Boiler Grants for Low-Income Families: U.S. Programs That Repair or Replace a Boiler

Why boiler grants are a UK term

If you searched "boiler grants," you probably found pages about British programs. In the United Kingdom, a boiler is the usual heating system in most homes, and the government runs named schemes that pay energy companies or installers to replace old boilers or switch homes to heat pumps. Many articles copied that language without saying so.

In the United States, boilers are common mostly in the Northeast, the upper Midwest, and older city buildings. Most American homes heat with a furnace or heat pump instead. U.S. programs do not single out boilers. They cover "heating equipment" or "heating systems," and a boiler counts. So the trick is to ask for the right thing: say your heating system is broken or unsafe, and that it is a hot water or steam boiler.

One more difference: none of the U.S. programs below pays cash to you. They pay a contractor, or they lower the price at the time of sale. That protects you from paying up front and then waiting for money that may not come.

Boiler grants for low-income families in the U.S.

Which program fits depends on how urgent the problem is, your income, where you live, and whether you own the home. Use this table to pick a starting point.

Programs often work together. A local agency might use LIHEAP money for the emergency, then move your home onto the weatherization list for a full replacement later.

LIHEAP heating repair and replacement

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is federal money that each state runs its own way. Most people know it for paying heating bills, but federal rules also let states spend it on crisis help and low-cost energy repairs, which can include fixing or replacing heating equipment. Income limits are set by each state, up to 150% of the poverty guidelines or 60% of state median income. When you apply in a crisis, help must begin within 48 hours, or within 18 hours if the situation is life-threatening. Our main LIHEAP guide covers the bill side.

Whether your state will repair or replace a boiler is the key question, and the answer changes from state to state and even from year to year. The LIHEAP Clearinghouse program dates table, built from state plans for federal fiscal year 2026, shows the range:

• Maryland passes part of its crisis money to the state housing department for emergency heating and cooling system repair and replacement.
• Vermont runs a year-round furnace repair and replacement program under its crisis component, plus a separate program for red-tagged fuel tanks.
• South Dakota lists furnace repair or replacement as a year-round program.
• West Virginia moved its repair or replacement help under heating and cooling assistance.
• New York said it would consider its emergency Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement benefit if extra funds became available, so it may not open every year.

State plans use "furnace" loosely to mean the main heating unit, and boilers are usually covered under the same rules. Ask your local LIHEAP office directly: "Do you have a heating equipment repair or replacement program this season, and does it cover boilers?" If the answer is no, ask whether they can refer you to weatherization.

Free boiler work through weatherization

The Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program pays local agencies to make homes safer and cheaper to heat, at no cost to the household. According to DOE's how to apply page, you qualify with income at or below 200% of the poverty guidelines, or if someone in the home gets SSI, and states may use the LIHEAP limit of 60% of state median income instead. Older adults, people with disabilities, and families with children get priority.

Every weatherized home gets an energy audit, and the auditor checks that heating equipment is running safely. For a boiler, that usually means combustion and carbon monoxide testing, checking the flue and venting, and looking at controls and pipes. Depending on what they find and on state rules, the crew may:

• Clean, tune, and adjust the boiler.
• Repair parts such as the burner, controls, circulator pump, or relief valve.
• Insulate exposed hot water or steam pipes.
• Replace a boiler that cannot be made safe, or that is so inefficient that a new one pays for itself.

Weatherization is not an emergency program. Most areas have a waitlist, so if you have no heat today, apply for LIHEAP crisis help at the same time. Our weatherization assistance program guide explains the full list of work and how to find your local provider.

USDA 504 help for rural homeowners

If you own a home in a rural area or small town, the USDA Single Family Housing Repair Loans and Grants program, called Section 504, can pay for a new boiler when the old one is a health or safety hazard. Grants of up to $10,000 over a lifetime go to owners 62 and older who cannot afford a loan. Loans of up to $40,000 at a fixed 1% for 20 years are open to adult owners of any age. Income must be at or below the very low-income limit for your county.

A boiler replacement can cost more than $10,000, especially when piping or a chimney liner must change too, so many older owners combine a grant with a small loan. USDA staff decide the mix based on what you can repay. The full rules are in our Section 504 home repair program guide.

