The Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump, taken off your installer's quote before you pay, not refunded afterwards. It's open to most homeowners in England and Wales replacing a fossil fuel heating system, as long as the installer is MCS accredited. Here's who qualifies and how the grant is applied.
What is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a UK government grant that pays part of the cost of swapping a fossil fuel heating system for a heat pump or biomass boiler. It gives £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump, and £5,000 towards a biomass boiler. Homes that are off the mains gas grid and currently heated by oil or LPG can get an extra £1,500 towards a heat pump, on top of the £7,500, until March 2027.
The grant isn't paid to you directly. Your MCS-accredited installer applies for it on your behalf, and it's deducted from your quote as a discount, so you only pay the difference.
Who can get a grant for a heat pump?
You can apply if you own a home or small non-domestic building in England or Wales and you're replacing an existing fossil fuel heating system (typically a gas, oil or LPG boiler) with a heat pump fitted by an MCS-accredited installer. Landlords can apply on behalf of a rented property too.
Recent rule changes have made the scheme easier to access: there's no longer a requirement to have loft or cavity wall insulation in place first, and you no longer need a valid Energy Performance Certificate to apply, though your installer may still ask for one if you have it, as it's the simplest evidence of your home's current heating.
How much is the heat pump grant worth?
£7,500 for an air source or ground source heat pump, or £5,000 for a biomass boiler, with an extra £1,500 available until March 2027 for homes off the gas grid switching from oil or LPG. The grant comes off the installer's quote directly, so if a heat pump installation is quoted at, say, £13,000, the grant brings the amount you pay down to £5,500.
How do I apply for the heat pump grant?
You don't apply yourself. Once you've chosen an MCS-accredited installer and agreed a quote, they apply for the voucher through the scheme on your behalf, and it must appear on your quote and invoice as a discount. Check with any installer early on whether they're set up to apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, since MCS accreditation and scheme registration aren't automatically the same thing.
Questions people ask
Do I need insulation or an EPC to get the heat pump grant?
No, not any more. The requirement to have recommended loft or cavity wall insulation in place was removed in 2024, and a valid Energy Performance Certificate is no longer a mandatory condition of applying. Your installer will still assess your home to size the heat pump correctly, insulation included.
Is there extra grant money for homes without mains gas?
Yes. Properties currently heated by oil or LPG, rather than mains gas, can get an extra £1,500 on top of the standard £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump, until March 2027. That brings the total grant for an off-grid home up to £9,000.
Can I get the grant and still pay for the rest myself over time?
The grant itself is a one-off discount, not a loan, so there's no repayment on the £7,500. Whether you can spread the remaining cost depends on your installer, some offer finance options, which is worth asking about alongside your quote.
Do I need to use a specific installer to get the grant?
You need an installer who is MCS accredited for heat pumps and registered to apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme specifically. Not every MCS-accredited installer is automatically set up for the scheme, so it's worth confirming this before you accept a quote.
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