England and Wales · rules checked 3 November 2026
Air source heat pump grant: who qualifies and how it is paid
The grant is £7,500 for most homes , taken off the installer's price through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Answer four questions to see which rule fits yours, with every condition in plain view.
For an air source or ground source heat pump, if you own the property, it replaces fossil fuel or electric heating, and an MCS certified installer applies.
Only where there is no mains gas connection and oil or LPG heating is replaced, for applications properly made by 31 March 2027.
This is an independent guide, not a government service. It cannot apply for or approve a grant.
Grant checker · four questions
Which grant rule fits your home?
Question 1 of 4
What decides it
Three conditions, all of which must hold
Almost every question about the grant comes back to the same three tests. The rest of the rules are exceptions to them.
You own the property
A home you live in, a second home, a property you let or business premises all count. Tenants cannot apply, though their landlord can. Social housing is excluded.
It replaces fossil fuel or electric heating
The heat pump must replace an oil, gas, LPG, electric or other fossil fuel system, and not work alongside a boiler. Self-builds can apply even though there is nothing to replace; most new builds by developers cannot.
An MCS certified installer applies
Only installers certified by MCS, and members of a consumer code (HIES, RECC or MCS), can take part. They make the application; you confirm it.
No energy performance certificate has been needed since 28 April 2026, when the rules changed. The full set is on who qualifies, and the grant checker walks through them for your home.
How much
The amount depends on what you fit
| Technology | Grant | Main condition |
|---|---|---|
| Air source (air-to-water) | £7,500 | Replaces fossil fuel or electric heating |
| Ground or water source | £7,500 | As above; voucher lasts 6 months |
| Either, oil or LPG with no mains gas | £9,000 | Application properly made by 31 March 2027 |
| Air-to-air | £2,500 | Only in homes |
| Biomass boiler | £5,000 | Rural, off the gas grid; not self-builds |
More on each band, and the capacity limit of 45 kWth for a single system, on how much you get.
How it is paid
You never receive the grant: it comes off the price
The scheme pays the installer, not you, so the number to compare between quotes is the price after the grant. The installer must take the grant off the quote, and cannot ask you for that amount unless the application is refused or the voucher revoked.
The installer applies
Once you accept a quote, the MCS certified installer applies to Ofgem with the details of the property and the heat pump.
You confirm within 14 days
Ofgem emails the property owner to check the installer is acting for them. Miss the window and the application can be rejected.
The voucher is issued and claimed
The installer has 3 months for air source (6 for ground source) to fit, commission and claim the voucher.
Each step in detail: how the grant is paid, and what to do with Ofgem's email.
What it does not pay for
Common misreadings of the grant
- A new gas boiler. Despite the scheme's name, it does not fund boilers of any kind except biomass in rural off-grid homes. See the boiler upgrade grant.
- A hybrid system. A heat pump that keeps a boiler running alongside it is not covered.
- Social housing, or a home you rent. Social housing is excluded; a private tenant's landlord can apply.
- The whole bill. The grant reduces a price you still pay. At the official median price of £12,826 for an air source installation in July to September 2026, about £5,326 is left.
The full list is on what the grant does not cover.
Your protections
What the rules promise the homeowner
The scheme puts most of the paperwork on the installer, and builds in some protections for you:
- The installer must be MCS certified and belong to a consumer code: HIES, RECC or MCS. RECC, for example, requires a workmanship warranty.
- The quote should be clear and itemised, with the grant shown as a deduction.
- Ofgem contacts you directly before anything is approved, and may phone or visit.
- If a decision goes against the application, the installer can ask Ofgem for a review within 28 days.
You can check an installer's MCS certification on the MCS directory, and TrustMark registration on TrustMark's own site if a firm claims it.
The higher rate
When the grant is £9,000 instead
Since 21 July 2026, homes with no mains gas connection that are replacing oil or LPG heating can get £9,000, an extra £1,500. It is narrower than it sounds. A capped or clamped gas meter still counts as a connection. Off-grid homes heated by electricity or coal stay at £7,500. And the application must be properly made by 31 March 2027.
It has been popular: of 25,374 applications from July to September 2026, 8,107 (32%) were for the £9,000 rate, and September 2026 saw 9,738 applications, the most in any month since the scheme began (DESNZ). Every condition of the £9,000 rate.
Budget and deadlines
How long the money lasts
The budget for April 2026 to March 2027 is £400 million; Ofgem showed £143.6 million left at 30 September 2026, including applications not yet decided. The scheme runs to 2030 while each year's budget lasts. More on budget and deadlines.
Guides
The details people ask about next
- The grant on your quoteWhat the deduction should look like, and what the installer may not charge.
- If the grant is refusedReviews, who can ask for one, and the retrospective route.
- Which properties countSecond homes, lets, business premises, self-builds and new builds.
- What changed in 2026No EPC, air-to-air added, £9,000 for oil and LPG, heat batteries.
- The grant in numbers160,874 applications and 96,611 vouchers redeemed so far.
- All guidesEverything on this site about the grant, in one list.
Heat pump grant questions
How much is the air source heat pump grant?
£7,500 for most homes in England and Wales, through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. It rises to £9,000 only where the home has no mains gas connection and oil or LPG heating is being replaced, for applications properly made by 31 March 2027. The money is taken off the installer's price rather than paid to you.
Who qualifies for the heat pump grant?
Owners of homes, second homes, lets and business premises in England and Wales who are replacing fossil fuel or electric heating with a heat pump fitted by an MCS certified installer. Social housing, most new builds still being built by a developer, and hybrid systems are not covered. Self-builds can apply.
Do I apply for the grant myself?
No. The installer applies to Ofgem. Ofgem then emails the property owner, who has 14 days to confirm that the installer is acting for them. After that the voucher is issued in the installer's name and the grant comes off your bill.
Do I need an EPC to get the grant?
Not any more. The requirement for a valid energy performance certificate was removed on 28 April 2026. If the property has a valid EPC its reference is still used, but not having one does not stop an application.
Do I have to pay the grant back?
No. It is a grant, not a loan, so nothing is repaid. But it only reduces the price of an installation you still pay for, so be wary of anyone promising a heat pump at no cost.
When does the scheme end?
It is set to run to 2030 while each year's budget lasts. Ofgem cannot issue vouchers after 31 December 2029. The £9,000 rate for oil and LPG homes has its own, earlier end: applications must be properly made by 31 March 2027.
Who publishes this guide
Air Source Heat Pump Grant is published by SEO-DONS LTD (company 16766013). It is an independent information site: not the government, not Ofgem, not an installer and not part of any scheme. It holds no accreditation of its own and cannot apply for, approve or speed up a grant. Every rule here links to GOV.UK, Ofgem or legislation, and each page shows when it was checked. The heat pump's running costs after the grant depend on your electricity tariff and the installation, which this site does not price. Questions sent through the form below are answered by email: more on the about page and our sources.
Not sure how the grant applies to you?
Tell us what heats the home now, who owns it and what you are planning. SEO-DONS LTD, which publishes this guide, reads it and answers by email with the scheme rule that fits.
What happens next
- Your question goes to SEO-DONS LTD, the publisher of this guide.
- We answer by email and point you to the GOV.UK or Ofgem rule behind the answer.
- Nothing you send applies for the grant or commits you: only an MCS certified installer can apply.