Home energy rebates by state in 2026

The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act gave states money for two rebate programs, which the Department of Energy lists on its Home Energy Rebates page:

• Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR): up to $14,000 per household toward electric equipment, including heat pumps. These do not pay for a new gas or oil boiler. They help if you choose to replace the boiler with an electric heat pump, such as an air-to-water or ductless mini-split system.
• Home Efficiency Rebates (HOMES): up to $8,000 based on modeled whole-home energy savings of at least 20%, with higher amounts allowed for households below 80% of area median income.

As of November 2026, DOE says the rebates are "available in select states" but does not post a single national list. Some states have opened, some have paused or waitlisted after early funds ran out, and others are still preparing to launch. Because status changes month to month, check with your state energy office before you plan around a rebate. The National Association of State Energy Officials directory links to each state office. Ask three things: Is the program open now? Which contractors are approved? Is the rebate taken off the price at the time of sale?

A boiler-to-heat-pump switch is a bigger job than a straight swap, and it can raise electric bills in very cold climates if the system is not sized well. Ask the approved contractor for an estimate of your yearly heating costs before and after.

What happened to the federal tax credit?

Until the end of 2025, the energy efficient home improvement credit, known as section 25C, let homeowners claim up to $600 for a qualifying high-efficiency gas, propane, or oil hot water boiler, and up to $2,000 a year for an efficient heat pump. The 2025 tax law signed on July 4, 2025, ended it early. The IRS page on the credit now says it applies only to improvements made through December 31, 2025, and the IRS FAQs on the 2025 changes confirm no credit for property placed in service after that date.

In plain terms, a boiler installed in 2026 does not earn a federal tax credit. If a contractor tells you otherwise, ask them to show you the IRS rule in writing. A boiler that was fully installed in 2025 can still be claimed on a 2025 return, including an amended one, within the normal time limits. For a low-income household that owes little or no tax, the credit rarely helped anyway, because it was not refundable.

Utility programs and emergency repair funds

Your gas or electric company may be the quickest source of help after LIHEAP. Many utilities run low-income energy efficiency programs that pay for heating repairs or replacements, often as part of state rules on how utilities spend customer money. The LIHEAP Clearinghouse state profiles give examples, such as Pennsylvania gas utilities whose low-income programs and emergency repair funds can include heating system replacement for income-eligible owners in unsafe situations.

Call the customer service number on your bill and ask for the "low-income usage reduction," "energy efficiency," or "emergency furnace or boiler repair" program. For paying customers, the ENERGY STAR rebate finder lists utility rebates on efficient boilers and heat pumps by ZIP code. Utilities may also offer on-bill financing, where the cost is paid back in small amounts on your monthly bill.

When the boiler stops in winter

A boiler failure in cold weather is a safety issue, not just a repair. Take these steps in order:

1. If you smell gas or a CO alarm sounds, get everyone outside and call 911 or the gas company's emergency line from outside.
2. Call your LIHEAP office or community action agency and say you have no heat. Ask for crisis help and whether they cover boiler repair.
3. Tell your utility. Many states protect households from shutoff in winter or when someone has a medical condition, and the utility may know a repair fund.
4. Dial 211 for warming centers, emergency space heater programs, and charities that help with repairs.
5. Use space heaters safely. Plug them straight into the wall, keep them three feet from anything that can burn, and never heat the home with an oven or a grill.

If the gas company "red tags" your boiler as unsafe, keep the tag or notice. Many crisis programs treat it as proof of an emergency and move you up the list.

Renters with a broken boiler

In most states, landlords must keep heating systems working, and many cities set a minimum indoor temperature during the heating season. If you rent and the boiler fails, put the repair request in writing, keep a copy, and contact your local code enforcement or housing office if nothing happens. Weatherization can serve renters, but only with the landlord's written permission, and LIHEAP equipment programs usually serve owners. Your local legal aid office can explain your rights if repairs drag on.

Getting a boiler fixed or replaced, step by step

1. Get the boiler checked by a licensed technician or the gas company, and keep the written finding.
2. Apply for LIHEAP through your local agency; ask about crisis help and equipment repair.
3. Get on the weatherization list at the same agency if your income is under about 200% of poverty.
4. Call USDA Rural Development if you are 62 or older in a rural area.
5. Ask your utility about low-income repair programs and rebates.
6. Check your state energy office if you are thinking about a heat pump.
7. Get two written quotes before paying for anything yourself, and never pay a "grant fee."

Related guides

• Government assistance for HVAC replacement
• HVAC assistance for seniors
• Federal home repair grants
• Free appliances for low-income families

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information. Program rules, funding, and income limits are set by each state and agency and change from year to year. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with any government agency or utility.