Heat pump grants differ across the UK: England and Wales share the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, Scotland has Home Energy Scotland grants and loans, and Northern Ireland has no dedicated heat pump grant for homeowners at present. The amount you can get and how you apply both depend on where your home is.
This guide sets out the main support in each nation, the key conditions, VAT relief and how to check your eligibility. Scheme rules change, so check the official sources listed below before you commit; the figures here were last checked in October 2026.
What heat pump grants are available in each UK nation?
The table summarises the main heat pump support for homeowners in each nation of the UK.
| Nation | Main support | Amount | Key conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | Boiler Upgrade Scheme | £7,500 for air source or ground source; £9,000 replacing oil or LPG (21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027); £2,500 for air-to-air | MCS-certified installer applies to Ofgem; must meet full heating and hot water needs; runs to 2030 |
| Wales | Boiler Upgrade Scheme | As England | As England |
| Scotland | Home Energy Scotland grant and loan | Grant up to £7,500; up to £1,500 more for eligible rural and island homes; optional interest-free loan up to £7,500 | Written funding offer before work starts; MCS-certified installer and products; first come, first served |
| Northern Ireland | No dedicated heat pump grant for homeowners at present | Not applicable | Heat pumps have sometimes been funded through the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme |
These are scheme amounts, not what you will pay. Guide prices for a full system, such as £12,000–£15,500 installed including VAT for a three-bedroom home, are before any grant. See heat pump grants for how we handle each scheme.
How does the Boiler Upgrade Scheme work in England and Wales?
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a grant for homes in England and Wales, applied for by your MCS-certified installer and deducted from your quote, towards replacing fossil-fuel or electric heating with a heat pump.
- £7,500 towards an air source (air-to-water) or ground source heat pump
- £9,000 when the heat pump replaces oil or LPG heating, for installations from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027
- £2,500 for air-to-air heat pumps in homes, from 28 April 2026
- Since 28 April 2026, a valid EPC is no longer required
- The scheme has been extended to 2030
The installer applies to Ofgem, which runs the scheme, and Ofgem contacts you as the owner to confirm. Owners of existing homes, including landlords, can apply, and the heat pump must meet the home's full heating and hot water needs. Most new builds, social housing, homes already funded for a heat pump and hybrid systems are not eligible. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide covers the rules in full.
What heat pump support is there in Scotland?
In Scotland, Home Energy Scotland offers a grant of up to £7,500 for a heat pump, up to £1,500 more for eligible rural and island homes, and an optional interest-free loan of up to £7,500.
The most important rule is timing: you must receive a written funding offer from Home Energy Scotland before work starts. The installer and products must be MCS-certified, and funding is allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Home Energy Scotland is the first point of contact. It offers advice, checks eligibility, including for the rural and island uplift, and handles the application. Your written quote gives you the system details the application needs, and the installation date is set once the offer arrives.
Is there a heat pump grant in Northern Ireland?
There is no dedicated heat pump grant for homeowners in Northern Ireland at present.
Heat pumps have sometimes been funded through the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme. Whether any funding applies to your home depends on what is running at the time, so check NI Direct and ask when you enquire.
Without a grant, a careful design matters even more, because the guide price is close to what you pay. The free home survey and heat loss calculation, for installation enquiries, shows the size of system your home needs and leads to a fixed written quote. Northern Ireland has its own planning rules for heat pumps, and we check what applies at survey.
Why does MCS certification matter for heat pump grants?
MCS certification matters because the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales requires an MCS-certified installer, and Home Energy Scotland funding requires both an MCS-certified installer and MCS-certified products.
MCS, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, sets standards for how heat pumps are designed and installed, including the room-by-room heat loss calculation and, for permitted development in England, the noise assessment. When the work is finished, the installer registers it and issues an MCS certificate, which is the record the grant schemes rely on.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme requires an MCS-certified installer, who applies for the grant for you. Your quote names the MCS-certified installer for your job, so you can check it before you sign. Keep the MCS certificate with the rest of your paperwork, because it is also useful when you come to sell your home.
Is VAT charged on a heat pump installation?
Across the UK the installation of a heat pump is zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027, which means no VAT is added to the installed price.
That includes Northern Ireland, where the zero rate has applied since 1 May 2023. Our guide prices include VAT at the rate that applies, and the rate is due to return to 5% from 1 April 2027 unless the government extends it.
How do I check whether I am eligible for a heat pump grant?
To check eligibility, start with which nation your home is in, then confirm who owns it, what heating it has now and whether it has had heat pump funding before.
- England and Wales: you own the home, as an owner-occupier or landlord; it is an existing home rather than most new builds; it is not social housing; it has not already been funded for a heat pump; and the heat pump will replace fossil-fuel or electric heating and meet the full heating and hot water needs. Your MCS-certified installer confirms the details and applies.
- Scotland: contact Home Energy Scotland, which checks your eligibility, including the rural and island uplift, and issues a written offer before work starts.
- Northern Ireland: check NI Direct, and ask when you enquire whether any programme is currently funding heat pumps.
Wherever you live, a free home survey and heat loss calculation is the practical first step. Your quote then names the MCS-certified installer for your job and shows the grant, where one applies, so you can see the balance before you decide. Letting a property? See landlord heat pumps.
Questions
Does the Boiler Upgrade Scheme cover Scotland?
No. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers England and Wales only. In Scotland, Home Energy Scotland offers a grant of up to £7,500 for a heat pump, up to £1,500 more for eligible rural and island homes, and an optional interest-free loan of up to £7,500. You need a written funding offer before work starts.
Can landlords get a heat pump grant?
In England and Wales, owners of existing homes, including landlords, can use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, provided the property and system meet the scheme rules; social housing is not eligible. In Scotland, check eligibility with Home Energy Scotland. Northern Ireland has no dedicated heat pump grant for homeowners at present.
Do I need an EPC for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
No. Since 28 April 2026 a valid Energy Performance Certificate is no longer required for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales. The installer still carries out a room-by-room heat loss calculation to size the system, and the heat pump must meet the home's full heating and hot water needs.
Is there a grant for air-to-air heat pumps?
In England and Wales, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers £2,500 towards air-to-air heat pumps in homes, from 28 April 2026. Air-to-air systems heat rooms with warm air and do not provide hot water. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, ask when you enquire what support, if any, applies to air-to-air systems.
Sources
- Apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme – GOV.UK
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme – Ofgem
- Home Energy Scotland
- NI Direct
- MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme)
Scheme figures and price cap rates checked October 2026.