Can I get the £7,500 grant for a heat pump?

If you own your home in England or Wales and you're replacing a gas, oil, LPG or electric heating system with a heat pump, you can usually get £7,500 off the cost through the government's Boiler Upgrade Scheme. You don't apply for it yourself. Your installer applies for you and takes the grant off your quote before you pay.

This post explains who qualifies, what changed in 2026, which systems are left out and how the process works from survey to switch-on. It also covers the one thing to watch for: the grant should come off your bill up front, so you should never be asked to pay the full price and claim it back later.

How much the grant is worth

The standard grant is £7,500 towards an air source heat pump, the kind with an outdoor unit that draws heat from the air. The same £7,500 is available for a ground source heat pump, which collects heat from pipes buried in the garden.

For a limited time, homes that aren't on mains gas and currently heat with oil or LPG (bottled or tank gas) can get £9,000 instead. That higher rate applies to applications made between 21 July 2026 and 31 March 2027. If your home has a mains gas supply, even one that's been capped off, the standard £7,500 applies.

Since April 2026 the scheme has also offered £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump. This uses the same technology as a split air conditioning unit, set up to warm your rooms with heated air. Whatever you choose, each property can only have one grant.

Who can claim it

You need to own the property. That can be the home you live in, a second home or a home you rent out to tenants. You'll be asked to confirm your identity and that you agreed to the application.

There's no income test, and you don't need to be on benefits. The scheme covers England and Wales only. Social housing and most new-build homes can't claim, although a self-build can. A home that has already had government money towards a heat pump can't claim again.

What your home and heating need

The heat pump must replace a gas, oil, LPG or electric heating system, such as a boiler or storage heaters. You can't claim to swap one low-carbon system for another.

Until April 2026 you also needed a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), the rating that shows how energy efficient a home is, with no outstanding advice to add loft or cavity wall insulation. That rule has gone. If your home has an EPC, your installer gives its number with the application. If it doesn't, they send other evidence of your current heating instead, such as a recent fuel bill or photos.

The heat pump also has to be big enough to heat your whole home on its own. That's why the survey matters so much, which we come to below.

What the grant doesn't cover

A few common set-ups aren't eligible:

• a hybrid system, where a heat pump works alongside a gas boiler that stays in place

• a new gas boiler to replace an old one

• a heat pump that replaces an existing heat pump or other low-carbon system

You can keep some extra heating that doesn't burn fossil fuel, such as an electric fire, as long as the heat pump can heat the home without it.

How the application works

You won't fill in any forms with the government. The steps usually run like this:

1. Survey. The installer visits, checks your insulation, windows and radiators, and works out your home's heat loss, which is how quickly it loses warmth on a cold day. This decides what size of heat pump you need and confirms you're eligible.

2. Quote. You agree a written quote with the grant already taken off.

3. Application. The installer applies to Ofgem, the energy regulator that runs the scheme, for a grant voucher. Ofgem will contact you to confirm you're happy for them to apply.

4. Installation. The heat pump is fitted, then commissioned, which means it's set up, tested and its controls adjusted for your home. The installer then claims the grant.

5. Payment. You pay the balance, and Ofgem asks you to confirm the grant came off your bill.

Why your installer's certification matters

The grant is only paid when the heat pump is fitted by an installer certified by MCS, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. MCS checks that installers design and fit low-carbon heating to set standards. Installers must also belong to an approved consumer code, either RECC or HIES. These set rules for fair contracts and deposits, and give you somewhere to turn if something goes wrong.

S.P Contractors is MCS certified and RECC approved, so we can apply for the grant on your behalf. You can check any installer on the MCS website before you sign anything.

Since April 2026, installers have had to take the grant off your bill up front, and they can't ask you to pay that amount yourself. If anyone asks you to pay the full price and wait for a refund, stop and check before you go any further.

Is a heat pump right for your home?

The grant makes a heat pump cheaper, but it doesn't make it the right choice for every home. A heat pump heats water to a lower temperature than a boiler, so some radiators may need to be larger. Most homes also need room for a hot water cylinder as well as space outside for the unit. Our post on whether a heat pump needs a hot water cylinder explains why, and heat pump or boiler, which is right for your home compares the two side by side.

When we survey a home, we look at the building itself, the insulation and the radiators you have now, then size the heat pump from the heat loss figures. We also plan where the outdoor unit will sit so it runs quietly. One customer described their full heat pump installation as "hassle free and fast from start to finish".

If your boiler is getting old and you'd rather plan a change than risk a breakdown in the middle of winter, now is a sensible time to look into it. S.P Contractors can survey your home, confirm whether you qualify for the grant and give you a quote with it already taken off. You can find out more and book a survey through our heat pump installation service.