How to use this page
The numbers and rules below come from Ofgem's BUS guidance and the scheme regulations; the reading of those rules is mine. I'm not an MCS-certified installer — for technical advice on whether a heat pump fits your house, use your installer.
What is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
BUS pays a chunk of your install cost when you swap a fossil-fuel heating system for a low-carbon one. The fossil fuels in scope are gas, oil, LPG, and direct electric. The low-carbon kit in scope is heat pumps (air source or ground source) and biomass boilers.
England and Wales only — Scotland runs Home Energy Scotland's grant instead, Northern Ireland has its own scheme. The grant is paid to your MCS-certified installer, not to you. They apply, they receive, they deduct it from your invoice. You see the discount.
What the grant pays
Air source
Air source heat pumps
An outdoor unit plumbed into your wet heating system. The most common BUS application.
- Works in most properties with outdoor space for the unit
- Lower install cost than ground source
- Less disruption to the garden
Ground source
Ground source heat pumps
Pipework laid in trenches or boreholes, drawing heat from the ground. Higher upfront cost, higher running efficiency.
- Needs garden space for trenches, or a borehole drilling budget
- Higher install cost than air source
- More efficient across the heating season
Biomass
Biomass boilers
Wood pellet or wood chip boilers. The grant figure is lower because the scheme weights its budget towards heat pumps.
- Typically rural properties
- You need dry storage for the fuel
- Sustainable fuel, but requires regular deliveries
Boiler Upgrade Scheme Eligibility
Check Your Heat Pump Grant Eligibility
Get instant analysis of your property's suitability for the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant
Key eligibility factors:
- Replacing gas/oil/LPG boiler
- Property suitable for heat pump
- England or Wales
Check your property against the live MHCLG EPC register to see your current band and every grant you qualify for — free, in under a minute.
Check your propertyWho can apply?
The eligibility tests sit on the property, not on you. If the property meets these criteria, the grant is in scope:
Property
Property requirements
- Property in England or Wales
- Existing heating system being replaced
- Domestic property (not commercial)
- No EPC rating requirement
Notes
Important notes
- No income restrictions
- Owner-occupiers and landlords eligible
- Must use MCS-certified installer
- One grant per property
Talk to an MCS heat pump installer
The grant application has to come from an MCS-certified installer — there's no homeowner-facing form on Ofgem's side. Use this to start the conversation with installers who handle BUS applications as part of the job.
Up to three MCS-certified installers will pick up the enquiry. No obligation, no pressure.
How the application works
Find your installer
MCS certification is the gate — only MCS-certified installers can submit BUS applications.
Property survey
The installer surveys the house, sizes the system, and writes the quote.
Grant application
The installer applies for the grant through Ofgem's portal before installation starts. You sign a consent form; that's it.
Install and pay
The grant comes off the invoice. You pay the balance.
There is no homeowner application form
You can't apply for BUS yourself. Only MCS-certified installers can submit applications through Ofgem's portal. If a website offers to "process your BUS application" without an installer on the other end, walk away.
Other grants worth checking
Closed scheme
ECO4 scheme
Energy-efficiency measures funded by energy suppliers, means-tested. Insulation, heating, sometimes solar. Closed March 2026.
Learn more →Whole-home
Warm Homes Plan
The Government's successor programme delivered through local authorities — read the dedicated page for the current state.
Learn more →Wales
Wales energy grants
Nest is the Welsh equivalent of ECO4. BUS still applies in Wales. The combined picture is different from England.
Learn more →Ready for the next step?
An MCS-certified installer handles the £7,500 grant on your behalf. Find one, or read the heat pump guide first.
Page by Tony Cooper, publisher of energypages.co.uk.