Can You Get Your House Rewired for Free? Rewire Grants and Help in 2026

Rewiring a house is one of the bigger bills a homeowner faces, so it is no surprise that people search for ways to get it done for free. The honest answer in 2026 is that for most homeowners in England there is no grant for it — but there are a few narrow routes worth checking before you pay, and some clear rules about who pays when you rent. For what a rewire actually costs, see our house rewire cost guide.

Is there a government grant to rewire a house?

No national scheme pays for general rewiring. The schemes people most often mention don't cover it:

• **ECO4**, the Energy Company Obligation scheme, runs until 31 December 2026 for low-income households, but it funds insulation, heating and some solar measures — not rewiring.
• **The Warm Homes: Local Grant** pays for energy-efficiency improvements such as insulation, heat pumps and solar panels for eligible lower-income households, not for wiring on its own.

Help from your council

Councils in England have a general power to help with home repairs under the Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002. Each council decides how — if at all — to use it, usually through a published housing assistance policy, and help tends to be aimed at vulnerable or low-income homeowners and to come as a loan or a small grant. If your wiring is dangerous and you can't afford to fix it, ask your council whether it offers home repair assistance; in Doncaster that means asking City of Doncaster Council.

Disabled Facilities Grants

A Disabled Facilities Grant pays for adaptations that help a disabled person live independently at home. It is not a rewiring grant, but it can cover electrical work that is part of an adaptation — for example making heating or lighting controls easier to use. Applications go through your council, which assesses the work and your eligibility.

If you rent, your landlord pays

If you rent privately, the cost of keeping the wiring safe is your landlord's. Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires landlords to keep the installations for the supply of electricity in repair, and the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require a satisfactory EICR at least every five years, with any remedial work finished within 28 days. If an inspection says your home needs rewiring, that is the landlord's bill. Penalties for landlords who breach the regulations can reach £40,000.

What about insurance?

Home insurance covers sudden damage — a fire or a flood — not wiring that has simply worn out. Some policies won't pay out for an electrical fire if the installation was known to be unsafe, which is another reason not to put off a rewire an inspection says you need.

Ways to make a rewire more affordable

• **Get an EICR first.** A condition report shows whether you need a full rewire at all, or just a partial rewire and a new consumer unit.
• **Rewire while the house is empty**, or alongside other renovation work, so plastering and redecorating happen once.
• **Compare like with like.** Ask every electrician for the number of points their quote allows for and whether it includes the consumer unit, testing, the certificate and making good.

If you're in Doncaster or South Yorkshire, we're happy to survey your home and give you a fixed written price — see our house rewire cost page or call 0333 577 5464.