Cost & Grants Guide · Updated July 2026
Heat Pump Grant 2026: The £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme & Every Other UK Grant
The headline heat pump grant in 2026 is the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) for homeowners in England and Wales — rising to £9,000 for off-gas-grid oil and LPG homes from 21 July 2026. Scotland, Northern Ireland and low-income households have their own routes. This guide covers every grant, who qualifies, your net cost by house size, and exactly how to apply.
Get My 3 Free Heat Pump Quotes →- England & Wales (BUS)£7,500
- Off-gas oil/LPG uplift£9,000
- Scotland (HES grant)£7,500
- + interest-free loan£7,500
- ECO4 (on benefits)100% funded
Quick answer: what is the heat pump grant in 2026?
The main heat pump grant in 2026 is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), which gives homeowners in England and Wales £7,500 off an air source or ground source heat pump — rising to £9,000 for off-gas-grid oil and LPG homes from 21 July 2026. Scotland offers a £7,500 Home Energy Scotland grant plus an interest-free loan.
Every UK heat pump grant in 2026
There is no single UK-wide heat pump grant. Support is devolved, so which scheme you use depends on where you live and, in some cases, your income. The good news is that almost every UK household now has a route to substantial funding — and in the best cases, a fully funded installation.
Here is every heat pump grant available in 2026 at a glance, with the maximum support each one offers. Below the table we break down the eligibility rules for each scheme in detail.
| Scheme | Nations covered | Grant value (2026) | Who applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) | England & Wales | £7,500 (air or ground source) | Your MCS installer |
| BUS off-gas uplift | England & Wales | £9,000 (oil/LPG homes, from 21 Jul 2026) | Your MCS installer |
| Home Energy Scotland grant | Scotland | £7,500 (£9,000 rural/island) | You, via HES |
| HES interest-free loan | Scotland | Up to £7,500 (0% over 10 yrs) | You, via HES |
| NISEP | Northern Ireland | ~£5,000–£7,500 | Approved NI installer |
| ECO4 | England, Scotland & Wales | Up to 100% funded (on benefits) | Obligated energy supplier |
Figures reflect published scheme maximums as of July 2026. You cannot fund the same heat pump from more than one of these grants. See our full air source heat pump cost guide for gross prices before any grant.
How much is the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant?
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is the main heat pump grant for the roughly 25 million homes in England and Wales. In 2026 it pays a flat £7,500 towards an air source heat pump and £7,500 towards a ground source (or water source) heat pump. The grant is the same whether you live in a flat or a large detached house — it is a fixed contribution, not a percentage.
How does the BUS grant actually reach you?
You never touch the money. Your MCS-certified installer applies to Ofgem for the grant on your behalf and simply deducts it from your quote, so you only ever pay the net price. That is why it is essential to choose an installer who is properly certified and a member of an approved consumer code such as RECC or HIES — without that, the grant cannot be claimed.
The new £9,000 grant for oil and LPG homes
From 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027, the government is temporarily topping up the grant by an extra £1,500 — taking it to £9,000 — for off-gas-grid homes currently heated by oil or LPG that switch to an air-to-water or ground source heat pump. This targets the ~1.7 million rural households with no price-cap protection who have been hit hardest by rising oil prices. Biomass boilers and air-to-air units do not qualify for the uplift.
Who is eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
To claim the £7,500 (or £9,000) grant in 2026 you must tick every one of these boxes:
- Your property is a home or small/medium non-domestic building in England or Wales.
- You are replacing a fossil-fuel system (gas, oil or LPG boiler) or old electric heating such as storage or panel heaters.
- You have a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with no outstanding recommendations for loft or cavity wall insulation — or a written exemption.
- The heat pump is installed by an MCS-certified installer who is a member of an approved consumer code.
- The property is not a new-build and not social housing (self-builds are eligible).
New-build homes and installations already funded by other public money are excluded. If your boiler is more than 10 years old and your insulation is decent, replacing now locks in the grant and avoids a future emergency boiler replacement.
