running the insurance claim.
A free simple will for over-55s in October, and Will Aid for any age in November.
Fallen trees, fences and roof tiles: what counts as a storm, and what to do first.
Winter cover
What a plan actually buys, what it excludes, the five things to check before you join, and the free alternative.
The safe checks to try first, when to call a Gas Safe engineer, and what a landlord has to fix.
The most common winter boiler fault, and how to thaw it safely before you call anyone.
Stop pipes freezing, thaw one safely, and act fast if one bursts.
Warm the person, then the zone, then the room, with the cost per hour of each step.
Tell them apart, fix each properly, and when it's your landlord's job.
What changes, who gets a battery backup, and what to ask before you switch broadband.
Kept current: grant amounts, thresholds and scheme rules change often — every guide here is dated and traced to official sources.
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