What it costs
Real installed prices for 2026, before and after grant, and the six things that actually move the number on your property.
CostsWhat you can claim depends entirely on which nation you live in. England and Wales, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all work differently, and one of them has a trap worth knowing about.
Tell us about your property and an MCS-certified engineer will be in touch, usually the same working day.
| Technology | Grant |
|---|---|
| Air source heat pump (air to water) | £7,500 |
| Ground source, water source, shared ground loops | £7,500 |
| Air to air heat pump | £2,500 |
| Biomass boiler, eligible rural off-gas-grid | £5,000 |
| Off-gas-grid home replacing heating oil, 21 Jul 2026 – 31 Mar 2027 | £9,000 |
Your installer applies, not you. The grant is deducted from your invoice and you never handle the money. There is no means test and no income condition. Private landlords are eligible.
Two 2026 changes are worth knowing, because a lot of information online has not caught up: air to air became eligible for the first time, and the requirement to hold a valid EPC with no outstanding insulation recommendations was removed, which brought a great deal of older housing back into scope.
A completely separate scheme, funded by the Scottish Government, and more generous than the Boiler Upgrade Scheme once the loan is counted.
| Element | Amount |
|---|---|
| Grant towards a heat pump | up to £7,500 |
| Rural and island uplift | up to £9,000 |
| Optional interest-free loan on top | up to £7,500 |
The trap: in Scotland you apply yourself, and you must be approved before any work starts.
This is the single most important difference between the two schemes, and it costs Scottish households funding every year. Under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme your installer handles everything and timing is barely an issue. Under Home Energy Scotland, if you let an installer start work before your application is approved, you forfeit the funding entirely. There is no retrospective claim.
The measure also has to be recommended in either your EPC or a report from a Home Energy Scotland adviser, so build that step into your timeline. Start the application well before you want work done.
Welsh households use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, exactly as in England. Separately, the Welsh Government's Nest scheme can provide free or heavily subsidised heating improvements for households receiving means-tested benefits, which is a different route with different eligibility.
Northern Ireland is not covered by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and there is currently no direct equivalent heat pump grant. Support has historically run through energy efficiency schemes with narrower eligibility. If you are in Northern Ireland, check the current position on NI Direct before assuming either way, because this is the area that changes most often.
Grant rates and rules change, and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme changed twice during 2026 alone. We confirm your exact position in writing at survey stage. The official detail is on GOV.UK for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and on homeenergyscotland.org for Scotland.
In England and Wales the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 for an air source or ground source heat pump, £2,500 for air to air, and £9,000 for off-gas-grid homes replacing heating oil between 21 July 2026 and 31 March 2027. In Scotland, Home Energy Scotland pays up to £7,500, or £9,000 rural, plus an optional interest-free loan.
It depends where you live, and this catches people out. In England and Wales your MCS-certified installer applies and the grant comes off your invoice. In Scotland you apply yourself to Home Energy Scotland, and you must be approved before work starts.
You lose the funding. There is no retrospective claim under the Home Energy Scotland scheme. This is the most common and most expensive mistake Scottish households make, and it is completely avoidable by applying first.
Not for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales, where the EPC requirement was removed. In Scotland the measure does need to be recommended in either your EPC or a Home Energy Scotland adviser report, so it still matters there.
Northern Ireland is not covered by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and there is currently no direct equivalent. Check the position on NI Direct, as this is the area most subject to change.
No. The existing fossil fuel system must be fully removed or permanently decommissioned, and hybrid systems are excluded from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
Yes, £2,500 through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, added in 2026. Air to air was previously excluded entirely. Your existing gas boiler must be fully removed or permanently decommissioned to qualify.
Real installed prices for 2026, before and after grant, and the six things that actually move the number on your property.
CostsThe Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales, Home Energy Scotland north of the border, and what applies in Northern Ireland.
GrantsSurvey, design, grant, installation and commissioning, with honest timescales and a clear account of the disruption.
ProcessWhy sizing comes from a room-by-room heat loss calculation and never from floor area or your old boiler's output.
SizingWhich radiators need upsizing at a lower flow temperature, and why this is the single biggest swing factor in your quote.
RadiatorsWhy heat pumps need a cylinder, what happens if you are on a combi, and how much space you actually need to find.
Hot waterUK coverage
We install air source heat pumps nationwide through MCS-certified regional teams. Grant support differs between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the regional pages set out what applies where you are.
Get a free, no-obligation quote for heat pump installation in the UK, with the grant deducted so you see the real figure. We come back to you the same working day.