Eligibility
Who can get Warm Homes Nest? The two routes explained
Nest packages, which can include solar, go to households that meet one of two routes. Each has three parts, and all three have to be met. Here is each part in plain terms, and how to check where you stand.
In brief
Benefit route: someone receives a means-tested benefit, and the owned or privately rented home is rated E, F or G. Health route: someone has a qualifying health condition, household income is below defined thresholds, and the home is rated D or lower (SAP 68 or lower). Social housing isn't covered.
Checked at source on 3 November 2026 · An independent guide from SEO-DONS LTD, not the Welsh Government, Nest or a council
Side by side
The two routes compared
| Benefit route | Health route | |
|---|---|---|
| The person | Someone in the household receives a means-tested benefit | Someone in the household has a qualifying health condition |
| Income | Shown by the benefit | Household income below defined thresholds |
| The home | Energy rating E, F or G | Energy rating D or lower (SAP 68 or lower) |
| Tenure | Privately owned or privately rented | Privately owned or privately rented |
Route one
The benefit route
The benefit route is the simpler of the two to evidence. If someone in the household receives a means-tested benefit, that is taken as showing the household is on a low income, so there's no separate income test. The home then needs an energy rating of E, F or G.
Means-tested benefits are those that depend on income and savings. Nest confirms which ones count when it checks eligibility, so if you're unsure whether yours does, ask. If you think you might be entitled to a benefit you don't currently claim, Nest itself refers people for benefit entitlement checks: around 44% of its referrals in 2024 to 2025 were for exactly that.
The rating requirement is strict: a home rated D doesn't qualify on this route, even with a benefit. The health route reaches D-rated homes, but has its own conditions.
Route two
The health route
The health route is aimed at households where someone's health condition can be affected by living in a cold home. To qualify, someone in the household must live with a qualifying health condition, household income must be below defined thresholds, and the home must be rated D or lower, which the Welsh Government defines as a SAP score of 68 or lower.
The annual report lists the qualifying conditions: respiratory disease, including respiratory infections, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; circulatory disease, including cardiovascular disease, strokes and heart attacks; mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, psychosis and bipolar disorder; dementia; and intellectual and developmental disorders.
Between April 2024 and March 2025, 2,341 households in Wales were assessed under the health route.
The home's rating
Finding your energy rating
Both routes depend on the home's energy rating. If the home has been sold or let in the last ten years, it probably has an energy performance certificate, which you can look up by postcode on GOV.UK's register for England and Wales. Nest's report describes the rating it uses as indicative, so the scheme can assess the home itself where needed.
Many homes Nest deals with are poorly rated: its 2024 to 2025 report notes 42% rated E, F or G. See EPC ratings in Wales.
If you don't qualify
What's left if neither route fits
Not meeting a route doesn't close every door. Nest's advice service is open to all households in Wales. If you own your home, the Warm Homes Loan Scheme can finance solar. Every household gets 0% VAT on installed solar until 31 March 2027 and can earn export payments. And if you're thinking about a heat pump, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme applies in Wales and isn't means-tested.
Who Nest helps
What the 2024 to 2025 figures show
The households Nest helped were, by design, on low incomes: around 44% reported a net annual income below £15,000, 36% between £15,000 and £25,000, and 20% above £25,000. A third, 34%, were households whose reference person was 65 or over. Most were owner-occupiers.
If your household looks like that, it's worth contacting Nest even if you're unsure about one of the conditions: checking eligibility is the scheme's job, and there's no cost to asking.
Tenants and landlords
Renting privately
Both routes cover privately rented homes. The tenant's household is the one assessed, and because the work is to the landlord's property, the landlord has to agree. If you rent from a council or housing association, Nest doesn't apply; improvements come through your landlord. See renters and landlords.
Eligibility questions
Which benefits count for Nest?
Nest’s benefit route needs a means-tested benefit. The scheme confirms which benefits qualify when it checks eligibility; ask Nest directly about yours.
What health conditions count?
The Welsh Government lists respiratory diseases such as COPD and asthma, circulatory diseases including heart disease and stroke, mental health conditions, dementia, and intellectual and developmental disorders.
Can a private tenant apply?
Yes, both routes cover privately rented homes as well as owner-occupied ones. The landlord’s agreement is needed for work to the property.
What if my home is rated C?
Neither route applies to homes rated C or better: the benefit route needs E to G, and the health route D or lower.
Getting help to apply
If someone else is helping you
Nest works with health boards, charities and community organisations across Wales to reach households that may benefit, and many people come to the scheme through a referral rather than by contacting it themselves. If a support worker, carer or family member is helping you, they can make contact on your behalf with your agreement. It helps if they have the details of any benefit, health condition and the home's energy rating to hand.
Not sure?
Ask anyway
Eligibility checks are Nest's job, not yours. If you think your household might meet a route but you're unsure about one part, such as which benefit counts or what the home is rated, contact Nest and let it check. There is no cost to asking, and Nest's advice service is open to every household in Wales whether or not it qualifies for a package.
Checked against
- Warm Homes Nest scheme annual report 2024 to 2025 (Welsh Government), read 3 November 2026
- Find an energy certificate (England and Wales) (GOV.UK), read 3 November 2026
Not sure which scheme, if any, fits your home?
Tell us which council area you're in and what you're looking into. Your message reaches SEO-DONS LTD, the publisher of this guide, and we answer by email. We're not a scheme and can't approve anything, but we can point you to the right one.
What happens next
- Your message reaches SEO-DONS LTD, which publishes this guide.
- We reply by email with the scheme page that fits, if there is one.
- Any application is between you and that scheme.