Apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, you could get a government grant to cover part of the cost of replacing fossil fuel heating systems with a heat pump or biomass boiler.
About the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides grants to encourage property owners to replace existing fossil fuel heating with more efficient, low carbon heating systems including air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps and, in limited circumstances, biomass boilers.
Quick start
Get started by checking if the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is available for your household.
What is funded under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
You can get one grant per property. Current grants are available for:
- £7,500 off the cost and installation of an air source heat pump
- £7,500 off the cost and installation of a ground source heat pump
- £5,000 off the cost and installation of a biomass boiler
These government energy grants help property owners overcome the upfront cost of installing a low carbon heating system.
You cannot get a grant for a hybrid heat pump system (for example a combination of gas boiler and air source heat pump).
The system you install must meet certain standards, such as minimum efficiency levels (your installer can advise you on these).
The system’s maximum capacity must be less than 45kWth - anything over is not eligible.
Learn more about heat pumps and biomass boilers.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme eligibility
You might be able to get help for energy-saving improvements to your home with a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant. You’re eligible for a grant if all the following are true. You must:
- own the property you’re applying for (including if it’s a business, a second home, or a property you rent out to tenants)
- have installed (or plan to install) your new heating system on or after 1 April 2022
- be replacing fossil fuel heating systems (such as oil, gas or electric)
You’re still eligible if you’ve already had funding to make your property more energy efficient, for example by insulating it.
Your property must have a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with no outstanding recommendations for loft or cavity wall insulation. A property assessment to get a new EPC will be arranged and carried out by an approved contractor as part of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme process.
Biomass boilers
You can get a grant for a biomass boiler if all the following are true:
- your property is off the gas grid
- your property is in a rural location (check the Ofgem guidance for property owners if you’re not sure)
- your boiler has an emissions certificate showing that polluting emissions are kept to a minimum
You cannot get a grant to install a biomass boiler in a self build property.
Properties you cannot get a grant for
You cannot get a grant for:
- most new build properties
- social housing
- a property that’s already been given government funding or support for a heat pump or biomass boiler
If you own a new build property
New build properties which the developer is still building are not eligible.
If you move into a finished new build with a fossil fuel boiler, you may be able to get a grant for a heat pump under the scheme.
If you own a self build property
Your self build property is eligible if:
- you or the original owner built it yourself or you paid a builder to build it
- it’s never been owned by a business or organisation
You’ll need to show your installer proof that your property is a self build, for example, a copy of the title deeds.