Heat pump cost after the £7,500 grant, by house size
The BUS grant transforms the economics of a heat pump. Below is the typical gross installed price for an air source heat pump in 2026, and your net cost once the £7,500 grant is deducted. These are whole-system prices from MCS installers — equipment, radiators where needed, labour and commissioning — and exclude any extensive insulation upgrades.
| Property | Heat pump size | Gross installed | Net after £7,500 grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat / small terrace | 5–6 kW | £7,000–£10,500 | £0–£3,000 |
| 2-bed terrace | 6–8 kW | £8,000–£12,000 | £500–£4,500 |
| 3-bed semi | 8–10 kW | £8,000–£14,000 | £500–£6,500 |
| 4-bed detached | 10–14 kW | £12,000–£18,000 | £4,500–£10,500 |
| Large detached | 14–16 kW | £15,000–£22,000 | £7,500–£14,500 |
| Off-gas oil/LPG home (£9,000 grant) | 8–12 kW | £10,000–£16,000 | £1,000–£7,000 |
Prices are typical UK 2026 ranges from MCS-certified installers and vary with access, radiator changes and controls. The final row reflects the temporary £9,000 off-gas-grid uplift. Compare against your current heating in our is a heat pump worth it in 2026? analysis.
For many small and mid-sized homes the grant covers most or all of the gross cost — a well-priced flat or terrace installation can end up costing little more than a like-for-like gas boiler swap. The single biggest lever on your net figure is getting three competitive quotes, because installer pricing on identical specifications varies by thousands of pounds.
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We only pass your details to vetted installers matched to your project. Prefer to ask something first? Ask our editorial team a free question.
Heat pump grants in Scotland: the Home Energy Scotland grant & loan
Scotland does not use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Instead, the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan is arguably the most generous heat pump support in the UK. It combines a cash grant with an optional interest-free loan, so Scottish homeowners can spread the remaining cost at 0% interest.
| Component | Standard home | Rural & island home |
|---|---|---|
| Heat pump grant | Up to £7,500 | Up to £9,000 |
| Optional interest-free loan | Up to £7,500 | Up to £7,500 |
| Rural/island uplift | — | +£1,500 on grant |
| Loan repayment term | Up to 10 years, 0% interest | Up to 10 years, 0% interest |
| Max combined support | £15,000 | £16,500 |
A wider £7,500 energy-efficiency grant is also available separately, so rural whole-house packages can reach up to £18,000 in combined funding.
Who qualifies in Scotland?
You can apply if the property is an existing home in Scotland that you own and live in as your only or main residence. Crucially, only heat pumps that provide 100% of your heating and hot water qualify — hybrid systems that keep a gas boiler are not funded. Unlike England's installer-led BUS, in Scotland you apply to Home Energy Scotland first and receive approval before work begins.
Heat pump grants in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is not covered by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, ECO4 or the Great British Insulation Scheme — these are Great Britain schemes only. NI runs its own devolved energy programmes, so the funding landscape looks different.
The main route for heat pump support is NISEP (the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme), regulated by the Utility Regulator (UREGNI) and funded by energy suppliers such as firmus energy and SSE Airtricity. Depending on your circumstances, NISEP can contribute roughly £5,000–£7,500 toward a heat pump. Because NISEP is supplier-funded with limited annual budgets, availability opens and closes in tranches — timing matters.
Other Northern Ireland support
- Warm Homes Plan — NI's single grant for lower-income households, covering insulation, heating and some renewables at no cost to those who qualify.
- Warm Healthy Homes Fund — a new £150 million fund announced to sit alongside the Warm Homes Plan, with support expected from March 2027.
If you are in NI, check current NISEP availability with an approved local installer before committing, as fully funded windows can close quickly once the annual budget is allocated.
ECO4: can I get a heat pump for free?
If you receive certain benefits or have a low household income, the ECO4 scheme (Energy Company Obligation) can fund a heat pump — and often the insulation to go with it — at no cost to you. ECO4 is funded by the large energy suppliers and runs until December 2026. It applies in England, Scotland and Wales (not NI).
ECO4 follows a “fabric first” approach: the scheme insulates your home — loft, cavity or solid wall — before funding a low-carbon heating system such as an air source heat pump. Your home usually needs an EPC rating of D, E, F or G, with the worst-rated homes prioritised.
Do I qualify for ECO4?
