Data last verified: 4 November 2026. Figures re-checked against their primary sources under the Whito rolling re-verification programme.
Finding
On 4 November 2026, 3 of 32 builders on the first page of Google in eight UK cities offered any energy upgrade work on their website, and none named a government grant scheme or MCS.
Source: Whito, whito.co.uk/builders/research/builders-energy-upgrade-work-check, 2026-11-04. Free to quote with a link to this page.
Last Updated on November 4, 2026
On 4 November 2026, 3 of 32 builders on the first page of Google in eight UK cities offered any energy upgrade work on their website, and none named a government grant scheme or MCS.
The government’s Warm Homes Plan funds insulation, solar, batteries and heat pumps in existing homes, and funded work needs certified installers. That is a lot of work coming to homes that builders already work in. We checked whether builders are telling customers they can do it.
Key findings
- 3 of 32 builders offered energy upgrade work: one listed insulation, one heat pumps and one solar panels.
- 3 more used only general words such as “eco-friendly” or “sustainable” with no specific work offered. We did not count these.
- None of the 32 showed a finished energy upgrade project.
- None named MCS or an MCS-certified partner. One showed an MCS logo among client logos, which we treated as unclear.
- None named a grant scheme such as the Warm Homes Plan, ECO4, the Great British Insulation Scheme, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme or Home Energy Scotland.
- 7 of 32 showed TrustMark, 4 of them in the text. 2 of 32 published any price for building work.
Builders offering energy work, city by city
| City | Builders on page 1 | Offered energy upgrade work |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester | 4 | 1 |
| Birmingham | 4 | 1 |
| Leeds | 5 | 1 |
| Bristol | 4 | 0 |
| Cardiff | 3 | 0 |
| Glasgow | 3 | 0 |
| Belfast | 4 | 0 |
| Norwich | 5 | 0 |
| Total | 32 | 3 |
What this means if you run a building firm
Almost no builder on page one is saying it can do energy upgrades. A homeowner searching for insulation or a heat pump will not find you unless you say it clearly.
You do not need to become a heat pump installer. Team up with an MCS-certified installer, say so on your site, and show one finished project with photos. Then learn which grants are open in your area so you can explain them to customers.
How we did it
- Sample: the organic results on the first page of Google UK for “builders” plus the city name, in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Belfast and Norwich, read on 4 November 2026. Directories (such as Checkatrade, the FMB finder, MyBuilder, Yell and Houzz), social media, Companies House and blog lists were removed. That left 33 sites; one firm had two sites and was counted once, giving 32 builders. One site ranked for Birmingham but appears to be based elsewhere; we kept it because it ranked.
- Checks: each builder’s own website. Energy upgrade work counted only if a specific job was offered, such as insulation, solar, heat pumps or retrofit. Sites the reading tool could not load were read in a browser.
- Limits: page one of Google is not every builder in a city. Some builders may do energy work without saying so online. A “no” means not found on the pages we checked.
Download the data: whito-builders-energy-upgrade-check-2026-11-04.csv (32 rows, no firm names).
Cite this research
Whito (2026). Do builders offer energy upgrade work? Checked 4 November 2026. https://whito.co.uk/builders/research/builders-energy-upgrade-work-check/
Common questions
Can my builder do insulation or fit a heat pump?
Ask. Only 3 of 32 builders in our check said they offered any energy upgrade work. For grant-funded heat pumps and solar, the installer usually needs MCS certification.
Do builders help with energy grants?
None of the 32 builders in our check named a grant scheme on their website. Check what is available for your home with your council or the government’s energy advice service.
If your business is named here and you think we have a fact wrong, email hello@whito.co.uk and we will check it and correct it. If you want to respond, send us a statement and we will publish it alongside. Full detail: Corrections, right of reply and removals.
