Boiler Upgrade Scheme: how to get £7,500 off a heat pump

The short answer

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a government grant for homes in England and Wales that swap a fossil fuel or electric heating system for a heat pump. You don’t apply yourself: your installer applies for you and takes the grant off your bill.

How much you can get

• Air source heat pump: £7,500
• Ground source heat pump: £7,500
• Biomass boiler: £5,000 (rural homes off the gas grid only)
• Air-to-air heat pump: £2,500 (eligible for homes since 28 April 2026)

Homes off the gas grid: since 21 July 2026, homes heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas connection can get £9,000 towards an air source or ground source heat pump, until 31 March 2027.

You can only get one grant per property. Hybrid systems, which pair a heat pump with a boiler, are not covered.

Who qualifies

• You own the property. This includes homes you live in, homes you rent out, second homes and small businesses.
• The property is in England or Wales.
• You are replacing heating that runs on oil, gas, LPG or electricity.
• The property hasn’t already had government funding for a heat pump or biomass boiler.

Most new-build homes and social housing are not eligible.

Rules that have changed

If you looked at this scheme before, two things that used to stop people have gone:

• Insulation: since May 2024 you no longer need to clear outstanding loft or cavity wall insulation recommendations on your energy certificate first.
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): since 28 April 2026 you can apply without a valid EPC, using other evidence instead.

How to apply

1. Find an installer who is MCS certified and a member of a consumer code such as RECC. Only these installers can claim the grant.
2. Get quotes. The installer surveys your home and quotes for the work, with the grant taken off.
3. The installer applies. Once you agree a quote, they apply to Ofgem, which runs the scheme, and Ofgem contacts you to confirm you agreed.
4. Installation. Once the grant is approved, the heat pump must usually be fitted within 3 months for an air source heat pump, or 6 months for a ground source one.
5. The grant is paid to the installer, and you pay the rest.

Watch out for

• Anyone charging a fee to “apply for the grant”. The application is free and is done by your installer as part of the job.
• Quotes that don’t show the grant. A proper quote shows the full price, the grant and what you pay.
• Signing before the survey. The installer needs to work out how much heat your home needs before they can size the heat pump and radiators properly.

Is the money running out?

The budget for 2026 to 2027 is £400 million, and the government has extended the scheme to 2030. Up to the end of August 2026, Ofgem had issued more than 101,000 vouchers since the scheme began in 2022. At the end of August 2026, about £200 million of this year’s budget was left, so it is sensible not to leave it too late in the year.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme doesn’t cover Scotland. Instead, Home Energy Scotland offers grants of up to £7,500 for a heat pump, with an optional interest-free loan of up to another £7,500, and an extra £1,500 for rural and island homes. Northern Ireland has its own schemes.

Paying for the rest

The grant rarely covers everything. The Warm Homes Loan Scheme, open from September 2026, offers cheaper loans to cover the rest: up to £20,000 for an air source heat pump and £35,000 for a ground source one. For typical prices, see our guide to how much a heat pump costs.

What to do next

We’re getting ready to launch free heat pump quotes. Leave your email below, or on our heat pump quotes page, and we’ll let you know the day it opens. In the meantime, if you’re also thinking about solar, see our guide to solar grants and loans.