There are two main routes to eligibility — a benefits route and a council-led income route (LA Flex):
| Route | Typical qualifying criteria |
|---|---|
| Benefits route | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, Income-based JSA, Income-related ESA, Housing Benefit, Working/Child Tax Credit (income under £16,480) |
| LA Flex route | Household income typically below ~£31,000/yr (each council sets its own threshold); often reaches working families |
| Property condition | EPC rating D–G; F- and G-rated homes get priority |
| Tenure | Owner-occupiers and (with landlord consent) some private tenants |
The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS), which helped some households outside the ECO4 benefits criteria, closed to new applications on 31 January 2026 and ended fully on 31 March 2026. ECO4 is now the main fully funded route.
Remember: you cannot stack ECO4 with the £7,500 BUS grant on the same installation, because a heat pump cannot be funded from more than one source of public money. If you qualify for ECO4, it is almost always the better deal because it can cover the full cost.
Which heat pump grant can I get? A quick eligibility guide
Use this checker-style summary to see which scheme is most likely to fit your situation in 2026. If more than one applies, you can only use one grant per installation — pick the one with the highest value you qualify for.
| Your situation | Best grant | Likely support |
|---|---|---|
| England/Wales homeowner, on gas mains, any income | Boiler Upgrade Scheme | £7,500 |
| England/Wales, off-grid oil or LPG home | BUS off-gas uplift | £9,000 (from 21 Jul 2026) |
| On qualifying benefits or low income (Eng/Sco/Wales) | ECO4 | Up to 100% funded |
| Scottish homeowner, main residence | Home Energy Scotland | £7,500–£9,000 + 0% loan |
| Northern Ireland homeowner | NISEP / Warm Homes Plan | ~£5,000–£7,500 |
| New-build or social housing | None (not eligible for BUS) | — |
Not sure which column you fall into? A good installer will confirm your eligibility during the free heat-loss survey and handle the paperwork. You can also pair your heat pump with separately funded measures — for example solar panels — provided each measure is funded only once.
How to apply for the heat pump grant in 2026
For the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales, the process is installer-led and refreshingly simple. Here is the full journey from enquiry to a commissioned, grant-funded heat pump:
- Get a valid EPC. You need a current Energy Performance Certificate with no outstanding loft or cavity wall insulation recommendations (or a written exemption). Most homes already have one from when they were bought or let.
- Choose an MCS-certified installer. Only MCS installers who are members of an approved consumer code (RECC or HIES) can claim the grant. Get three quotes to compare price and specification — our free tool matches you instantly.
- Book a heat-loss survey. The installer surveys your home, sizes the heat pump and radiators, and designs the system. This is mandatory under MCS rules and protects your running costs.
- Installer applies for the grant. Your installer submits the BUS application to Ofgem and receives a voucher. You never handle the money.
- Installation & commissioning. A typical 3-bed install takes 3–5 days on site. The grant is deducted from your invoice, so you pay only the net price.
In Scotland, the order is different — you apply to Home Energy Scotland before work begins and wait for approval. In Northern Ireland, an approved NISEP installer confirms current availability and applies on your behalf. For ECO4, you apply through an obligated energy supplier or an approved ECO installer who checks your benefits/income eligibility first.
Whichever nation you're in, the practical first step is the same: line up MCS or scheme-approved installers and compare quotes. Browse our full range of home improvement cost guides to plan the wider project, from a new roof to insulation.
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Get My Free Quotes →Heat pump grant 2026: frequently asked questions
Written by the BestBuilders Editorial Team · Reviewed by a RECC-registered renewable heating specialist · Last updated: July 2026.
How we produced this guide: Grant values, dates and eligibility rules were verified in July 2026 against primary UK government and regulator sources (GOV.UK, Ofgem, Home Energy Scotland/mygov.scot and UREGNI). Cost ranges are drawn from typical 2026 quotes provided by MCS-certified installers across the BestBuilders network and cross-checked against Energy Saving Trust guidance. Where exact prices cannot be published, we use defensible ranges. We review this page quarterly, or sooner when scheme rules change.
Sources: GOV.UK — Boiler Upgrade Scheme · Ofgem — BUS · Energy Saving Trust · Home Energy Scotland Grant & Loan · mygov.scot — HES · Ofgem — ECO4 · UREGNI — NISEP.